Letterman, Colbert Hurl 5 Set Pieces Off Ed Sullivan Roof as CBS Exit Nears
Updated
Updated · Variety · May 15
Letterman, Colbert Hurl 5 Set Pieces Off Ed Sullivan Roof as CBS Exit Nears
6 articles · Updated · Variety · May 15
David Letterman joined Stephen Colbert on Thursday to throw couches, a desk chair, watermelons and a wedding cake off the Ed Sullivan Theater roof onto a CBS logo.
The stunt was framed as a protest over CBS ending Colbert’s 11-year run on May 21, with Letterman joking about being "fired" backstage and calling the segment "wanton destruction of CBS property."
Colbert’s abrupt exit, announced weeks before the Ellison family’s Paramount-CBS takeover closes, has fueled speculation CBS moved to appease Donald Trump, though the network says the show was losing about $40 million a year.
Trump celebrated Colbert’s ouster on Truth Social, while Colbert has spent his final stretch bringing in late-night peers, Hollywood guests and former President Barack Obama ahead of next week’s finale.
As media giants consolidate, is the era of the outspoken, high-budget late-night host truly over?
With a $40M loss show replaced by paid programming, what does this reveal about network TV's new reality?