Photo: Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty Images
First, some old business. Last weekI forgot to mention one of the features of late night we’d lose if it totally went away. In many ways, the host helping starlets navigate the stage in their heels and such is the last bastion of chivalry. Example: Stephen Colbert escorting Molly Gordon to her seat on Wednesday night. Very gallant.
Second, I want to congratulate Josh Johnson on getting some desk time this week on The Daily Show. It was Johnson’s first week as Big Host in Charge, and there was a joke his first night that really took the audience out. They gasped. It was wonderful seeing him lose them, then get them back with the next part of the bit.
And last, I must be a real crumbum and caution the guests of The Late Show. This week we can allow all the “Stephen, you’re a hero and everything you do is perfect and you’re immune to bullets and your thigh is made of solid gold like Pythagoras” routines from every guest, because the Late Show cancellation news is still fresh. But we can’t have ten months of coming to bury Caesar. (P.S.: That’s not hyperbole; Sandra Oh really quoted Shakespeare this week about Colbert’s cancellation.) One more week, and then we let the man do his job plauditless. He’s good at it! That’s kind of the point. Let these people cook.
Robert Klein sat on the Tonight Show couch for the 89th time this week. Unless some of those were stand-up sets where Johnny didn’t ask him over. If you love old-time showbiz (and if you’re watching late night in 2025 and you don’t love old-time showbiz, seek help), this was great. And if you want someone to explain what the Borscht Belt is to zoomers, this was even better. Personally, I’d love to watch the roller-skating act of Tanya and Lanya from Lithuania.
If you don’t know Caissie St. Onge, frickin’ get to know her. St. Onge helped formulate Best Week Ever, WWHL, and Busy Tonight. She followed Busy Philipps from E! to QVC+ on Busy This Weekwhere chat show blends with home shopping and everything stays nice and profitable. But her first gig was on The Late Show. David Letterman dropped by Busy This Week to talk shop with a former co-worker, and it was nice getting some Late Show reminiscences in these trying times. And it was good intel for anyone hoping to ever strike up a conversation with Letterman. Hint: Don’t bring up Madonna.
Adam Sandler/Netflix has been very smart sending Bad Bunny out to promote Happy Gilmore 2. The guy is a delight. He went on Late Night with Sandler and they had a total lovefest. But it was his time styling Colbert on The Late Show that was wonderful Benitocore. He is one of the most charming dudes out there (watch his Met Gala GRWM from 2024 if you need further convincing), and gifting Colbert some bedazzled sunnies is burnishing that reputation.
No one said exclusive news had to be good. Mary Beth Barone shared on Late Night that she had been dumped. She even forewent mentioning it on her podcast, because she wanted some exclusive news for Seth Meyers. Would Overcompensating season two be a better exclusive? Sure, but this is still juicy. Barone has done stand-up on late night before, but this was a great introduction to her Whole Deal for people who prefer sit-down material. Beautiful dress, good banter, and throwing the host for a genuine loop. Good stuff.
Speaking of introducing America to one’s Whole Deal, Meg Stalter has been on one during the Too Much press tour. Last week, she was Colbert’s last guest ever — or at least the last guest before we started thinking about the show ending. It befuddled the YouTube/Instagram commentariat, but those who were already hip to Stalter’s jazz were LOL-ing. This weekshe scared the shit out of Andy Cohen, then loudly proclaimed she knew how to read during the After Show. Tracee Ellis Ross was the rest of the world, cackling and watching Stalter pop off. This is what live TV is for, folks.
