On Thursday, May 21, The Late Show—which premiered in 1993 with host David Letterman—officially aired its last episode after CBS announced its cancellation last summer.
"Folks, we have done over 1,800 of these shows, and most nights, I come out here, and I talk to the audience beforehand," Colbert began. "And tonight, I thought I'd talk to the audience in here and the audience out there at home."
Colbert continued, "We call it the joy machine because to do this many shows, it has to be a machine. But the thing is, if you choose to do it with joy, it doesn't hurt as much when your fingers get caught in the gears. And I cannot adequately explain to you what the people who work here have done for each other and how much we mean to each other. So I will just say to them, you are all the great Achilles whom we knew."
To conclude his opening remarks, Colbert shared, "We love doing the show for you, but what we really love is doing the show with you. Now, I'll say to you what I've said to every audience for the last 11 years. And I have meant it every time: Have a good show. Thanks for being here. And let's do it, y'all."
View this post on InstagramThe episode went on to feature cameos from Bryan Cranston, Paul Rudd, Tig Notaro, and Ryan Reynolds, among others. After "Pope Leo" backed out of being Colbert's last guest, Paul McCartney filled in at the last minute to take on the honor. During the chat, the former Beatles superstar, 83, promoted his new album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, which will be released on May 29.
View this post on InstagramNext, Colbert sang Elvis Costello’s “Jump Up (Honky Tonk demo)” with the help of Jon Batiste, the original Late Show bandleader, and Cato, the current bandleader.
The Late Show finale ended with McCartney shutting off the building’s power, causing it to be swallowed by the wormhole and transformed into a snow globe.
View this post on InstagramOn July 17, Colbert announced the Late Show's cancellation in a video he posted on Instagram.
After the live studio audience booed loudly, Colbert acknowledged, "Yeah, I share your feelings. It's not just the end of our show, but it's the end of The Late Show on CBS. I’m not being replaced, this is all just going away."
The network continued, "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."
Next: Stephen Colbert Issues Blunt Political Response to Charlie Kirk’s Death After Fatal Shooting
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