Stephen Colbert’s final Late Show was one of the more ambitious late-night farewells in recent memory.
The supersized 79-minute finale featured a Beatle, an elaborate sci-fi subplot, and surprise appearances by Elvis Costello, Jon Batiste, Jon Stewart, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, John Oliver, Ryan Reynolds, Bryan Cranston, Paul Rudd, Tig Notaro, Tim Meadows, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and more.
But not everything that happened at The Ed Sullivan Theater Thursday made it to air.
Below are ten things viewers at home didn’t see.
The room was packed with friends and family
As Colbert noted on-air, his brothers and sisters were in attendance for the finale. But they were far from alone. The orchestra level of the Ed Sullivan Theater was filled with friends and family, giving the taping the feel of a private farewell. Among the VIPs: Peter Jackson and former Late Show EP/former CNN president Chris Licht.
Colbert’s opening remarks (mostly) followed his nightly ritual
Colbert’s opening address was framed for viewers as a version of what he usually says to the studio audience before cameras roll. That was largely true: the remarks mirrored the kind of pre-show message Colbert delivered nightly inside the theater. The difference this time was that they were also being delivered for the cameras—and, unlike his usual pre-show warm-up, Colbert’s words were on the teleprompter.
The show’s celebrity arrivals were a top-secret affair
Though The Late Show’s stage door on 53rd Street has long attracted paparazzi and fans, the show went to pains Thursday to keep the finale’s special guests a surprise, keeping looky-loos at bay and erecting special tenting to mask the night’s arrivals. That didn’t stop one enterprising fan from snapping (and posting) a pic of McCartney ahead of the show’s broadcast.
The audience was kept in the dark about the wormhole story
At home, viewers saw the finale slowly develop a sci-fi subplot, with strange sounds, flickering lights, and eventually a giant green portal backstage. Inside the theater, the audience was kept unaware of where that storyline was headed until McCartney’s final act.
“Hello, Goodbye” was performed twice
The finale’s big closing number wasn’t a one-and-done. The group’s performance of “Hello, Goodbye” was shot twice. Audience members were asked not to stand, because doing so would interfere with the cameras’ ability to capture the performance. The crowd complied the first time, but all bets were off for the second performance, when the entire audience rose to its feet.
The full performance ran longer than what viewers saw
The televised version captured the spirit of the closing number, but the in-theater versions of “Hello, Goodbye” ran significantly longer. During the taping, Colbert could be seen singing alongside his wife, Evie McGee Colbert, and their children.
The finale’s coda was not shown in the theater
Though viewers saw Colbert and McCartney backstage powering down the Ed Sullivan Theater, followed by the building getting cosmically shrunk down into a snow globe, the studio audience did not see that coda during the taping.
Colbert thanked CBS
After “Hello, Goodbye,” Colbert took the microphone and gave a heartfelt speech, during which he thanked CBS, joking that only about 50% of what he’d said about the network on-air was true. With his staff and celebrity guests still gathered onstage, Colbert then asked if anyone else wanted to speak. Louis Cato took the mic and delivered a tearful speech of his own.
Jon Batiste led one more song
The night’s final musical moment did not air at all. After Cato spoke, Jon Batiste stepped forward and led the group in a spirited rendition of “When the Saints Go Marching In.” McCartney joined in—on trumpet.
Colbert was among the last to leave the stage
The farewell continued after cameras stopped rolling. Colbert’s staff and celebrity guests remained onstage for photos, lingering in the space that had just been sent into the cosmic beyond for viewers at home.
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You forgot the 11th item is when Colbert screamed out to the void:
“PLEASE CBS I’LL DO ANYTHING! I’LL FUCKING SUCK YOUR DICK! YOU WANT ME TO EAT YOUR SHIT? I’LL EAT YOUR FUCKING SHIT ON THE LATE SHOW STAGE!”
Colbert’s going out with his head held high, and the support of the public that haven’t drank the MAGA Kool-Aid! And you and your Dear Toddler Drumpf have shown how tiny and petty you all are!
History will be kind to Colbert! Not to sad losers, like Drumpf and you MAGAts!
Dude… let it go; why you trying to shit on a show that’s already dead?
At the least the silver lining with Colbert’s cancellation is that you got nothing effective left to say about a freshly dead franchise~
You’re not welcome here anymore, thin-skinned pedo-defender~
Who gets to decide who’s welcome here and not, fascist.
Yes, Colbert went out with a whimper and you can admit that Colbert killed his show (and 12:35a) and destroyed the franchise.
Yes, Colbert’s legacy is one of failure and destruction.
And if anyone deserves to be kicked out of here, it’s you with your juvenile MAGA postings that are nothing but ignorant hate!
You’re just a sad pathetic loser!
….you mean Trump’s legacy, let’s not ignore the orange shadow behind the network’s decision
Again, you’re not welcome here if you can’t offer even one nuance take that doesn’t shit on Colbert; besides, if you really think about it, CBS could’ve said no to Colbert doin more political satire so really the network has itself to blame; so i dare you to comment one non-negative thing about Colbert that’s not “I’m glad he’s gone” vibes~
…unless you can’t, coward~
Thank you, but your ideas on who or who isn’t welcome is irrelevant like Colbert’s legacy.
Speaking of nuance, perhaps you could have said to Colbert and his lack of mocking anybody that was a liberal.
Yes, the network before the Ellisons were to blame for Colbert’s descent into partisan madness…good point.
And cowardice does describe why Colbert refused to invite pro-Trump conservatives onto his show. An actual debate…Colbert would run away with shame.
Nobody likes you whiny assed crybabies, with your endless crying about why Colbert is so mean to your diaper baby in chief, Drumpf! There’s a reason why you losers are so despised! You take no responsibility for your hateful behavior, while you project that onto others!
Thanks to losers, like you, America has never been more hated than it is right now!
Who’s whining? We’re celebrating this Democrat media propaganda media organ is gone.
Only people whining are Democrats….hmmm…wonder why….lol
Whatcha gonna do, now that Colbert can do whatever he wants and be successful at that? He lives in that empty head of yours, 24/7!
You losers have only made him bigger than before!
You gonna fuckin’ learn!
How is Colbert losing his show due to shitty ratings makes him a winner? Turning tail and heading back to South Carolina as a loser….geez, pathetic
Yet you still lie about that, and why he lost his show! Because you’re Dear Toddler Drumpf wanted him off and got it!
Your nose must be half way around the world, you lying bag of turds!
… you cannot say one non-negative thing about Colbert and evaded one simple task, can you?
What a waste of life, pedo-defending Coward.