The countdown is officially on for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Tonight marks the beginning of Stephen Colbert’s second-to-last week behind the desk before the show signs off for good on May 21. And if this week’s lineup is any indication, CBS and Colbert are making sure the long-running late-night series goes out with a major sendoff.
The biggest event will come on Monday night, when Colbert reunites the hosts of the now-defunct podcast Strike Force Five: Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver. The Strike Force Five podcast originally launched during the 2023 writers 'strike as a way for the hosts to support their staffs while late-night production was shut down.
The tone will be much different on Monday night's episode of The Late Show as most of the remaining late-night hosts gather to say goodbye to Colbert. Expect some heartfelt moments in between lightning bolt sound effects and jokes about which host could be next to lose their gig.
Monday’s episode will also feature a special Broadway performance with Annaleigh Ashford, Christopher Jackson, Bernadette Peters, Ben Platt, and Patrick Wilson. It could be Colbert's way of saying goodbye to New York after making it his late-night home for so long.
Tuesday’s episode keeps the momentum going with Emmy winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus stopping by to promote The Sheep Detectives. She's also been one of Colbert's favorite guests for a long time, so it's fitting she's making a final appearance near the end. The Mandalorian and Grogu star Pedro Pascal will follow, adding more star power to the show.
Then on Wednesday, former president Barack Obama returns to the show to take “The Colbert Questionert,” the host’s recurring rapid-fire interview segment. He’ll be joined by Hollywood icon Tom Hanks, giving the episode one of the most stacked guest pairings of Colbert’s farewell run.
Thursday’s show may carry the most symbolic weight of all, with Late Show founder David Letterman returning to the franchise he launched in 1993. The late-night legend hasn't pulled any punches in sharing his disappointment with CBS taking Colbert off the ari. The episode will also include a performance by The Strokes.
With just days remaining before the series finale, The Late Show appears determined to celebrate every corner of Colbert’s run. Politics, comedy, music, Broadway, A-listers, and late-night itself are all coming together this week to celebrate the beloved comedian.
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert airs at 11:35 p.m. ET on CBS. Content is also available to stream on Paramount+.
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