Updated
Updated · LateNighter · May 15
Letterman, Colbert Smash CBS Logo From 8 Stories Up Before May 21 Finale
Updated
Updated · LateNighter · May 15

Letterman, Colbert Smash CBS Logo From 8 Stories Up Before May 21 Finale

6 articles · Updated · LateNighter · May 15
  • Eight stories above the Ed Sullivan Theater, David Letterman and Stephen Colbert hurled guest chairs, Colbert’s desk chair and watermelons at a CBS “eye,” finally smashing the target during Letterman’s last Late Show visit.
  • The rooftop bit capped a farewell appearance tied to Colbert’s final week; Colbert’s finale airs May 21, ending his 11-year run and the CBS Late Show franchise that Letterman launched in 1993.
  • CBS itself became part of the joke: Colbert said the commemorative cake was “sent over” by the network, and Letterman framed the stunt as “wanton destruction of CBS property.”
  • The segment closed as a symbolic handoff and sendoff, with Colbert thanking Letterman for creating the show and Letterman signing off to CBS with an expletive-laced twist on Ed Murrow’s “Good night and good luck.”
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?