Topline
Late-night host Stephen Colbert began the final episode of his late-night show with an emotional message thanking his audience and followed it up with an opening monologue featuring guest appearances from Bryan Cranston, Paul Rudd, Tim Meadows and Ryan Reynolds.
Stephen Colbert speaks to the audience on the last episode of the Late Show.
CBS via Getty Images
Key Facts
Before the show opened, Colbert delivered an emotional message to the audience in the studio and at home, saying it has been a joy for him to do the show and “we call this show the Joy Machine.”
Colbert said he realized pretty early that his job at “The Late Show” was not to read the news to the audience but rather “feel the news with you.”
In the opening monologue, the audience booed loudly when he announced it was his last show, but Colbert interjected saying “we were lucky enough to be here for the last 11 years,” and he didn’t want to take that for granted.
The comedian said they initially planned on doing a “huge special” to commemorate the final episode but shelved the idea and chose to go with a regular show “where I come out here and talk about the national conversation.”
The monologue was interrupted a few times by comedy skits from various guest stars, including Bryan Cranston, Paul Rudd and Tim Meadows.
Colbert then ran through a few different news stories and took a jab at the Trump administration’s Hantavirus response pointing out that it was being led by Dr. Brian Christine, “a penile implant specialist and vaccine skeptic.”
This is a developing story.