Letterman Delivers Defiant Six-Word Parting Shot at CBS
Letterman Delivers Defiant Six-Word Parting Shot at CBS
David Letterman’s final Late Show moment includes a blunt six-word goodbye to CBS as the show nears its end; Colbert’s era continues amid final-week buzz.
David Letterman made his final appearance on The Late Show, the franchise he launched in 1993 and handed to Stephen Colbert in 2015. On Thursday, the 79-year-old host bid farewell to Colbert and the loyal audience, thanking Colbert for 'everything you've done for the country.' He acknowledged the show’s impending end after CBS announced, nearly a year ago, that it was axing the franchise for financial reasons. The last-ever episode of The Late Show is scheduled to air next Thursday, May 21, as late-night television moves into a new era.
During a set-piece goodbye, Letterman delivered his six-word parting shot, and then reflected on the show’s legacy. 'I have every right to be pissed off, so I’ll be pissed off here a little bit,' he said, before the famous line: 'good night and good luck, motherf***ers!' He reminded viewers that while a show can be taken away, 'you can’t take a man’s voice,' and joked about the theater they built together, saying, 'it’s like the Bellagio.' He also warned about the future of late-night, asking, 'What I’m really worried about is what will become of this medium.'
Beyond Letterman’s farewell, the week will spotlight Colbert’s own finale era, with guests announced for the final run ahead of the curtain call. The franchise’s farewell is framed by a final-week slate that includes high-profile appearances and performances, as CBS winds down the chapter that shaped late-night television. Final-week guests are lined up, including Jon Stewart, Steven Spielberg, David Byrne, and Bruce Springsteen. The public messaging emphasized that the decision to end The Late Show was financial, but fans are hoping for a memorable send-off for a program that helped redefine late-night television.
