David Letterman joined Stephen Colbert on The Late Show as one of the show's final guests.
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Letterman originated the franchise in 1993 and hosted for 23 seasons before handing over the reins to Colbert in 2015.
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The last episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert airs May 21.
David Lettermanended his last visit toThe Late Show With Stephen Colbertwith a parting message to CBS that invoked one of the network's revered former journalists: "In the words of the great Ed Murrow, good night and good luck, motherf---ers!"
During his tenure as the series' host, Letterman was known to poke fun at CBS, and he continued in his visit withColberton Thursday.
"You know what happened backstage? A guy came over, and he said he's from CBS and then he fired me," he said.
The episode was a bittersweet one for Letterman, as it marked his final appearance on the series he originated back in 1993.
"I have every right to be pissed off, so I'll be pissed off here a little bit," Letterman said. "You folks wouldn't be at this theater if it weren’t for me, and Stephen wouldn’t be here if it weren't for me. We built this theater and then Stephen came in here and, look at this, it’s like the Bellagio. But, as we all all understand, you can take a man's show, you can't take a man’s voice, so that's the good news."
Letterman also expressed concern for the future of late-night overall: "You know what I'm really worried about? What I'm really worried about is what will become of the Jimmys. Are they going to be all right?"
Colbert reassured him that late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel would be all right: "We've got a plan to put them in a captive breeding program."
After complimenting Colbert on the changes he'd made to the venue, including the furniture, Letterman confirmed with him that, for instance, the chair he was sitting in belonged to the network.
"It would be a shame if something happened to it," Letterman quipped, and then called in several people to remove the furniture, which sent the host and his guest into the audience for part of their conversation.
Letterman later brought Colbert onto the roof, so they could throw items off, as the former host had been known to do. They tossed the chairs and a few melons, but also a cake that was allegedly sent by the network — all at the CBS logo down on the ground.
"It's all fun until somebody puts out an eye," Letterman quipped.
Letterman first signed off fromThe Late Showin 2015 after starting the franchise in 1993 and hosting for 23 seasons before handing over the reins to Colbert. Despite his retirement from late-night TV — although Letterman has certainly not stayed off small screens thanks to his Netflix seriesMy Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman— Letterman has served as a frequent guest onThe Late Show.
When CBS announced last July that not onlyColbert's iteration ofThe Late Showwould end come May 2026but the entire franchise as well, Letterman responded byposting a 20-minute montageon his YouTube channel of all the times he mocked CBS while hosting the late-night show. The caption for the video read: "You can't spell CBS without BS."
He's continued to voice his opinions over the controversial decision to end the franchise, which CBS called "purely a financial" one.
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"We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retireThe Late Showfranchise at that time," the network said in a statement at the time. "We are proud that Stephen called CBS home. He and the broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late night television. This is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night. It is not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount."
Reports have suggested that the network was losing upward of $40 million a year on the production. Manyskeptics, however, have pointed toSkydance Media acquiring Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS, as a cause, speculating that the new leadership wanted tostay out of the crosshairs of President Donald Trump. The FCC approved the merger on July 24, eight days after Colbert announced the show's cancellation on air.
Letterman recently made headlines with his claim thatColbert was "dumped"so he couldn't make any more "trouble" for CBS. "I'm just going to go on record as saying: They're lying," Letterman declared in an interview withThe New York Timeslast Tuesday. "Let me just add one other thing... They're lying weasels."
WhenColbert somberly addressed the cancellationon his show, he emphasized that the move marked "not just the end of our show, but it's the end ofThe Late Showon CBS."
"I'm not being replaced. This is all just going away," he said at the time. "Let me tell you, it is a fantastic job. I wish somebody else was getting it. And it's a job that I'm looking forward to doing with this usual gang of idiots for another 10 months. It's going to be fun."
During anexpansive "exit interview" published byGQin November, Colbert was more transparent about the shock of being canceled, sharing that he had a "great relationship" with CBS, which was why the news of his cancellation — which was delivered to him via his manager and not the network — was so "surprising and so shocking."
"I was surprised. Listen, every show's got to end at some time. And I've been on a bunch of shows that have ended," Colbert said at the time. "And that's just the nature of show business. You can't worry about that. You got to be a big boy about that. But I think we're the first number one show to ever get canceled."
But never let it be said that Colbert is going down without givingThe Late Showthe farewell it deserves.
The late-night host kicked off his second-to-last week on Monday byreuniting with fellow late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver, a.k.a.Strike Force Five. During the 2023 WGA strike, Colbert and his colleagues came together for a 12-episode podcast series, with the proceeds going to their employees, who were out of work as their shows went dark.
On Wednesday, the group released a special video episode of the podcast to mark the end ofThe Late Show,benefiting the nonprofit World Central Kitchen, which provides meals for humanitarian, climate, and community crises globally.
Colbert also reminded people thatan auctionof items from the show's set is still underway, with profits going to charity.
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In addition to Letterman and theStrike Force Fivecrew, the penultimate week ofLate Showguests will include Pedro Pascal, Billy Crystal, Ina Garten, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Tom Hanks.
TheLate Show With Stephen Colbertairs at 11:35 p.m. ET/PT Monday through Thursday until May 21 on CBS.
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David Letterman joined Stephen Colbert on The Late Show as one of the show's final guests. Key Points Letterma...
