Letterman and – David Letterman joined Stephen Colbert for the May 14 episode of The Late Show, delivering a bittersweet sendoff before the series’ final episode on May 21. Their “revenge” moment turned CBS’s Ed Sullivan Theater roof into a stage for furniture-turned chaos as
David Letterman didn’t just wave goodbye as The Late Show gears up for its last night. On May 14, the 79-year-old former host joined Stephen Colbert for a staged bit that ended with Letterman’s “final middle finger” aimed squarely at CBS.
The moment mattered because it came on the heels of a major shakeup.. CBS shocked fans last year by announcing it would cancel The Late Show. saying the decision came down to financial reasons.. But critics argued the real issue was Colbert’s sharp criticism of Paramount’s settlement with Donald Trump ahead of its merger with Trump-aligned Skydance.
Letterman framed his appearance as both personal and political.. Speaking to Colbert’s audience. he told them. “I have every right to be p***** off. so I’ll be p***** off here a little bit.” He followed that with a pointed reminder that the show’s identity wasn’t easily replaceable: “Because this theater. you folks wouldn’t be in this theater if it weren’t for me. and Stephen wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for me.”
He added, “And we rebuilt this theater, and then Stephen came in, and look at this? It’s like the Bellagio. But, listen, as we all understand, you can take a man’s show, you can’t take a man’s voice, so that’s the good news from me.”
From there, Letterman turned to the other late-night faces he felt were being dragged into messes.. He joked about “the Jimmys. ” referring to Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel. with Kimmel having repeatedly found himself in “trumped-up controversies.” Colbert shot back with a mock plan: “We’ve got a plan to put them in a captive breeding program.”
Then came the payback.. Letterman’s “revenge” for CBS was literal: he and Colbert hauled Late Show furniture to the top of New York City’s Ed Sullivan Theater and tossed it off the roof.. Chairs and couches crashed down onto the street. landing a CBS eye logo below. as watermelons and a wedding cake also splashed into the chaos.
The stunt also echoed Letterman’s sharper words outside the studio.. In a New York Times interview. he said the new leadership at CBS. Paramount. and Skydance were “lying weasels.” He also said he feared the format of late-night TV itself might not survive much longer. telling the publication it wasn’t “completely dead on arrival. ” but that he’d be “surprised if it lasts more than a year or so.”
With The Late Show’s final episode set for May 21, Letterman’s sendoff delivered a mix of nostalgia and bite—one last television moment that turned the network’s own stage into a goodbye you could literally see from the street.
David Letterman Stephen Colbert The Late Show CBS Ed Sullivan Theater May 14 May 21 late-night TV Paramount Skydance Donald Trump Jimmy Fallon Jimmy Kimmel