‘Good Night and Good Luck, Motherf–kers’: Letterman and Colbert Toss CBS Property Off the Roof

By Angie Martoccio

Angie Martoccio

As we inch closer to the final air date of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, the host recruited his predecessor, David Letterman, for a very important task: to throw CBS property off the roof.

Standing on top of the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City, Letterman told Colbert, “I thought maybe tonight’s occasion would be a little sad, being the end of your run here, but this brings true joy to my heart. We are up here for the wanton destruction of CBS property!”

That property included couches, Colbert’s office chair, several watermelons, and even a three-tiered congratulatory cake with the words The Late Show: 1993-2026 in icing. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for our country,” Letterman told him. “To the folks at CBS, in the words of the great Ed Murrow, ‘Goodnight and good luck motherfuckers.”

Letterman hosted The Late Show from 1993 through 2015, until Colbert took over for an 11-year run. CBS announced the show’s shocking cancellation last July, despite being one of the most-watched late-night programs and earning an Emmy, a Peabody Award, and other accolades. While CBS said it was “purely a financial decision,” it’s no secret that Colbert has been a frequent critic of President Donald Trump (at the time, CBS was trying to complete a merger with David Ellison’s Skydance, which the Trump administration would have to approve).

Colbert’s final installment airs May 21. Out of solidarity, fellow late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon will air reruns of their shows. Earlier this month, Colbert had Kimmel, Fallon, and other late-night hosts, including Seth Meyers and John Oliver, on the show. It marked a reunion of Strike Force Five, the podcasts they launched during the 2023 writers’ strike.

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