It was supposed to be a standard clip show. Networks do it all the time — a victory lap of greatest hits, a comfortable walk down memory lane before the lights go out for good. But Stephen Colbert has never done anything the standard way, and as the final week of The Late Show officially kicks off on May 18, 2025, he is making absolutely sure no one forgets it.
Tonight, CBS airs what the show is calling “The Worst of The Late Show” — but here’s the twist that has fans and media in a complete frenzy: it has been officially dubbed “Not a Clip Show!” That’s not just a subtitle. That’s a declaration of intent from a man who has spent over a decade rewriting the rules of late-night television one monologue at a time.
What exactly does “The Worst of” mean in Colbert’s universe? That’s the beautiful mystery driving conversation across every entertainment platform this morning. According to the CBS official schedule and a fresh USA Today update active as of May 18, tonight’s special leans hard into self-roasts and chaos — a format that feels entirely, wonderfully on-brand for a host who once testified before Congress in character and interviewed world leaders while dressed as a medieval knight.
Industry insiders suspect the episode will feature intentional disasters: segments that bombed, jokes that landed with a thud, technical misfires that made for legendary behind-the-scenes stories. It is, in essence, a love letter written in the language of spectacular failure — which, paradoxically, makes it sound like one of the best pieces of television Colbert has ever produced.
The timing matters enormously. With just four days of programming left before the May 21 finale, Colbert and his team are in the business of legacy-building. Every choice this week is a statement. Booking Jon Stewart, Steven Spielberg, David Byrne, and Bruce Springsteen for the final stretch tells one story of prestige and affection. But opening the week with a deliberate, joyful celebration of the show’s worst moments tells a deeper, more intimate story — one about a team of humans who showed up every night, sometimes failed brilliantly, and kept going anyway.
Social media has been buzzing since early morning, with multiple outlets confirming that fan anticipation is “exploding” ahead of tonight’s broadcast. The phrase “Not a Clip Show!” has taken on its own viral life, spawning memes, fan theories, and a seemingly endless stream of tribute posts from viewers who have been watching since Colbert took over the desk in 2015.
What makes tonight particularly poignant is what it represents in the arc of the week. This is not the tearful finale. This is not the Springsteen duet or the Spielberg storytelling session. This is Colbert in pure, unfiltered comedian mode — laughing at himself before the curtain falls. It is the act of a genuinely confident performer who knows his legacy is secure enough to survive a little well-earned mockery.
For millions of viewers who have made The Late Show part of their nightly ritual — through elections, pandemics, cultural upheavals, and personal milestones — tonight’s episode is also a kind of permission. Permission to laugh freely, even now. Permission to hold the grief and the joy in the same hand. Permission to celebrate the mess alongside the masterpieces.
The show airs tonight on CBS. Set your reminder, clear your couch, and maybe lower your expectations just enough to let Colbert exceed them completely — as he has always done.
Because if history has taught us anything about Stephen Colbert, it’s this: his worst is still better than most people’s best.
