Stephen Colbert took his final bow on Thursday night as the long-running CBS show concluded after 33 years. The comedian issued his farewell to The Late Show but not without taking aim at the network.
The network announced the cancellation of the franchise last July, just days after Colbert criticized CBS's parent company, Paramount, for reaching a $16 million settlement with President Donald Trump over claims that 60 Minutes deceptively edited a 2024 interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
The final moments of Colbert's broadcast included a performance of The Beatles' hit song "Hello, Goodbye" led by special guest Paul McCartney. Colbert, singing along at a microphone, was joined onstage by his family and staffers. As the song continued, Colbert and McCartney stood backstage beside an electrical box labeled "Late Show". After a nod from Colbert, McCartney pulled the lever, cutting power to the historic Ed Sullivan Theater in a seeming jab at CBS for canceling the series.
In an animated effect, the building was zapped by a green light—an extension of an earlier sketch featuring Colbert and fellow late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver—and turned into a small snowglobe left on a New York City street.
More to follow.
