As Stephen Colbert approaches his final week as host of the “Late Show,” he revisited some never-used graphics, including one that incorrectly declared Hillary Clinton as the winner of the 2016 presidential election.
In a segment called “Graphics Graveyard,” named after a Slack channel where “Late Show” staff stored discarded ideas, Colbert presented the Clinton graphic for the first time. The image featured a smiling Clinton with a caption that named her the “Winner” of the 45th presidential election, which was actually won by Donald Trump.
CBS
CBS
“Oh, grow up. It all worked out fine,” quipped a member of the show’s graphic team after Colbert highlighted the Clinton image.
Monday night’s episode, titled “The Worst of the Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” also showcased other rejected graphics, sketches, and gags. Among them were a “Thanksgiving porn magazine” called “Giblets” and a “Martha Stewart Living” cover that read “Donner party or dinner party.”
Colbert’s tenure on the “Late Show,” which spans nearly 11 years and over 1,800 episodes, will conclude on Thursday.
Tuesday’s episode will feature “The Daily Show” host Jon Stewart, filmmaker Steven Spielberg, and a musical performance by Talking Heads frontman David Byrne alongside Colbert.
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CBS
Wednesday’s show will include unspecified special guests and a performance by Bruce Springsteen. Details for the finale remain undisclosed.
The decision by CBS to end “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” has caused controversy in the entertainment industry, with some suggesting that Paramount Global aims to appease Trump amid its merger talks with Skydance Media.
The network has denied any political motives, asserting that the decision was financially driven due to the show’s reported $40 million annual loss.
Critics, including David Letterman and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, have expressed skepticism about the reasoning, especially given Paramount’s pursuit of regulatory approval for the Skydance deal.
Letterman, who started “The Late Show” in 1993 and hosted it until Colbert took over in 2015, returned to the Ed Sullivan Theater on Thursday to criticize the network’s decision to cancel the show.
The segment concluded with Letterman and Colbert throwing couches, office chairs, watermelons, and a wedding cake off the theater’s roof.
Trump, on Truth Social, celebrated Colbert’s show’s conclusion, expressing happiness over Colbert’s departure and questioning the comedian’s “talent” compared to his ratings.
