Stephen Colbert is kicking off the final season of The Late Show tonight with a friend to the show if ever there was one.
John Oliver, Colbert’s former Comedy Central colleague, will return to the Ed Sullivan Theater tonight for his 21st billed appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. That tally puts Oliver firmly in first place on the show’s all-time guest leaderboard, edging ahead of CBS correspondent John Dickerson, who has appeared 19 times.
That number only tells part of the story. If you count Oliver’s many cameos on the show—including his surprise “kiss cam” joint appearance with Jon Stewart, Seth Meyers, Andy Cohen, and Jimmy Fallon earlier this summer—his visits to The Late Show climb to nearly 30.
Oliver’s return feels fitting as Colbert launches his 11th and final season. The show has not announced a definitive last airdate beyond saying that it will wrap in May, but the months leading up the finale are expected to spotlight a steady stream of favorite guests, longtime friends, and signature moments.
Whether Oliver and Colbert will address the cancellation tonight remains to be seen, though Oliver has already been outspoken about the decision. Back in July, he called the cancellation “very sad,” praising Colbert, his staff, and the show’s legacy.
“The late-night shows mean a lot to me,” Oliver said at the time, recalling his own teenage years watching David Letterman’s Late Show from England. He described CBS’s move as “terrible, terrible news for the world of comedy,” but expressed optimism about Colbert’s future: “That man will not stop.”
Colbert’s 11th season premiere airs tonight, Tuesday September 2 on CBS.
