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This week is the end of two separate television shows, such as CBS’s The Late Show With Stephen Colbert it will show its last part. The show was created in 1993 by David Letterman after a controversial departure from NBC, and he ran the show for 22 years before he retired and changed the show to Colbert, who became famous on Comedy Central as a member of The Daily Show, and then had his own political discussion, The Colbert Report.
Colbert’s run on the Late Show ends at 11 years. Last July, CBS surprised everyone to announce The suspension of the show, with the last episode to be shown on May 21. Although officials said that the decision was purely financial – even the Late Show had the best ratings in the midnight discussion for nine years – many saw it as a political move for Donald Trump ahead of the merger of $8bn between the parent company of CBS, Paramount, and Skydance.
A shameful end to a modern television organization to be sure, but in its own way, appropriate, considering how many of the show’s most memorable moments over the past 11 years are directly linked to Trump. At the same time, viewers of the show also loved the human moments that Colbert – arguably the most honest of all the late night talk show hosts – put forward.
Here are the 10 Best Shows With Stephen Colbert in the last 11 years:
The Hungry for Power Games Recap, 2016
In his second year as the host of the Late Show, Colbert did a great job, covering the Republican and Democratic conventions of 2016. Accompanied by his pet ferret Caligula and wearing a purple wig of Stanley Tucci’s television presenter from the Hunger Games movies, he gave us a glimpse of the dystopian inner workings of both parties. There are too many moments in The Hungry for Power Games to pick just one, but the wrap that aired after the convention does a good job of gathering highlights. Plus, it features Cajun Papa’s all-time favorite.
Bill O’Reilly and ‘Stephen Colbert’ Interview, 2017
The conservative persona that Colbert adopted on The Daily Show and The Colbert Report came from Bill O’Reilly, who was the Fox News anchor until accusations of harassment and racism led to his network’s firing. After taking some serious shots at O’Reilly – who Colbert has always known (after stealing his grill) – he decided to apologize by releasing his post-retirement act for one last act. An angry “Stephen Colbert” criticizes the American people for failing his hero, before telling “Papa Bear” loudly to be strong. Appropriate referrals for all stakeholders.
Alex Jones sued Colbert, 2019
One of the Late Show’s best-selling episodes revolved around former InfoWars co-owner and right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. In 2019, Mr. Jones was in a bitter custody battle with his ex-wife and tried to court favors by claiming that his air shows were just an act. Colbert ate this up, playing samples of Mr. Jones who was very unhinged and introducing himself through Tuck Buckford, who talks to the Stones of Brain Fight. This segment — which sees Buckford arguing about the Founding Father’s bowels, dismounting from a zebra and ripping his pants — is memorable, as it follows Jones quoting Colbert during court testimony.
Trump’s message, 2017
Colbert had a tirade against Donald Trump on Day 102 of his first term in office, following the president’s interview with Face the Nation host and CBS affiliate John Dickerson. Trump insulted Dickerson to his face several times (this was a rare thing before), and told a respected journalist that he called his show “Deface the Nation”. Colbert said that although Dickerson was too respectable to insult the president of the United States, “I, sir, am not John Dickerson.” The barbs that followed often moaned (“You’re not Potus, you’re Bloat-us”) until the end, when he shot: “The only thing in your mouth that’s good is holding Vladmir Putin’s cock.” The network released the curse before it aired, but that didn’t stop the backlash, which saw #FireColbert on social media. Although Colbert backed off his comments a bit (mostly out of respect for those who found gay jokes), he never apologized for them, and was eventually fired for violating FCC standards.
Liv Tyler is excited about the fantasy of Lord of the Rings, 2019
Outside of comedy and politics, Colbert is best known as a Lord of the Rings fan. Yes, he recently he announced will be co-writing the next installment of the movie franchise, Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past. Over the course of the Late Show, Colbert brought up the legends of JRR Tolkien many times and called out many of the characters from the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies (the latter of which he appeared as an adult). Perhaps most memorable was her sweet role with Liv Tyler, who played Elven princess Arwen in LOTR. Knowing how much Colbert loved the movies, he brought the sword his character used and “fancied” Colbert by collaborating with him to recreate one of his most famous scenes.
Conan takes over, 2019
Conan O’Brien has appeared on the Late Show several times, which is not surprising since their relationship dates back several decades (when Colbert applied to host Late Night with Conan O’Brien). They crossed paths in the past and most famously back at the Writer’s Guild in 2008, where, along with Jon Stewart, they held a mock contest (on Mike Huckabee of all people) that led to a three-way fight on O’Brien’s show. The two competed in 2019, when O’Brien swapped with Colbert for one night, sitting behind the host’s desk while Colbert found himself in the hot seat. A back and forth ensues, giving us a glimpse of what would have been had Conan jumped to CBS back in the day.
Sad conversation with Joe Biden, 2020
When the Covid pandemic hit in 2020, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert became The Late Show With Stephen Colbert At Home. Filmed inside Colbert’s actual home (with his wife, Evelyn McGee Colbert, often filling in for the audience), he conducted interviews via Skype. The most notable of these was his 50-minute segment with Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee. Mr. Biden gave a message of strength to the American people during this difficult time, especially the grieving loved ones who have lost the virus. He and Colbert — no stranger to grief, having lost his father and siblings in a plane crash when he was just 10 — discussed Biden after losing his son, Beau, a few years earlier. Biden’s display of courage and compassion struck a chord with many viewers, making him stand out from Trump at this crucial time in the 2020 election.
Speaking Faith and Humor by Dua Lipa, 2022
What starts out as a numbers interview with pop star Dua Lipa takes a dramatic turn when you swap the two parts so that Lipa, who hosts a podcast, can get some rehearsals. Instead of asking a softball question, Lipa asks Colbert, “Do your faith and your sense of humor go hand in hand? A proud Catholic, Colbert dives into the question, discussing how humor helps him deal with fear and grief, before quoting American poet Robert Hayden: “We should not be afraid or ordered to accept evil as our salvation from evil.
Strike Force Five reunites, 2026
During the war on the Tonight Show and the late-night war of the ’90s, it was almost impossible for David Letterman and Jay Leno to appear on each other’s shows. Things have changed dramatically over the years, with Colbert and his four co-hosts — Jimmy Fallon of the Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel of Live! Strike Force Five podcast at the 2023 Writers Guild of America event as a way to support friends on the picket lines. The five recently reunited to help Colbert before he left. They talked about where they came from on TV, the anger they faced from Trump, the guests they talked to and the future of the night. A testament to the respect Colbert enjoys among his peers and an inspiring display of the relationship between politics and corporate fear.
Colbert and Letterman destroy CBS property, 2026
Back in his time on the Late Show, David Letterman used to do a lot of damage by throwing CBS equipment off the roof of the Ed Sullivan Theater, something that Colbert was strictly forbidden from repeating when he took over. But now, with nothing left, he and Letterman enjoyed a last-minute refund, restoring tradition and destroying several expensive pieces of CBS furniture — including Colbert’s chair. Letterman makes a slight misstep with former television reporter Edward Murrow, wishing CBS “Good night and all the best – silly ladies.”
