The series finale of “The Late Show” has been a closely guarded secret until it airs Thursday night on CBS.
NEW YORK — Stephen Colbert goodbye Thursday’s late-night TV show featured a surprising, star-studded lineup of guests, performances and celebrity attendees.
Plans for the finale of CBS’s 33-year-old series “The Late Show” were not revealed in advance.
Guests for the finale at New York’s Ed Sullivan Theater include Paul McCartneyAccording to NBC News, Jon Batiste was the bandleader and musical director of “The Late Show” from 2015 to 2022.
Celebrities in the audience included Bryan Cranston, Ryan Reynolds and Paul Rudd, NBC News reported.
In the opening scene of his last show, Colbert emphasized He and his team created more than 1,800 episodes of “The Joy of Late Night.”
“We call it the Joy Machine because to do so many shows, it has to be a machine,” Colbert said. “But the thing is, if you choose to do it joyfully, it won’t be as painful when your finger gets caught in the gears. And I can’t fully explain to you what the people who work here do for each other and what we mean to each other.”
Colbert’s main competition is ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” will air again Thursday night to coincide with Colbert’s farewell.
Guests for the final week include Michael Keaton, Jon Stewart, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Steven Spielberg, David Byrne and Bruce Springsteen.
CBS announced Colbert’s show last summer will end, quote Economic reasons after the 2011 season. But Colbert is the late-night TV ratings leader. Many — including Colbert — have expressed doubts that President Donald Trump’s repeated criticism of the show wasn’t a factor.
The decision to shut down the show was made at the parent company Paramount settles $16 million Paramount is awaiting approval from the Trump administration of a sale to Skydance Media, which filed a lawsuit over the “60 Minutes” interview. Colbert called it a “huge bribe.”
CBS will fill the void of “Late Night” with “Comic Unleashed,” in which comedians share stories. Host Byron Allen vows to avoid politics.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
