The finale of Stephen Colbert’s beloved late-night show wasn’t a cliffhanger, but a blockbuster, as Paul McCartney stopped by The Ed Sullivan Theater for an interview.
In doing so, the Beatles great completed the full circle. It was here, in the same glorious New York City building back on Feb. 9, 1964, when the legendary British band made their historic first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. When the screaming had subsided, the world had changed. The Fab Four’s U.S. TV debut shook America’s teenage population, gathering an estimated 73 million viewers, a record for its time and a wake-up call for pop culture.
McCartney, 83, is perhaps the most famous living pop star on earth. And the two-time Rock And Roll Hall of Fame inductee can still command screams wherever he goes, as was evident on his final appearance Thursday night, May 21 on The Late Show. How often does that still happen, Colbert asked his famous guest. “Often,” was the response. True story. Check out the proof below.
Colbert’s final broadcast of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert draws curtains on an 11-year run. CBS announced the cancelation in July 2025, citing financial losses. Many observers, however, aren’t buying it, with figures like Senator Elizabeth Warren claiming the axing was political censorship, coming just days after Colbert publicly criticized CBS’s parent company, Paramount, over its $16 million legal settlement with Trump, a moment when Paramount was on the brink of a merger deal that U.S. authorities could block.
“We’ve had so much fun in this theater, so many great segments,” Colbert remarked in his last, opening monologue. The gags, they flowed as usual. Once backstage, Elvis Presley used the bathroom and didn’t die, Colbert insisted. And those regular dry observations of current affairs and Trump’s administration, they were barbed, as expected.
Special occasions require special guests, and this final episode was no different as Bryan Cranston, Paul Rudd, Tim Meadows and others popped up for fun cameos, while an extraordinary line-up of special guest questioners did their bit, including Billy Crystal, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Josh Brolin, Martha Stewart, Mark Hamill, Ben Stiller, James Taylor and Robert De Niro.
At the top, Colbert reminded the audience that, despite the show disappearing from the airwaves, “we were lucky enough to be here for the last 11 years. You can’t take this for granted.” Watch below.
