David Letterman, 66, announced during a taping of his show tonight that he would be retiring in 2015. 

If you've been watching Letterman only since the late '90s, then you probably don't understand why people are freaking out about his resignation. 

By the late '90s, Letterman was mostly just another late-night host running through jokes and interviewing celebrities. 

But before that, in the early '80s, he was one of the most innovative, hilarious people on television. His influence extended beyond his show and inspired a number of comics and talk-show hosts.

"David Letterman is the best that there is and ever was," tweeted Jimmy Kimmel after hearing about Letterman's retirement. He retweeted someone's response to his sentiment: "Dave Letterman would tell you Johnny was the best, but he'd be wrong. Dave changed late night."

Letterman broke into public consciousness not with the "Late Show" — the CBS show he hosts today — but with "Late Night With David Letterman," which aired after "The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson," from 1982 to 1993.

The writers and producers reveled in creating a completely absurd, silly show that was poles apart from the more conventional class and humor of Carson's "Tonight Show."

This blurb from People magazine in 1984 captures the brilliance of Letterman:

He is America's No. 1 smartass. He is also, by far, the most inventive man on TV today. Letterman is a talk show host without fear. He flirts with the boundaries of politeness and humor; he'll try anything once. Like Carson (but unlike Thicke), he knows what to do when a joke bombs—and bomb they do, for that is the price of experimentation. Once, to apologize for a groaner, Letterman paid everyone in the audience $1. He's had a steamroller flatten watermelons and six-packs of beer, just for the heck of it. He's staged man-hunting duels between a Russian psychic and bloodhounds (the Russian won). He's worn a Velcro suit and thrown himself against a wall to see whether he'd stick (he did). He's had as guests a woman who costumes birds, a man who collects snowballs, a woman who collects strange nuts. He gleefully lets people make fools of themselves, and it's wonderful to watch. For as cynical and near nasty as he can be, Letterman is still one of the more likable and most entertaining people on TV.

When Letterman moved from 12:30 to 11:30 at CBS, he dialed back the weirdness, but was still successful. He was still funny, just not as crazy. 

Hopefully in this, his final year, he'll crank up the subversive, weird stuff that made David Letterman David Letterman. 

To give you a sense of the friendly-but-in-your-face weirdness the show thrived on, here's Chris Elliott appearing as "The Guy Under The Seats."

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David Letterman is retiring from "The Late Show" in 2015.

After starting on NBC's "Late Night," Letterman's first "Late Show" appearance on CBS was August 30, 1993. 

Ahead of his debut, Letterman appeared on local St. Louis network KMOV asking fans to tune in to his first show.

Check out the video below:

SEE ALSO: David Letterman retiring in 2015

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Rumor has it that billionaire music producer and film studio exec David Geffen bought an East Hampton compound nestled between the beach and Georgica Pond for $67.5 million, according to real estate blogger The Real Estalker.

The waterfront compound includes four separate lots: one for the 7,500-square-foot house, one for a guest house, and two additional vacant lots. 

Other luxurious amenities of the house include seven bedrooms, two fireplaces, a fitness room, library, and a home office.

The property was listed last April for $75 million by socialite and philanthropist Courtney Sales Ross, wife of the late head of Time Warner, Steven J. Ross.

The expansive compound sits on nearly six acres of land between the beach and Georgica Pond.

The pond front is 481 feet and has a small dock for boats.

Plus, pretty amazing sunset views.

David Letterman announced his retirement Thursday from the "Late Show" after 31-years on the air.

In what started off like a typical show, Letterman quickly switched gears and explained, "I phoned Leslie Moonves — the man who owns this network — just before the program and I said, 'Leslie, it's been great, you've been great, the network has been great, but I'm retiring.'"

"You actually did this?" asked Paul Shaffer, Letterman's band leader and sidekick since 1982.

"Yes I did," confirmed the 66-year-old late night host. "So, I just wanted to reiterate my thanks for the support from the network, all of the people who have worked here, all of the people in the theater, all of the people on the staff, everybody at home — thank you very much."

In his typical humor, Letterman later joked, "What this means now is that Paul and I can be married."

"We don't have the timing of this precisely down," Letterman admitted, but did say, "I think it will be at least a year or so, but sometime in the not too distant future — 2015, for the love of god, Paul and I will be, in fact, wrapping things up and taking a hike."

Watch the announcement below:

It ended with the live audience giving Letterman a standing ovation:

CBS' Leslie Moonves later released a statement on Letterman's retirement:

“When Dave decided on a one-year extension for his most recent contract, we knew this day was getting closer, but that doesn’t make the moment any less poignant for us. For 21 years, David Letterman has graced our Network’s air in late night with wit, gravitas and brilliance unique in the history of our medium. 

During that time, Dave has given television audiences thousands of hours of comedic entertainment, the sharpest interviews in late night, and brilliant moments of candor and perspective around national events. He’s also managed to keep many celebrities, politicians and executives on their toes – including me. There is only one David Letterman. His greatness will always be remembered here, and he will certainly sit among the pantheon of this business.

On a personal note, it’s been a privilege to get to know Dave and to enjoy a terrific relationship. It’s going to be tough to say goodbye. Fortunately, we won’t have to do that for another year or so. Until then, we look forward to celebrating Dave’s remarkable show and incredible talents.”

SEE ALSO: David Letterman Announces He Will Retire In 2015

MORE: Watch David Letterman Ask Fans To Tune In To His First-Ever 'Late Show' In 1993

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David Letterman will announce his retirement from "The Late Show" after 20 years on tonight's taped episode.

Perhaps Letterman's greatest late-night show legacy is his nightly Top 10 lists. In honor of his departure come 2015, we've rounded up the Top 10 Letterman Top 10 lists.

