An only slightly nervous Stephen Colbert kicked off his run at CBS's Late Show with "The Star-Spangled Banner" — he sang the low harmony while a group of people around the country sang the melody with him. (He also bowled a strike and snuck in a Jon Stewart cameo.) In his intro, Colbert made a History Channel joke, and made reference to all the talk about how he would shed his Colbert Report persona.
"With this show, I start my search for the real Stephen Colbert," he joked. "I just hope I don't find him on Ashley Madison." He also poked some fun at one of his guests, Jeb Bush, noting that tonight is one of the few nights where he won't have to share the stage with 16 other people. Bush was governor of Florida, Colbert said. "You would have thought that much exposure to oranges and crazy people would prepare him to deal with Donald Trump." And if the rest of the show goes horribly, CBS head honcho Les Moonves was in the audience with a kill switch. See if you can spot Stewart in the opening segment below. Peter Weber
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
'Fixer of Trump's problems has become one of them'Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
-
Pros and cons of oat milkPros and cons Oat has emerged as the king of Britain's plant-based milks, but how does it stack up against the alternatives?
-
What happens if TikTok is banned?Today's Big Question Many are fearful that TikTok's demise could decimate the content creator community
-
OJ Simpson, star athlete tried for murder, dead at 76Speed Read The former football hero and murder suspect lost his battle with cancer
-
Momofuku's 'Chili Crunch' trademark uproarSpeed Read The company's attempt to own the sole rights has prompted backlash
-
Kevin Hart awarded Mark Twain PrizeSpeed Read He is the 25th recipient of the prestigious comedy prize
-
Is Downton Abbey set to return for a final film?Speed Read Imelda Staunton reveals that a third movie may be in the pipeline
-
'Oppenheimer' sweeps Oscars with 7 winsspeed read The film won best picture, best director (Christopher Nolan) and best actor (Cillian Murphy)
-
'Rust' armorer convicted of manslaughterspeed read The film's cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed by actor Alec Baldwin during rehearsal
-
The Beatles are getting 4 intersecting biopicsSpeed Read Director Sam Mendes is making four separate movies, each told from the perspective of one band member
-
Taylor Swift to Miley Cyrus: female artists dominate 2024 GrammysSpeed Read SZA, Phoebe Bridgers and Lainey Wilson were also among the winners at LA gala
