Jimmy Kimmel gave some advice to his viewers on the eve of his friend and late-night rival Stephen Colbert‘s final episode of The Late Show.
The ABC Jimmy Kimmel Live! host urged his fans Wednesday night to tune in for Colbert’s final episode — then to never watch CBS again.
“We will be off tomorrow night out of respect for our colleague and friend Stephen Colbert, and the writers, producers, and staff and crew at The Late Show, whose final show on CBS airs opposite ours,” Kimmel said during the opening of his monologue (below).
“I think you know how I feel about the fact that they’re being pushed out,” he noted. “I hope the people who did the pushing feel ashamed of themselves tonight — although I know they probably won’t.”
“I think it is most important to congratulate Stephen and the team at The Late Show for all the great work over the last 11 years — and all the great work they will continue to do in other venues, I have no doubt,” he continued. “Everyone at that show has always been very gracious to us. We never felt like we were competing against them. It was nothing like the old days of late-night. I always loved being on Stephen’s show. I loved having him on ours. I hope we’re able to do that again. I hope he comes to visit as many times as possible.”
Then Kimmel concluded: “On behalf of everyone at our show, we want to say to everyone at your show: It has been a pleasure to work alongside you. I will be watching tomorrow night. I hope that those of you who watch our show will also tune in to CBS for the last time. Don’t ever watch it again. But watch tomorrow night to wish Stephen a fond farewell.”
CBS is replacing The Late Show with Byron Allen’s (less expensive) 20-year-old stand-up series Comics Unleashed. During Kimmel’s annual roast of the TV industry at the broadcast upfronts earlier this month, Kimmel joked, “As you know, CBS is turning 11:35 p.m. into a time slot least likely to offend the President with a rerun of [Byron Allen’s] Comics Unleashed from 2007 featuring Paula Poundstone and Andy Dick. Poor Stephen. It’s bad enough to lose your job. Imagine getting replaced by the owner of the Weather Channel.”
Colbert has served as The Late Show host since 2015 and previously welcomed fellow late-night hosts Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and John Oliver on his show May 11. The guests for tonight’s final episode have not been revealed in advance.
In an exit interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Colbert said, “We’re all big boys. I got to do this for 21 years. What is there to complain about, really? I knew that the show had to end at some time. I did not expect it to end this way. But my staff are the only people I’m worried about.”
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