To compile the ranked list, we took into consideration top-viewed lists from YouTube and talked-about lists across the Internet. We also looked at prior anniversary lists from Letterman himself.

We also turned to CBS' archives of top 10 lists dating back to 2001. Not all of our selections have video.

Without further ado, these are the lists that had us laughing the hardest:

10. Top Ten Reasons I'm glad to be named Justin Bieber 

Air date: November 3, 2010

A man from Jacksonville, Florida named Justin Bieber came on the show to present. 

9. Top Ten Things I Have Learned Working For "The Late Show"

Air date: August 28, 2003

10. "Most of audience -- prison inmates"
(Line Producer, Kathy Mavrikakis)

9. "That moron couldn't remember his name if it wasn't on cue cards"
(Cue Cards, Tony Mendez)

8. "I have utterly and completely wasted my life"
(Associate Producer, Nancy Agostini)

7. "Jennifer Lopez is a hellcat in bed"
(Film Coordinator, Rick Scheckman)

6. "The hours may be long, but the money sucks"
(Make Up Artist, Michele O'Callaghan)

5. "We really are a family, and Dave is the crazy uncle everyone is hoping will be put in a home"
(Writer, Gerard Mulligan)

4. "You don't need good looks or talent to get your own show"
(Stage Manager, Biff Henderson)

3. "When Regis calls, Dave's in a meeting"
(Executive Assistant to David Letterman, Laurie Diamond)

2. "All kidding aside, Dave really is an ass****"
(Executive Producer, Jude Brennan)

1. "It's much easier if I just tell people I work for Leno"
(Musical Director, Paul Shaffer)

8. Ricky Gervais shares the Top Ten Stupid Things Americans Say To Brits

Air date: November 3, 2008 

"Do you know the Queen?"

7. Robert De Niro and Al Pacino's Top Ten Reasons I Like Being An Actor

Air date: September 2008

6. Top Ten Ways The Show Has Changed Since 1993.

Air date: August 28, 2009

10. Now do the bulk of my drinking after the show

9. People used to pretend to like me. Now they pretend to tolerate me

8. Global warming has raised theater temperature to 38 degrees

7. I lost 280 pounds with Deal-a-Meal

6. Crazy lady we used to piss off: Madonna. Now crazy lady we piss off: Sarah Palin

5. Audience is here to see if I drop dead on stage

4. Dwindling amount of hate mail; burgeoning amount of hate e-mail

3. Every ten minutes someone is dropping a flashlight

2. Used to talk with sexiest women in the world. Now I interview Artie Lange

1. Emmy Awards replaced with Fire Dave rallies

5. Top Ten President Obama Excuses

Air date: October 4, 2012

10. "I haven't slept an hour since 2008"

9. "Romney's hair is mesmerizing"

8. "Didn't want to wake Jim Lehrer"

7. "Haven't been the same since I quit smoking"

6. "Honestly, I thought the debate was next week"

5. "I live with my mother-in-law, what do you want from me?"

4. "Kept blanking on what percentage of the country Mitt's written off"

3. "Skipped rehearsal, just like Letterman"

2. "Why don't you ask Bin Laden how I did?"

1. "It's Bush's fault"

4. Top Ten Things Never Before Said on "The Sopranos" as presented by the cast.

Air date: n/a

"You don't have the money? That's cool."

3. Barack Obama delivers his Top Ten Campaign Promises

Air date: January 2008

2. Top Ten List of Top 10 Favorite California Names

Air date: May 7, 1996

To present this, Letterman had the actual California residents read off their name and show their licenses to prove it. This is great because as the names get worse and worse, Letterman's crew continues to cut to a woman in the audience clearly bothered by the vulgarities. 

1. Top 10 George Bush Moments

Air date: n/a

SEE ALSO: Letterman announces he'll retire in 2015

AND: Why David Letterman is the most important late-night host of all time

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Tonight, David Letterman will announce his retirement from "The Late Show" on CBS.

However, before the announcement aired on TV, R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills broke the news on Twitter.

When asked backstage about beating CBS to the big reveal, Mills said he imagined everyone was sharing the news on social media.

"I didn't want to blow Dave's announcement, but I figured there's 300 people in the audience that are probably all tweeting the same thing so I figured it was all right," said Mills.

Mills also recalled his first time on Letterman was when he was on NBC in 1983.

Watch the clip below:

SEE ALSO: David Letterman's best top ten lists

AND: Why Letterman is the most important late-night host of all time

Join the conversation about this story »

"Captain America: The Winter Soldier" may be one of the better Marvel movies, but it is a stretch to call it a smart and subversive spy thriller as many have claimed. Beneath the surface, it is just as dumb and cautious, albeit enjoyable and well-executed, as everything Marvel Studios has and perhaps will ever produce.

We saw the $170 million movie, which opens everywhere on Friday, at a Screenvision event on Wednesday night.

To start, this supposed spy thriller is really just a beat'em-up in disguise. Despite a warning by spymaster Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) to Captain America Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) not to trust anyone in spy agency SHIELD, there is rarely any question about who is good and who is bad. In fact, nearly everyone in the movie except our heroes is bad, as is obvious when they attack Rogers by the dozens.

"How do we tell the good guys from the bad guys?" The Falcon Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) asks at one point.

"If they're shooting at you, they're bad!" Rogers replies.

Robert Redford gives a relatively nuanced performance as the head of the World Security Council, but it only made me long for a real spy thriller like his 2001 movie, "Spy Games."

As for the supposed subversiveness of the movie, let's be real. "Winter Soldier," like related TV show "Marvel's Agents Of SHIELD," alludes to excessive surveillance and the threat of the military industrial complex without having any bite. It's hardly controversial to criticize the concept of giant helicarriers killing millions of people determined by an algorithm to be dangerous.

