Stephen Colbert got the ultimate send-off from the man who started it all. David Letterman reunited with Colbert on Thursday atop the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City to throw CBS property off a roof.
Standing 15 stories above Midtown Manhattan, Letterman told Colbert, "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!"
And destroy they did. The rooftop arsenal included Colbert's office chair, multiple couches, several watermelons, and a three-tiered congratulatory cake emblazoned with "The Late Show: 1993-2026" in icing.
Letterman, who hosted The Late Show from 1993 to 2015 before passing the torch to Colbert, wasn't done. "Thank you for everything you've done for our country," he told his successor. Then, channeling broadcaster Ed Murrow, Letterman said: "To the folks at CBS, in the words of the great Ed Murrow, Goodnight and good luck motherfuckers."
It's a bittersweet moment for late-night fans. CBS announced The Late Show's cancellation last July, pulling the plug on one of the most-watched programs in the format. The network called it a "financial decision," but the timing raised eyebrows.
Colbert's final episode airs May 21. In a show of solidarity, Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon are airing reruns of their programs that night. Earlier this month, Colbert reunited the entire late-night family—Kimmel, Fallon, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver—for a Strike Force Five reunion on his show, recalling the podcasts they launched during the 2023 writers strike.
That roof moment is the most cathartic goodbye in late-night history.
