Just a week before he signs off from The Late Show for good, Stephen Colbert is still finding new ways to needle his soon-to-be former corporate bosses at CBS. While his rooftop antics with David Letterman earned headlines, Colbert actually took a crack at the network much earlier in Thursday's show.
Letterman made his final Late Show appearance on Thursday, returning to the late-night TV institution he created. The comedy icon gave Colbert some words of encouragement, expressed more outrage, and the network, and even revived one of his classic bits.
In a now-viral clip, Colbert and Letterman stood atop the CBS studio in New York City and happily tossed the company's property off the roof. It had to have been at least a little cathartic for both Colbert and Letterman after their shared histories with CBS.
But it wasn't the only joke at the network's expense on Thursday night. During the monologue, the host couldn’t resist taking a swipe at the CBS news division while discussing President Donald Trump’s state visit to China.
Colbert brought up the awkward situation involving Tony Dokoupil, who was reportedly unable to secure a Chinese visa in time for the trip. Instead, the national news anchor and his team had to broadcast from nearby Taiwan.
“Well, that is disappointing, but it does fit in with their slogan," Colbert said. "CBS News, when events happen, we’re at most one country away.”
It was a nice little dig about how CBS seems to be falling behind its competition. The network's revamped news department has earned more criticism than ratings. And now CBS will be a step behind networks like ABC and NBC when it comes to late-night. After May 21, CBS continues without The Late Show, The Late Late Show, and After Midnight.
In recent weeks, Colbert has repeatedly mixed genuine sentiment about the end of his run with jokes that suggest he’s no longer especially worried about corporate politics. He's squashed conspiracy theories about why CBS axed his show and expressed gratitude for working for the company. But at the same time, he's taken plenty of shots at his bosses without going full scorched earth.
The studio audience appreciated Colbert's dig at CBS, as the fans probably aren't as forgiving as the host when it comes to the network decision. So the monologue served a nice appetitizer to the main course that came later when David Letterman made his Late Show return.
Few relationships between the bosses and the talent get to end well in the television industry. Colbert is doing his part to go out on a high note, and it just may mean CBS has to hold its breath for one more week.
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