Stephen Colbert turned Monday’s episode of “The Late Show” into a star-studded mocking of CBS’s decision to end his long-running program.
Colbert invited “Weird Al” Yankovic and Lin-Manuel Miranda on stage for a surprise musical number aimed at cheering up fans “bummed” about the show ending. The duo performed Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida,” a tongue-in-cheek nod to the band’s recent viral jumbotron moment.
The camera panned across the audience and captured Colbert’s rival late night hosts Jimmy Fallon, Jon Stewart, John Oliver and Seth Meyers; CNN’s Anderson Cooper and “Real Housewives” producer Andy Cohen; and actors Adam Sandler and “Happy Gilmore” co-star Christopher McDonald.
A cartoon version of President Donald Trump then appeared, hugging the Paramount logo in a spoof of Coldplay’s recent concert controversy.
The animated Trump and the logo then awkwardly disentangled.
Moments later, Colbert cut the music and claimed he’d just received a note from “corporate” stating the song had been canceled.
“It says here, ‘This is a purely financial decision,’” he deadpanned.
Miranda quipped: “Tell me this has nothing to do with who we just put a spotlight on” — a pointed reference to the Trump moment.
“There’s nothing in here that mentions that,” said Colbert.
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The final episode of the show, which began with David Letterman at the helm in 1993, will air in May next year.
CBS said in its announcement last week that the decision to cancel “The Late Show” was “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night” and “nothing to do with the show’s performance, content, or other matters happening at Paramount.”
However, Colbert has been an unrelenting critic of Trump throughout both his terms. The comedian has also taken aim at CBS’ parent company, Paramount Global, over its legal settlement with the president, which came as the company sought regulatory approval from the Trump administration for its proposed merger with Skydance Media.