Meanwhile, the movie gleefully endorses other national security elements, like arms manufacturer Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, who is mentioned several times, and the good guys at SHIELD, including their super hero enforcers. As super spy Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) tells a government hearing, America needs people like her. Even the dismantling of SHIELD at the end of the movie is executed by agents of another spy agency, the CIA.

Audiences will come away with the conclusion, if any, that bad surveillance and military industrial agents are bad, but that good surveillance and military industrial agents are good. It's hardly the stuff that inspires change.

Then there's the action, which is supposed to include "the best car chase in any Marvel movie, maybe the best car chase of all time" as well as references to "the best choreographed fight scenes from the past 30 years," according to comments from directors Joe and Anthony Russo and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige.

Was it that good? It was pretty good.

Still, it's hard to get too excited about a movie with so many bullets and so little blood. The secret agents in this PG-13 movie have shockingly bad aim, like the time when they pour bullets at point-blank range through the shattered window of Fury's near-invincible Chevy Suburban yet still can't take him down, and other times when round after round fails to hit our heroes. When good guys or bad guys do get injured or knocked out, they tend to bounce back as good as new in the next scene.

Yes, this is typical for many action movies, especially kids' actions movies. Still, is it naive to wish for something more?

I know that comic book movies can be dark, cerebral, and thrilling, having seen what Christopher Nolan did with Warner Bros.'s Dark Knight trilogy— even if that series was also limited by its PG-13 rating.

And I know that comic books can tell daring, sophisticated stories. Notably, there's a series out right now called "The Winter Soldier" by Rick Remender that makes the movie villain far more mysterious and terrifying than he is on screen. "Captain America," also by Remender, tells a bizarre story that juxtaposes the hero's memories of domestic abuse with his experiences trapped in an alien dimension for more than a decade.

But cautiousness in all things may be the inevitable downside to the wonderfully prolific and interlocking series of big budget movies from Marvel Studios, which is owned by Disney. These movies are programmed to appeal to the widest possible audience, including 5-year-olds in China, and they are rigorously designed to set up unlimited sequels and spinoffs, not to mention countless related products.

So far the movies are box office magic — with "The Winter Soldier" on track for an opening weekend record for April— so why take risks?

SEE ALSO: Marvel plans to release 3-to-4 movies a year

Join the conversation about this story »

"Captain America: The Winter Soldier" may be one of the better Marvel movies, but it is a stretch to call it a smart and subversive spy thriller as many have claimed. Beneath the surface, it is just as dumb and cautious, albeit enjoyable and well-executed, as everything Marvel Studios has and perhaps will ever produce.

[MILD SPOILERS BELOW.]

We saw the $170 million movie, which opens everywhere on Friday, at a Screenvision event on Wednesday night.

To start, this supposed spy thriller is really just a beat'em-up in disguise. Despite a warning by spymaster Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) to Captain America Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) not to trust anyone in spy agency SHIELD, there is rarely any question about who is good and who is bad. In fact, nearly everyone in the movie except our heroes is bad, as is obvious when they attack Rogers by the dozens.

"How do we tell the good guys from the bad guys?" The Falcon Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) asks at one point.

"If they're shooting at you, they're bad!" Rogers replies.

Robert Redford gives a relatively nuanced performance as the head of the World Security Council, but it only made me long for a real spy thriller like his 2001 movie, "Spy Games."

As for the supposed subversiveness of the movie, let's be real. "Winter Soldier," like related TV show "Marvel's Agents Of SHIELD," alludes to excessive surveillance and the threat of the military industrial complex without having any bite.

It's hardly controversial to criticize the concept of giant helicarriers killing millions of people determined by an algorithm to be dangerous.

Meanwhile, the movie gleefully endorses other national security elements, like arms manufacturer Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, whose products are mentioned in this movie, and the good guys at SHIELD, including their super hero enforcers. As super spy Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) tells a government hearing, America needs people like her. Even the dismantling of SHIELD at the end of the movie is executed by agents of another spy agency, the CIA.

Audiences will come away with the conclusion, if any, that bad surveillance and military industrial agents are bad, but that good surveillance and military industrial agents are good. It's hardly the stuff that inspires change.

Then there's the action, which is supposed to include "the best car chase in any Marvel movie, maybe the best car chase of all time" as well as references to "the best choreographed fight scenes from the past 30 years," according to comments from directors Joe and Anthony Russo and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige.

Was it that good? It was pretty good.

Still, it's hard to get too excited about a movie with so many bullets and so little blood. The secret agents in this PG-13 movie have shockingly bad aim, like the time when they pour bullets at point-blank range through the shattered window of Fury's near-invincible Chevy Suburban yet still can't take him down, and other times when round after round fails to hit our heroes. When good guys or bad guys do get injured, they tend to bounce back as good as new in the next scene.

Yes, this is typical for many action movies, especially kids' actions movies. Still, is it naive to wish for something more?

I know that comic book movies can be dark, cerebral, and thrilling, having seen what Christopher Nolan did with Warner Bros.'s Dark Knight trilogy— even if that series was also limited by its PG-13 rating.

And I know that comic books can tell daring, sophisticated stories. Notably, there's a series out right now called "The Winter Soldier" by Rick Remender that makes the movie villain far more mysterious and terrifying than he is on screen. "Captain America," also by Remender, tells a bizarre story that juxtaposes the hero's memories of domestic abuse with his experiences trapped in an alien dimension for more than a decade.

But cautiousness in all things is the inevitable downside to the wonderfully prolific and interlocking series of big budget movies from Marvel Studios, which is owned by Disney. These movies are programmed to appeal to the widest possible audience, including 5-year-olds in China, and they are rigorously designed to set up unlimited sequels and spinoffs, not to mention countless related products.

So far the movies are box office magic — with "The Winter Soldier" on track for an opening weekend record for April— so why take risks?

