A new era in late night television began last night with the premiere of Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS. The new host replaced the retiring David Letterman, who held the seat on the CBS series since 1993. In case you missed the premiere last night, we have a slew of videos from Stephen Colbert's debut, where his guests included George Clooney and Presidential candidate Jeb Bush.
Stephen Colbert, a multi-talented and respected host, writer, producer, satirist and comedian, is well-known for his previous late night show, The Colbert Report, which concluded in December 2014. The program received widespread critical acclaim and earned many accolades, including two Peabody Awards and 41 Emmy Award nominations, with two Emmy Award wins for Outstanding Variety Series in 2013 and 2014. Stephen Colbert's debut also included music from his new bandleader, Jonathan Batiste.
The show kicked off with a rousing version of the Star-Spangled Banner, where Stephen Colbert was seen singing our national anthem in various locations around the country, with a special cameo appearance from his former Comedy Central colleague Jon Stewart, who recently left The Daily Show after 17 years. Fans were also introduced to the new Ed Sullivan Theater, where the show is filmed every night.
Other highlights of last night's premiere include Stephen Colbert's tribute to David Letterman, a lengthy segment on another Presidential candidate, Donald Trump and a clip from George Clooney's fake movie Decision Strike. The host also thanked CBS, while mentioning that they kept his time slot "warm" by airing reruns of The Mentalist. CBS executive Leslie Moonves was also shown in the front row in a wonderful bit, where, as a precautionary measure, the executive could switch back to The Mentalist, in case things go wrong.
Stephen Colbert's guests for his premiere week include Scarlett Johansson, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Kendrick Lamar, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, Toby Keith, Amy Schumer, Stephen King and Troubled Waters. How do you think Stephen Colbert did in his first night hosting the Late Show with Stephen Colbert? Chime in with your thoughts after checking out these videos below.