The Final Episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
The final episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert drew a significant audience, with 6.74 million viewers tuning in. This marked the most-watched weeknight episode during the show’s 11-year run. Throughout its final season, the series averaged 2.7 million viewers. However, the most-watched episode of the show’s entire history occurred on February 7, 2016, when a special episode following that year’s Super Bowl was viewed by 20.55 million people.
When Stephen Colbert took over The Late Show on September 8, 2015, his first episode averaged 6.55 million viewers. While this was lower than the 13.76 million who watched David Letterman’s final show in May 2015, it was higher than the 2.8 million average for Letterman’s final season from 2014 to 2015.
Colbert’s final guest was Paul McCartney, who symbolically turned off the lights at the Ed Sullivan Theater. This venue is historically significant as it was where the Beatles performed on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964.
The End of an Era
CBS announced the cancellation of The Late Show franchise last July, just days after Colbert criticized the network’s parent company, Paramount, for reaching a $16 million settlement with President Donald Trump. The settlement was related to allegations that 60 Minutes had deceptively edited a 2024 interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
The final moments of Colbert’s broadcast included a performance of The Beatles’ “Hello, Goodbye,” led by McCartney. Colbert, singing along at a microphone, was joined onstage by his family and what appeared to be staffers from the long-running CBS show.
As the song played in the background, Colbert and McCartney were seen backstage beside an electrical box and lever labeled “Late Show.” After Colbert gave McCartney the nod, the Beatles singer pulled the lever, effectively cutting the power to the historic Ed Sullivan Theater that housed the late-night show. This moment was interpreted as a humorous jab at CBS for canceling the series.
A Direct Jab at CBS
The broadcast also featured more direct commentary on CBS. After discussing the news that the owner of the music used in the Peanuts animated television specials has filed lawsuits against several defendants, including the Trump administration, alleging illegal use of the tunes in social media posts and a game, Colbert remarked: “Anyone illegally using that music is gonna have to pay through the nose.”
However, he was then cut off by his band playing the very Peanuts tune he had been discussing. Colbert quipped: “Oh no! I hope this doesn’t cost CBS any money!”
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