SEE ALSO: Marvel plans to release 3-to-4 movies a year

Join the conversation about this story »

A break in the gameplay on "Jeopardy!" for small talk among the contestants is usually a light-hearted affair, but it got really awkward for host Alex Trebek after one contestant told him about his upcoming documentary on sweatshop labor.

After some small talk with the two other contestants, Trebek turned to Tom Cavanaugh, asking him what he would do with the $1 million at stake if he we were to win it all.

"You're going to spend a lot of it on a documentary, what's the documentary?" Trebek asked.

The documentary, Cavanaugh said, would be about sweatshop labor in the U.S. and around the world. He continued:

"So I went to Bangladesh about 10 years ago and toured a garment factory and I thought, ‘What if I saw a shirt that I was wearing being made by these people’? So it’s to try to put a face on who makes our clothes. Maybe you can find the names of the 8-year-olds who made your fancy suit there, Alex. What? Was that a low blow? Was that a low blow?"

Both the audience and Trebek were rather shocked at that comment.

"Give him a shot," Trebek told one of the other contestants.

Watch:

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David Letterman just announced he's retiring next year and the rumor mill is already buzzing over who will replace him at the "Late Show."

As of now, there are four main names being tossed around: Craig Ferguson, Stephen Colbert, Conan O'Brien, and Chelsea Handler. Let's see how they stack up.

1. Craig Ferguson

Longtime "Late Late Show" host Craig Ferguson — whose 12:35am CBS show immediately follows Letterman's — reportedly has right of first refusal in his contract for the "Late Show" gig. However, CBS may have the option to buy him out and hire a different host.

Here's how The New York Times' Bill Carter described it:

[Ferguson's] previous contracts with CBS have included what amounts to a "Prince of Wales" clause, giving Mr. Ferguson the right to inherit the late-night show in the 11:35 p.m. time period should Mr. Letterman decide to leave. (Those clauses have never been ironclad, however, because a network can choose to pay off the deal rather than complete the succession, as Mr. Letterman learned when Mr. Leno was chosen to succeed Mr. Carson in 1992.)

"Ferguson's CBS contract also expires in 2015, so if CBS opts to buy him out instead of giving him the prestigious 'Late Show,' he could end up leaving the network altogether, leaving the network's 12:35 slot vacant, as well," reports Splitsider.

But considering "The Late Late Show" is produced by Letterman's Worldwide Pants company, it could be an ideal transition.

2. Stephen Colbert

Entertainment blogger Nikki Finke apparently has sources who say Stephen Colbert is "the only one on the air currently that CBS is considering."

The report doesn't sound too outlandish, as Colbert's contract with Comedy Central is up at the end of 2014 — making Letterman's 2015 exit ideal timing. 

3. Conan O' Brien

In 1993, Conan O'Brien succeed eed David Letterman on NBC's "Late Night" and it worked out well, so why not try again?

After spending the last four years on TBS following an embarrassing firing at NBC's "Tonight Show" in 2010, we're sure Conan would like to take revenge while sitting at Letterman's CBS desk.

The timing could be a bit tricky with Conan's TBS contract not being up until November 2015, but so far Letterman has only said he will leave "sometime in the not too distant future — 2015 for the love of god." So there's still plenty of time to figure out the exact details.

4. Chelsea Handler

It is ironic timing that Chelsea Handler announced earlier this week that she is leaving the E! network but already has seven mysterious "suitors lined up."

The "Chelsea Lately" host will leave E! when her contract expires at the end of 2014, which would make for perfect "Late Show" takeover timing.

One fan who thinks it could actually happen? Chris Rock, who posted the news of Letterman's retirement on his private Facebook account, with his bet for a replacement. Look at the last comment.

Ironically, Letterman's replacement was the plot line of a three-part "Louie" arc which placed Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld (do it, Jerry!), and Louis C.K. himself as the top contenders.

Other candidates whose contracts are up in 2015? Jimmy Kimmel and Jon Stewart, but both seem unlikely to quit their day jobs any time soon.

Even Neil Patrick Harris' name is being thrown into the ring. With his hit CBS show "How I Met Your Mother" just ending this week and already having proven he can host live Emmy Awards shows for the network — the timing may be right.

Let the games begin!

SEE ALSO: Watch David Letterman Announce His Retirement

MORE: Chelsea Handler Leaving E!, But Has '7 Suitors' Lined Up

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Jimmy Kimmel, 46, has idolized David Letterman, 66, since the younger late-night host was a quirky kid growing up in Vegas.

Kimmel has often joked that the only reason he went into show business was to be friends with Letterman — and wondered why anyone would watch his show instead of Letterman’s.

So, when Kimmel was coming off four years as co-host of Comedy Central’s “The Man Show” and about to debut “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on ABC in 2002, naturally he reached out to Letterman to be a guest on the show’s premiere episode.

Letterman’s typed response — on personal stationery — today sits framed on Kimmel’s desk in his studio office, alongside a photo of his late grandparents and a picture of himself covered in whipped cream after popping a fictional zit on Jon Stewart’s forehead.

This is what the letter said. It's from Sept. 23, 2002, and was uncovered by New York Magazine.

Dear Jimmy,

Thanks for asking me to appear on your premiere. Unfortunately, I will be out of the country on business. I’m sure the program will be a success regardless.

Sincerely,

Dave

“His response is hilarious,” Kimmel told New York Magazine. “He’s not out of the country on business. He knows you know he’s not out of the country on business and just the words ‘on business’ — it really makes it a perfect letter for me.”

Ten years later, the two aren’t exactly best buddies, but Letterman did appear on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" for the first time, in 2012, as the L.A.-based show broadcast out of Brooklyn after Hurricane Sandy.

Letterman's appearance gave Kimmel his biggest Wednesday audience in the show's history — about 2.4 million viewers.

