Goodbye Stephen Colbert - From The Substitute Warm Up Comedian

Goodbye Stephen Colbert - From The Substitute Warm Up Comedian

From Tom Kelly Show by Tom Kelly

May 23, 2026 · 16 min

About this episode

Tom Kelly reflects on the final episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and its implications for late-night television and comedy.

Comedian and longtime TV warm-up performer Tom Kelly reacts to the final episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and what it means for the future of late-night television, comedy, and New York City entertainment culture. From performing warm-up comedy inside the historic Ed Sullivan Theater to reflecting on the collapse of traditional broadcast television, Tom shares personal stories, industry insight, and emotional memories about working with Stephen Colbert and his staff over the years. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 0:14 – "This is my last day working at The Late Show" 0:22 – Introduction to the end of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert 1:04 – Tom reacts emotionally to Colbert's final episode 1:21 – Trump, the FCC & pressure on late-night TV discussed 1:35 – Tourists from Utah react to Colbert ending 2:02 – Tom admits he watched late night TV first thing in the morning 2:37 – Tom reflects on working at The Late Show 2:51 – CBS potentially leaving the Ed Sullivan Theater 3:09 – Tom shares clips from performing warm-up comedy at Colbert 3:39 – Why Colbert audiences were unique 3:56 – Tom asks out a TV anchor Jana Angel from the audience 4:27 – Childhood memories at the Ed Sullivan Theater…

People in this episode

Host: Tom Kelly

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Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: CBS, Paramount, FCC

Places: Ed Sullivan Theater

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