David Letterman returned one last time to the show he started 33 years ago.
Letterman, 79, bid farewell to The Late Show on Thursday, May 14, as he joined current host Stephen Colbert to reminisce about the old days. Letterman launched The Late Show in 1993 and retired in 2015, paving the way for Colbert, now 62, to take over.
“I have every right to be pissed off, so I’ll be pissed off here a little bit. 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,” Letterman said about returning to the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City. “We rebuilt this theater, and then Stephen came in, and look at this. It’s like the Bellagio [hotel]. You can take a man’s show, but you can’t a man’s voice.”
Letterman then joked about Colbert’s fellow late-night talk show hosts Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel.
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“You know what I’m really worried about? What will become of the Jimmys? Are they going to be all right?” he asked.
Later in the episode, Letterman and Colbert made their way to the roof of the Ed Sullivan Theater to destroy CBS property ahead of The Late Show’s final week on air.
“I thought maybe tonight’s occasion would be a little sad, being the end of your run here, but this brings true joy to my heart. We are up here for the wanton destruction of CBS property,” Letterman said before he and Colbert proceeded to toss both Colbert’s desk chair and the blue sofa chairs used by guests from atop the venue.
Colbert then joked that CBS sent him and Letterman a cake reading “The Late Show 1993-2026,” which they also proceeded to launch to the ground below.
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CBS announced the cancellation of The Late Show in July 2025. Colbert’s final episode is set to air on Thursday, May 21.
“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert will end its historic run in May 2026 at the end of the broadcast season. We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire the Late Show franchise at that time,” CBS said in a statement. “We are proud that Stephen called CBS home. He and the broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late night television.”
CBS said the move was purely “financial” and not “related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.” (CBS’ parent company, Paramount, was acquired by Skydance Media in August 2025.)
In an interview with The New York Times earlier in May, Letterman disagreed that the show was canceled for financial reasons.
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“He was dumped because the people selling the network to Skydance said, ‘Oh no, there’s not going to be any trouble with that guy. We’re going to take care of the show. We’re just going to throw that into the deal. When will the ink on the check dry,’” Letterman claimed.
He added, “I’m just going to go on record as saying: They’re lying. Let me just add one other thing. … They’re lying weasels.”
For its part, CBS told the Times that the show’s cancellation was “unequivocally a financial decision.”