Leading up to the visit, Kimmel said he was “terrified” to interview Letterman and tried to justify it by saying, “I’m sure for him it’s nothing more than a nuisance, that he’s just doing it to be nice.”

But Letterman was a gracious guest as Kimmel showed him photos of his "Late Night"-themed 18th birthday cake:

And "L8 Nite" license plate on his first car.

Letterman responded by telling his No. 1 fan, "I’ll be honest with you, it was troubling. I kept saying to people, ‘Why is he sucking up to me?’ ... When I was persuaded that there was some measure of stability here, then I really realized that it was genuine and I couldn’t appreciate it more."

Letterman added, "In show business, one of the precepts is you're not really supposed to be nice to people, especially if you have the same occupation as another person. Jimmy has broken that precept and has been nothing but generous and courteous and kind to me."

Watch Letterman's ratings-raising appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"

SEE ALSO: Here's Who Is Rumored To Be Replacing David Letterman

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It's been just over a month since Maria Bartiromo debuted her new show on Fox Business Network.

It's off to a very slow start.

There were high hopes when Fox Business hired Bartiromo from CNBC after two decades there. She's known for her deep Wall Street Rolodex and ability to book big-name guests. So the thought was that loyal CNBC viewers might follow Bartiromo to FOX.

So far, it certainly doesn't seem like they are.

Bartiromo's morning show, the "Opening Bell with Maria Bartiromo," which began on February 24, ranked 119th out of 123 cable news shows, according to first quarter ratings data posted by TVNewser. The other Fox Business shows that came in behind her were "Willis Report" and "Money With Melissa Frances," the data shows. 

The ratings data shows that Bartiromo's show is reaching a total of 53,000 viewers. However, in the critical viewer demographic that FOX wants to reach — folks ages 25-54 — she's averaging only 7,000 viewers per show. 

Bartiromo has one the best time slots of the day because it's around the opening of the market, which is generally the busiest time with breaking news and headlines, so these numbers are particularly disappointing. They're also lower than the viewership FOX was getting in this time slot before Bartiromo debuted.

During January and February, when Stuart Varney's FOX Business show "Varney & Co." aired in the same 9-11 a.m. time slot, he was reaching a total of 110,000 households and 23,000 in the coveted demographic. So FOX Business' viewership has actually been cut in half in these hours since Bartiromo took over.

Varney's show, meanwhile, has moved back two hours to the 11 a.m.-1 p.m. time period. The data shows that Varney averages 94,000 in total viewers and 16,000 in the demo. That's nearly double Bartiromo's viewers! 

Meanwhile, CNBC's "Squawk On The Street" (9-11 a.m.) was doing roughly 200,000 in total viewers and about 45,000 in the key demo during the first quarter, the data shows. CNBC's "Closing Bell," which used to be hosted by Bartiromo and is now hosted by Kelly Evans, had about 36,000 viewers in the demo and roughly 188,000 total households during that period.

Across the board for the financial news, the ratings in general are lousy. CNBC's ratings recently hit their lowest level in 20 years.

Still, this is certainly not a strong start for Bartiromo, whom FOX is paying a reported $4-5 million a year.

Bartiromo is new to the Fox audience. She does have a Sunday show on Fox News Channel that will help expose her to a more general audience and help viewers get to know her better. 

We reached out to FOX Business for comment.  We will update this article if we hear back.  

Here are the Q1 ratings data:

Q1 2014 Cable News Ranker A25-54 by tvnewser

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Jennifer Lopez is a major shareholder in NuvoTV network, which just purchased music channel Fuse TV for a reported $225 million from the Madison Square Garden Company.

“Music is my first love so the acquisition of Fuse is near and dear to my heart,” said Lopez, who serves as chief creative officer for NuvoTV.

The "American Idol" judge continued, “It’s exciting that between NuvoTV and Fuse we’ll have the ability to deliver a broad array of terrific content both from a Latino perspective and across multiple genres, including music, to a broader audience.”

Lopez outbid her ex-boyfriend Diddy, who reportedly offered $200 million for the struggling network so that he could merge it with his new Revolt TV. Diddy was even backed by billionaire investor Ron Burkle.

“This is a real blow to Diddy and Revolt,” ex-Fuse chief Eric Sherman, who has also worked with J.Lo on TV’s “American Idol,” told PageSix.

“Fuse was such a perfect fit for them," added Sherman. "But having worked with Jennifer on ‘Idol,’ I’m not surprised she and her team prevailed.”

Lopez's deal calls for MSG to receive cash plus 15% of the equity in the enlarged SiTV Media parent company of NuvoTV, reports Variety. MSG will have a seat on the board of the privately held SiTV Media.

Bloomberg initially reported that MSG had been seeking about $400 million for Fuse, which reaches about 73 million MVPD homes, compared to about 30 million for NuvoTV.

Fuse's most popular shows include "Billy On The Street," “Big Freedia: Queen of Bounce,” and the network often broadcasts live concerts and music specials.

SEE ALSO: Diddy Reportedly Bid $200 Million For Fuse TV Network

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If you miss "Breaking Bad," then you're in for a big treat.

Bryan Cranston is writing a memoir spanning both his life and work including his time on AMC's hit show.

Cranston said the book will "tell the stories of my life and reveal the secrets and lies that I lived with for six years shooting ‘Breaking Bad’" in a statement to the New York Times.

The actor is also currently starring on Broadway playing President Lyndon B. Johnson in "All the Way."

The only bad news is that we'll have to wait until fall 2015 for its release.

SEE ALSO: These charts reveal the season your favorite TV shows peaked

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It's usually extremely difficult to guess someone's password. But thanks to a 5-year-old boy's discovery, you may not have to when logging in to Xbox Live.

Kristoffer Von Hassel found a way to work around the Xbox's password verification screen, according to KGTV, an ABC News 10 affiliate.

