CBS heavy hitters patch up feud almost as it begins

David Letterman, Don Hewitt discuss '60 Minutes' skit

Oh, no! A feud between David Letterman and Don Hewitt, creator (and executive producer) of “60 Minutes”? During Monday’s edition of “Late Show,” Letterman confided that Hewitt had called, presumably to complain about a skit that aired last week (the one about a “new” spin-off of “60 Minutes” titled “60 Minutes: Miami,” featuring among other unusual attractions a topless Andy Rooney.)

Explaining that he is pathologically shy about meeting new people (although he has no problem with dogs), Letterman refused to take the call. Instead, Letterman’s longtime colleague and producer, Jude Brennan, returned Hewitt’s call later.

“So,” Hewitt reportedly told Brennan, “I’m not good enough to get Letterman on the phone?” With that, he abruptly hung up.

Reached at his office Tuesday, Hewitt explained he had phoned Letterman to say that “he did a great little thing … Very cute. So I said, ‘Hey, let me talk to David. I thought it was really nifty.’ ” Sorry, he was told. Dave can’t talk now. You’ll be hearing from someone else, Mr. Hewitt.

“If I’m not big enough to talk to (Letterman), then I’ve got nothing to say to anybody,” Hewitt said. “But no, I didn’t hang up on Jude.”

Hewitt says he finally did get his call from Letterman, who told him “how much we appreciate you, and how great it was you guys carried the network for all these years. It was nice to hear.”

End of feud. Phew.