As Stephen Colbert prepares a final sendoff for the Late Show on CBS May 21, this system is planning a slew of late night A-listers next week.
David Letterman, who launched this system in 1993 before handing the reins to Colbert in 2015, will likely be a guest on the Thursday, May 14 episode.
Monday’s episode, May 11, will feature a reunion of the “Strike Force Five,” when the energetic late night hosts all teamed for a podcast to learn striking writers in 2023. Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers & John Oliver will appear on the Late Show that evening. Kimmel will likely be on the town for Disney’s upfront presentation, scheduled for Tuesday.
Letterman, meanwhile, called CBS executives “lying weasels” in regards to the decision to cancel the show in an interview earlier this week. He has only made one appearance on the show since stepping down, back in 2023.
Other guests include Late Show favorites like Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tom Hanks, while former President Barack Obama (a guest this week) will “The Colbert Questionert” on Wednesday.
Colbert graces the duvet of The Hollywood Reporter’s Recent York issue, which was released Wednesday. Within the conversation, he said that those hosts were among the many only people he desired to talk over with after he discovered the show was being canceled.
“Once I got canceled, the one other people I spoke to for days were those guys. I got here as much as my office [after making the announcement on-air] and flipped open my phone and we did a fast exchange. My favorite was Kimmel, who just said, ‘That’s a hell of an Emmy campaign.’ I said, ‘Busted.’ After which I believe they may have laid bets on who was next. The opposite text I got was from Jon Stewart, like, “Whaaaaat?” I’m like, “Right back at you, buddy.” After which I closed my phone and gave it to my wife, Evie, and said, “Please don’t let me have this for several days.”
Colbert also appeared in a video where he answered questions from the opposite current and former late night hosts, including Jay Leno.
CBS canceled The Late Show in a surprising and surprise move last summer.