Stephen Colbert bid the Colbert Report adieu in the days before Christmas, with his last show featuring a star studded sing along. The Comedy Central host will soon sit behind David Letterman’s desk on The Late Show, as he prepares to take over for the late night host some time in 2015.
“If this is your first time tuning in to ‘The Colbert Report,’ I have some terrible news,” Colbert announced during the show’s finale. “This in fact is your last time tuning in to ‘The Colbert Report.’ Until 10 years from now, when they reboot it directed by J.J. Abrams.”
“The truthiness is all those incredible things that people say I did — none of that was really me,” he added as he got ready to say goodbye. “You, the Nation, did all of that. I just got paid for it.”
As a thank you, Stephen Colbert staged an elaborate farewell scene that featured him killing off death, a.k.a. “Grimmy,” with a handgun and becoming “immortal,” promising fans that “We’ll Meet Again.”
Stephen Colbert delivered "The Word" segment 502 times and more numbers from #TheColbertReport http://t.co/X3vxxB46PA pic.twitter.com/amUIWtmRKv
— Variety (@Variety) December 21, 2014
He rounded up pretty much every celebrity he knows–from George Lucas to Sesame Street’s Big Bird–for a performance of “We’ll Meet Again,” just to prove his point.
Then, accompanied by Santa Claus, Abraham Lincoln, and Alex Trebek, Stephen Colbert signed off, saying, “We’ve finally come to the end of ‘The Colbert Report.’ Nine great years, 1,447 wonderful episodes–I’ve just got too many people to thank. So I’ll just thank Mavis Staples. Mavis, if you could just call everybody tomorrow, that would be great. OK, that’s the show. From eternity, I’m Stephen Colbert.”
— Stephen Colbert (@StephenAtHome) December 20, 2014
Did you see Stephen Colbert retire from the Colbert Report? Are you looking forward to him taking the helm from David Letterman in 2015?