Kristoffer typed the wrong password when attempting to login to his father's Xbox Live account so that he could play his games, the report said. When he was brought to the password verification screen after entering the wrong code, he pressed the space bar a few times and hit enter.

And it magically worked.

Kristoffer and his father reported the bug to Microsoft and the company says it has come up with a fix, KGTV reports. To thank Kristoffer for the tip, Microsoft is giving him four games, $50 and a year long subscription to Xbox Live.

This isn't the first time Kristoffer has found ways to work around technology barriers. His father Robert Davies told the ABC News affiliate that his son had bypassed the toddler lock screen on a cell phone by holding down the home key when he was only one year old. 

Check out the video below from KGTV.

SEE ALSO: Big, Beautiful Photos Of Amazon's Fire TV

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Lionsgate released a new trailer for "The Expendables 3" and it's exactly what you would expect from the ongoing action sequel — big names, big explosions, and plenty of gunfire.

We don't get much plotwise here, as the focal point of the trailer is the obvious star power. For those who have tuned in for "The Expendables" franchise, that's more than fine.

Here's the list of returning cast members:

Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

And here are those joining the cast:

Wesley Snipes, Antonio Banderas, Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford, Kellan Lutz, Ronda Rousey ((MMA fighter), Victor Ortiz, Glen Powell ("The Dark Knight Rises"), Robert Davi.

Kelsey Grammer will also be a part of the sequel.

Sorry, guys. Chuck Norris said last summer he would not return for the sequel. Bummer.

This will clearly be our guilty pleasure summer popcorn flick.

"The Expendables 3" hits theaters August 15.

SEE ALSO: The first teaser trailer for "The Expendables 3"

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With season 4 starting Sunday, it's a good time to head back to Westeros and find out which episodes are "Game of Thrones" best.

Using GraphTV, we can see just how popular "Game of Thrones" has been in the last three years (the best episode is almost a perfect 10, while the worst episode is still rated a very high 8.5).

Among the best-reviewed fan episodes, most share two common themes — they had a lot of death and dragons.

6. Season 1, Episode 9: "Baelor"

Rating: 9.4
Votes: 5,712

Synopsis: "Baelor" continues Rob Stark's attempt to save his prisoner father from the Lannister family. Daenerys goes to great magical lengths to save her beloved Khal Drogo. However, the episode is best remembered for the surprise beheading of season 1's hero and lead character, Ned Stark.

5. Season 1, Episode 10: "Fire and Blood"

Rating: 9.4
Votes: 5,774

Synopsis: The impact of Ned's death affects a lot of storylines in the season 1 finale as Rob pushes forward as the new "King of the North" while Jon Snow realizes he's a true member of the Night's Watch, a sacred brotherhood in charge of protecting the realm. The episode ends with Daenerys bringing three-fire breathing dragons to life.  

4. Season 2, Episode 10: "Valar Morghulis"

Rating: 9.4
Votes: 5,933

Synopsis: In the season 2 finale, Tyrion recovers from battle wounds as his father Tywin becomes the new advisor to the throne, the Hand of the King. Robb secretly marries, Arya receives a special coin from Jaquen H'ghar as he leaves her for the mysterious Braavos, and Daenerys sets off for Westeros after saving her stolen dragons.

Of the 5 million people who will watch WrestleMania XXX this Sunday evening, almost all of them will have decided to do so well before World Wrestling Entertainment began announcing this year’s matches a month ago.

After all, the primary appeal of WrestleMania is that it’s WrestleMania, a spectacle for the sake of spectacle that many fans choose as the only show they watch all year.

As the WWE's tentpole event, Sunday’s pay-per-view broadcast from the New Orleans Superdome will feature a little bit of something for everyone, or at least something for everyone who would consider watching dudes roll around in their underwear pretending to fight each other for three hours.

As Business Insider’s resident wrestling obsessive, I’ve taken it upon myself to create this handy guide to let you know which little bit of WrestleMania is for you, based on your interests.

If you like underdog narratives, facial hair, and/or radical progressive movements as presented by multinational corporations ...

You'll probably enjoy: Daniel Bryan’s pursuit of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

For many of the WWE's regular viewers, the success of this year's WrestleMania hinges entirely on whether or not Daniel Bryan leaves New Orleans with the WWE World Heavyweight championship belt around his waist.

At just 5’10” and 210 pounds, Bryan is smaller than the average WWE Superstar, and he has for years wrestled faster, smarter, and more seamlessly than just about anyone else in the company.

What’s different this year is that he is now also the WWE’s most popular character, having been launched into the stratosphere by his underdog appeal, a truly excellent beard, and his irresistible “Yes!” chant (see below).

Alas, the small stature and aw-shucks demeanor that have endeared Bryan to the WWE faithful are the qualities that have drawn the ire of the 13-time world champion Triple H, Bryan’s on-screen boss and the real-life son-in-law to WWE CEO Vince McMahon.

In a storyline that has blurred the line between fiction and reality, Triple H has for eight months now abused his power in various ways to prevent Bryan from winning the championship, claiming that he has neither the size nor the “it factor” to serve as the “face of the WWE.”

Despite Triple H’s assertion that Bryan’s success would destroy the company’s business, or perhaps because of it, the antagonism has only intensified Bryan’s love affair with the WWE Universe, which is at this point absolutely desperate to see its hero triumph over the tyranny of corporate rationale. In fact, many fans repeatedly threatened to stop watching the show if he does not.

Where Bryan’s predecessor in pro wrestling anti-authoritarianism, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, practiced a decidedly violent and individualist brand of anarchism, Bryan is a kindly vegan who instead favors collective action.  

In an Occupy-inspired segment on Monday Night Raw, he and his fans staged a protest in the middle of the ring, refusing to leave until Triple H agreed to fight him at WrestleMania.

