And, sure, his last comedy pieces included a few “final days of the Conan Tonight Show” gags at the expense of CBS. (Including Louis Cato and The Great Big Joy Machine responding to news that the folks behind Peanuts were getting litigious about people using their music without permission by immediately playing a snippet of “Linus And Lucy.” Colbert: “Oh no, I hope this doesn’t cost CBS any money.”)
But Colbert was clearly gearing up for the show’s real final guest: Paul McCartney, who stopped by to give Colbert a signed photo of The Beatles hanging out with their good pal Ed Sullivan in that very same building. Which was a nice bit of full-circle celebrity star power, as McCartney reminisced with Colbert about the old theater, along with his youthful perception of America.
And then, back to the bits, as Colbert let things get silly (and a bit pointed toward his soon-to-be-former corporate masters) with a pre-taped segment featuring Jon Stewart, Neal deGrasse Tyson, beloved hobbit Elijah Wood, and the host’s stalwart fellow members of the Strike Force Five. (Jimmys Kimmel and Fallon avoiding competing with themselves by going dark with their own broadcasts for tonight’s shows.) But getting sucked into an interdimensional void (caused by the paradox of the country’s highest-rated late-night show getting canceled for strictly financial reasons) couldn’t stop the cameos from rolling, as Colbert was joined by current bandleader Cato, former bandleader Jon Batiste, and—why not?—Elvis Costello for a singalong to Costello’s “Jump Up.” The whole thing ended with a cut back to the studio for another big musical moment with McCartney, the show’s crew, Colbert’s family, and the audience as a whole, as the host bid a fond farewell to late-night at last. The final shot: Colbert going to turn off the power on the Ed Sullivan himself—and then relenting and letting McCartney flip the switch, triggering (obviously!) one final St. Elsewhere snowglobe gag.
Anyway, tune in tomorrow night for Comics Unleashed With Byron Allen!
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