The final CBS broadcast of The Late Show ended a 33-year run with a bittersweet tone and continued jokes. Colbert opened by emphasizing the joy of producing more than 1,800 episodes and thanking the audience for the energy that made the best possible show. He staged a surreal bit involving a fake Pope Leo XIV who refused to appear over snack demands, then invited Paul McCartney as a replacement. McCartney said he was nearby, offered a framed Beatles photo from the Ed Sullivan Theater, and talked about the Beatles’ 1964 arrival in America, creativity, and personal history. The show also included interruptions and comedic appearances by Bryan Cranston, Paul Rudd, Tim Meadows, Tig Notaro, and Ryan Reynolds, followed by additional musical performances.
"At the top of his last show, which grew more surreal and absurd as it went on, Colbert highlighted the "joy" that he and his team felt creating more than 1,800 episodes of "The Late Show." "The energy that you've given us, we sincerely need that to have done the best possible show we could have for you for the last 11 years," Colbert said. "You've given it to us. We've given it all right back to you.""
"Colbert pretended that Pope Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born pope, was his final guest, but the pontiff refused to come out of his dressing room because he hadn't been supplied the correct kind of snacks, especially hot dogs. McCartney then offered himself as a replacement, striding across the stage as the audience screamed. "I think you'd be a perfect last guest," Colbert said. McCartney said he happened to be in the area, doing errands."
"McCartney offered a framed photo of the Beatles at the Ed Sullivan Theater, the final home for "The Late Show." The two chatted about when the Beatles first came to America in 1964, creativity, his new album and McCartney's childhood. Later, Colbert joined Elvis Costello, former bandleader Jon Batiste and current bandleader Louis Cato for a relaxed performance of Costello's ..."
"Colbert's monologue was interrupted by Bryan Cranston, Paul Rudd and Tim Meadows, who all pretended to be irked that they weren't the host's final guest. "You know what? You got what you deserved," Meadows fumed. Other celebrities in the audience who had funny turns during Colbert's last "Meanwhile" segment were Tig Notaro and Ryan Reynolds."
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