After a furious Triple H agreed to his initial demand, Bryan went one step further and requested that the winner of the bout be entered into a three-way match for the title later in the evening against the loathsome human steroid vessel Batista, and the insufferable reigning champion Randy Orton.

The screaming hordes of the “Yes Movement” got their wish, and at the same time lost the power to vote with their wallets that has to this point been the only counterbalance to Triple H’s atrocities.

All they can do now is wait anxiously for Bryan’s triumph and, with it, the sublime moment of pro wrestling catharsis that makes this whole stupid thing worth watching.

If you enjoy True Detective, blood feuds, and/or jorts ...

You'll probably like: John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt

The formula that makes pro wrestling work is pretty simple: Take two dudes with obviously contrasting worldviews, have them piss each other off for a few months, then let them beat the mess out of each other while the crowd loses its collective wig.

All-American good guy John Cena's beef with the creepy cult leader Bray Wyatt is a perfect execution of this formula.

John Cena has been the face of the WWE for about a decade a now. He wins most of his matches, is extremely photogenic, and has granted more than 400 Make-A-Wish requests. He is also corny as all get-out, a guy who wears jean shorts to the ring and spouts the same boilerplate wrestler-talk ad nauseum.

He speaks constantly of his tireless work ethic and refusal to give up, yet his decade of dominance makes it difficult for anyone to buy into his claims of being an underdog.

The result is what the WWE's announcers refer to as John Cena's "usual mixed reaction," whereby the children in attendance chant his name and the adults in the audience, or at least those without children, boo heartily.

Enter Bray Wyatt, a mystifying Bayou cult leader not unlike the serial killer from True Detective. He thinks the kids have it wrong idolizing Cena, and he’s hellbent on disabusing them of the notion that the world is a kind, just place that rewards those who practice Cena’s mantra of “hustle, loyalty, and respect.”

For the past two months, Wyatt and his two followers (collectively known as “The Wyatt Family”) have sneak-attacked Cena inside the ring and out in an attempt to break his spirit and destroy the innocence of his fans.

What’s intriguing about WrestleMania is the idea that the generally untouchable Cena might not only lose the match, but fall from grace, as well.

Cena has shown signs of aging of late, and the story seems to suggest that defeating Wyatt and his band of terrifying hillbillies might require him to match their levels of blood-thirst and depravity.

And if Cena is forced to meet Wyatt in a dark place en route to winning the match, he will have already lost something much greater.

If you like freak shows, (scripted) athletic dominance, and/or zombies …

You’ll probably enjoy: Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker

Of the people mentioned thus far, you are probably most familiar with the Undertaker. If not, he’s basically a 7-foot-tall undead zombie person whose magic powers allow him to do crazy things like appear in previously empty caskets and turn out all the lights in a 20,000-seat arena.

At 49, the real-life guy who performs as the Undertaker is starting to get old, so WrestleMania is the now the only time he’ll wrestle a full match. This works out well for the Undertaker, who is an unmatched 21-0 at the so-called “Showcase of the Immortals.”

The Streak has become an annual attraction in and of itself, with people tuning in each year to see who will be the person to finally topple Undertaker at the biggest show of the year. After the Undertaker inevitably vanquishes his mortal foe, there is a small fireworks display to celebrate another year of (scripted) athletic accomplishment.

The Undertaker’s opponent, Brock Lesnar, is an absolutely out-of-his-mind, muscle-bound monster and a former UFC Heavyweight Champion, meaning that even in non-scripted real life, he can beat up pretty much everyone living in the world right now.

Professional wrestling is an art form born out of 19th-century carnival strong-man contests, and this match most delightfully lives up to the genre’s freak-show roots.

The appeal is pure and simple: “Come see the incredible 7-foot Deadman! Step right up and watch the Beast Incarnate!”

If you like American exceptionalism, 80s nostalgia, and/or unfortunate celebrity sex tapes …

You’ll probably enjoy: Hulk Hogan as the “Host of WrestleMania”

As part of the WWE’s attempt to bring still more of the masses under its WrestleMania tent, the company has enlisted all-time most famous wrestler Hulk Hogan to be the “Host of WrestleMania.”

The appearance caps Hogan’s return to the WWE fold after a four-year stint with the perpetually in disarray minor-league wrestling outfit TNA, a run that yielded no shortage of evidence that Father Time has caught up to the 60-year-old Hogan. Also, that sex tape.

Though Hogan’s body is likely too broken down for him to do much in the way of fighting off bad guys, his presence at WrestleMania should be enough to satisfy fans’ yearning to wax nostalgic about the days when men were men, and declared their manliness by wearing garish red and yellow boas and ripping their shirts off in public.

WWE’s on-screen hierarchy structures are notoriously ill-defined and schizophrenic, so it remains to be seen what, if any, powers or responsibilities Hogan’s host title will give him.

Either way, people who remember the 80s can rest assured that Hogan will walk out to the amazing theme song “Real American,” cup his hand over his ear to hear the crowd’s screams, and flex his 18-inch pythons for all to see.

At the end of the day, what more could you possibly ask for?

SEE ALSO: Ronaldo, Rooney, And Neymar Star In Tension-Filled Nike World Cup Ad

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Warning: There are some spoilers ahead.

"Captain America: The Winter Soldier" is in theaters this weekend. If you head out to see it, there's one quick scene you're going to want to revisit.

Near the beginning of the movie, Steve Rogers (Captain America) pulls out a handy to-do list of cultural phenomena he should know. After all, the first Avenger was frozen in ice for decades before being thawed out in present day for "The Avengers."

It's a fun little moment that flashes by too quickly to read all of the items on screen. 

Reddit user LargeMaleDogorHorse uploaded a screencap of the list that's been making the rounds.

Among the Captain's priority list is catching up on "Star Wars," "Star Trek," "Rocky," and Thai Food. 

