Jon Stewart, Steven Spielberg, David Byrne, Bruce Springsteen and a smattering of surprise guests will grace the stage of the Ed Sullivan Theater during the last week of “Late Show With Stephen Colbert.”
The host announced most of the lineup on Friday.
Monday, May 18, will bring viewers “the worst of ‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,’ ” CBS revealed Friday, adding in parentheses, “Not a clip show!”
Tuesday will feature Stewart of “The Daily Show,” Spielberg, and a “special performance by Byrne and Colbert,” the network said. On Wednesday “special guests” will administer Colbert’s own “Colbert Questionert” to himself, and Springsteen will perform.
Thursday was left mysteriously veiled, described only as “ ‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ series finale.”
After finding his footing in political humor during his early tenure beginning in 2016, Colbert became a comedy nemesis of sorts to Donald Trump, who was running for his first presidential term at the time.
Colbert announced last July that CBS had abruptly canceled not only his show, but the entire late-night genre as well. The network insisted it was a “purely financial decision” and said “The Late Show” had been losing $40 million a year.
The justification sounded flimsy to many, coming as it did just days after Colbert called a $16 million lawsuit settlement between CBS parent company Paramount and Trump a “big fat bribe,” given that the corporation needed Trump’s approval for a merger with Skydance Media. The merger was approved days later.
Both Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon will air reruns out of respect on Colbert’s last day.
The last couple of weeks of “The Late Show” have ranged from a sit-down with President Barack Obama, to a session of hurling set props — including the blue armchairs reserved for guests — off the theater roof with help from David Letterman. Colbert was also joined by fellow “Strike Force Five” podcast hosts Kimmel, Fallon, Seth Meyers and John Oliver last week, at which he revealed the guests he had been most attracted to during his run.
The five created “Strike Force Five” during the SAG-AFTRA strike of 2023 as they paid the salaries of striking writers and actors.
Colbert has expressed nothing but gratitude to CBS for the chance to do the show for the 11 years it aired. His fellow late-night hosts, including predecessor Letterman, have freely and bluntly bashed the network for its decision. Letterman even had some parting words for CBS: “In the words of the great Ed Murrow, good night and good luck, motherf—ers!”