Since then, Screencrush pointed out U.K. audiences are seeing a different version of the list.

Here's the list you'll see when heading to theaters this weekend via Reddit:

And here's what U.K. audiences are seeing via Screencrush.

Here are the variations on the lists:

According to Slashfilm, other countries are reporting seeing variations on the list as well. 

French fans see "The Fifth Element" on the list while Korean viewers see "Oldboy," Ji Sung Park, and video game "Dance, Dance Revolution."  

This isn't out of the norm.

Studios will release slightly altered versions of movies to appeal to overseas audiences. We saw this last year with "Iron Man 3" when China's version added about four minutes of added footage that included popular Chinese actors.

SEE ALSO: "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" is one of Marvel's best movies yet

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Ellen DeGeneres is catching heat from way up north.

Remember the Oscar selfie tweeted round the world? Samsung pledged to donate $1 from every retweet (for a total of $3 million) to whatever charity DeGeneres chose. Half went to St. Jude's Children's Hospital. The Humane Society must have seemed like an good bet for the other half — safe and nonpolitical, something everyone who took part in making the image go viral could get behind. 

Well, not quite.

The Humane Society has campaigned aggressively against seal-hunting, making the group as popular in northern Canada as a Mister Softee truck in February. And back in 2011, Ellen also took on seal-hunting in a post on her show's blog supporting PETA. (Of course, Ellen has had her own issues with animal welfare groups. Anybody remember Iggygate?)

Now a backlash is brewing among the Inuit of the Nunavut region, who have been flooding Twitter with selfies (hashtag #sealfies) posing with seal fur and affirming the importance of seal-hunting for food, clothing and traditional reasons.

The campaign began when Killaq Enuaraq-Strauss, a 17-year-old "Ellen" fan from Iqualuit, took DeGeneres to task on YouTube. "You're an inspiration as a woman but also as a human being," the teenager begins, addressing the talk show host directly, before going on to "educate you a bit on seal hunting in the Canadian arctic. We do not hunt seals...for fashion. We hunt to survive."

Enuaraq-Strauss continues, "I own sealskin boots and they are supercute, and I am proud to say that I own them, and I also eat seal meat more times than I can count. But I can't apologize for that."

Due to Ellen's actions, she says, "A huge part of your fanbase is targeting us as a people for practicing our own rights and traditions as an indigenous group... It's detrimental to our culture. It's oppressive." She adds, "Having a role model to people worldwide use a photo of a few celebrities to protest against our culture, to raise money to fight against us — I'm a little bit insulted and hurt and disappointed. But I'm not mad."

After the video hit local media, a number of her fellow Inuit rallied to her cause, posting #sealfies of their own, including the government of Nunavut's Twitter account. 

Our first #sealfie! RT @Laakkuluk@GOVofNUNAVUT we're excited to see how you contribute to the #sealfie campaign. pic.twitter.com/SEJz2mX5Ah

— GovernmentofNunavut (@GOVofNUNAVUT) April 4, 2014

#sealfie#supportthesealhuntpic.twitter.com/3yfdv5VBkM

— April Wheadon (@awheadon) April 2, 2014

#Sealfie Food and warmth pic.twitter.com/3KSnvKDeqX

— Daniel Lum (@DJInulak) April 3, 2014

Hey @TheEllenShow we eat seal, what's the big deal? #sealfie#inuit#eatsealwearseal me and my friends from Greenland pic.twitter.com/el1I70Bvru

— Christine Tootoo (@christinetootoo) March 28, 2014

I was thrilled to bits to sew my own seal mitts in 2009 near Pangnirtung N.U #EllenDegeneres#sealfie@TheEllenShowpic.twitter.com/QevRXDdlZA

— Vanessa Dion Fletche (@Vboots) March 31, 2014

Making seal skin mitts w/ elders in Pangnirtung, Canada. Ellen's ignorant, but you don't have to be! #sealfiepic.twitter.com/ElSj47JCdG

— emily lennon (@GSLennon) April 2, 2014

I support subsistence living because it's our way of life and it's a way to preserve our culture. #sealfiepic.twitter.com/yD53Ltv5L9

— Lydia (@lagnus) March 29, 2014

@TheEllenShow I am an Inuit seal meat eater, and my fur is ethical, humane. #sealfie vs. #selfiepic.twitter.com/tI4c3NxbEY

— Alethea/Aggiuq (@Alethea_Aggiuq) March 26, 2014

Inuit sled dog enjoy nattiminiq #sealfiepic.twitter.com/AiRVE68rMN

— Cory (@Bellarius24) April 4, 2014

#sealfie This is all I asked for at Christmas. Warmest pair I own!! #cbcnorthpic.twitter.com/FJAvpTtsP3

— Juanita Taylor (@juanita_cbc) April 4, 2014

I'd wear this everyday if I could! My wedding dress, my seal skin parka and Qovik's seal skin slippers. #sealfiepic.twitter.com/ynXdaO7UeE

— Juanita Taylor (@juanita_cbc) April 2, 2014

Here is a #sealfie of my panik & I wearing our sealskin kamiks :) @TheEllenShow Come to Nunavut & we'll hook you up! pic.twitter.com/2MV9B6spqO

— Stacey Aglok (@Aarluk) March 26, 2014

Hey, @TheEllenShow, I support the sustainable harvesting of seal. #sealfie#mittspic.twitter.com/OYAUsubKUM

— Taha Tabish (@taabai) March 27, 2014

#sealfie SEAL IS THE NEW BLACK #fur#furharvestersauctionpic.twitter.com/MLCEJIQ05z

— Francois Rossouw (@furpreacher) April 3, 2014

#sealfiepic.twitter.com/EPKuvrCBF1

— tanya tagaq (@tagaq) March 28, 2014

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