Stephen Colbert spoofs Coldplay concert 'Kiss Cam' with Seth Meyers, Jimmy Fallon
Colbert returned to "The Late Show" on Monday, July 21, for the first time since announcing that CBS has canceled his late-night program. After addressing the network's decision in his monologue, the comedian introduced performers Lin-Manuel Miranda and "Weird Al" Yankovic to sing a song that would "cheer up" the audience.
The duo jumped into the Coldplay song "Viva la Vida" as Miranda directed the show's camera operators to scan the audience – in a move mimicking the viral jumbotron reveal of the embracing Astronomer couple at the July 18 Coldplay concert.
"The Late Show" jumbotron "couples" on display featured CNN's Anderson Cooper and Bravo's Andy Cohen; fellow late night hosts Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers; "Happy Gilmore 2" stars Adam Sandler and Christopher McDonald as well as a middle-finger-waving John Oliver of HBO's "Last Week Tonight" with Jon Stewart of "The Daily Show."
'Late Show with Stephen Colbert' to end next May: 'This is all just going away'
The final couple was a cartoon President Donald Trump hugging a Paramount logo. Colbert then interrupted Yankovic and Miranda to tell them, "I just got this note from corporate. Your song has been canceled. It says here, 'This is a purely financial decision.'"
John Oliver speaks out about 'sad' Stephen Colbert 'Late Show' cancellation
"Tell me this has nothing to do with who we just put a spotlight on," Miranda protested. But Colbert insisted, "This is out of my hands."
The end of the bit was a reference to claims that CBS canceled "The Late Show" to appease Trump. The network's parent company, Paramount Global, has maintained the move was "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night," which was not "related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount."
Earlier in the July 21 episode of the "Late Show," Colbert thanked everyone who has reached out to offer their support following the cancellation news. "Over the weekend, it sunk in that they're killing off our show, but they made one mistake: They left me alive," he quipped.
But Colbert reassured his audience that his show's cancellation is not a "sign of something truly dire," telling viewers, "We here at the 'Late Show' never saw our job as changing anything other than how you felt at the end of the day, which I think is a worthy goal."
Contributing: KiMi Robinson, Brendan Morrow
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New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
‘Naked Gun' director Akiva Schaffer ‘threatened to quit' to save this ‘polarizing' scene
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The 'polarizing' montage in question comes when Frank Drebin Jr. (Liam Neeson) and Beth (Pamela Anderson) share a short romantic getaway in a snowy cabin. 8 Liam Neeson as Frank Drebin Jr. and Pamela Anderson as Beth in 'The Naked Gun' (2025). ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection After using a magical spell book to bring a snowman to life, the pair engage in a threesome with the snowman until he suddenly turns violent. Schaffer, who co-wrote the reboot with Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, admitted that he did cut down part of the montage just in case it was completely removed from the film. The Lonely Island alum was ultimately proven right when the sequence became 'the No. 1 scene' in the entire movie. 8 Paul Walter Hauser, Akiva Schaffer and Liam Neeson on the set of 'The Naked Gun' (2025). AP 'After the first test screen, it was the No. 1 scene in the movie,' Schaffer said. 'The people who really fought me on it after ate a lot of crow without me asking. I tried to let them off the hook easy, and go, 'That's fine,' but they were like, 'No, dude, we were wrong.'' Elsewhere during the podcast, Schaffer revealed that they only included the snowman montage as a throwback to the original 1988 'Naked Gun' starring Leslie Nielsen as Frank Drebin and Priscilla Presley as Jane Spencer. In the original, Nielsen and Presley's characters appear in an absurd scene that shows them running hand-in-hand on the beach and laughing during a showing of the dark war drama 'Platoon' while Herman's Hermits play in the background. 8 Liam Neeson as Frank Drebin Jr. in the new 'The Naked Gun' reboot. AP 8 Pamela Anderson as Beth in the new 'The Naked Gun' reboot. AP 'We got to the point in our script, we were like, 'Wow, this love story deserves a montage,'' Schaffer explained. 'The original 'Naked Gun' has a very famous, very good montage set to 'I'm Into Something Good.'' 'We knew it had to be different than that,' he continued. 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Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Morgan Fairchild, Barbara Eden and More of Loni Anderson's Friends and Costars Remember the Actress as an 'Absolutely Wonderful Woman'
The 'WKRP in Cincinnati' star is being honored by those who knew her on and off setNEED TO KNOW Loni Anderson was best known for her role as Jennifer Marlowe on the CBS sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati The beloved series aired for four seasons, from 1978 to 1982, during which Anderson received three Golden Globe nominations and two Emmy nods Friends and costars are remembering Anderson for her bright and loving spiritFriends and fans are remembering Loni Anderson. The actress, best known for her role as Jennifer Marlowe on the CBS sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati, died just days before celebrating her 80th birthday, which would have been on Tuesday, Aug. 5. Longtime publicist Cheryl J. Kagan announced the news in a statement to the Associated Press on Sunday, sharing that the actress died "following a prolonged illness." As news of the beloved actress' death spread, those who worked with her and knew her off-screen began sharing their cherished memories. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Tim Reid Tim Reid worked with Anderson on WKRP in Cincinnati, playing Venus Flytrap, a Vietnam veteran turned funky DJ at the station. In his tribute shared on Instagram, Reid wrote, "One of the dearest friends I've had in my life's journey. Such a wonderful woman🙌🏾❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ We had some fun! 😞I'll miss her and pray that her transition be peaceful and glorious." In an additional comment, Reid revealed Anderson was responsible for his earring, writing, "She didn't tell me it would hurt like hell and damn near got me fired. But I still wear it to this very day. She was a most talented, beautiful and defiant woman⭐️." Morgan Fairchild Morgan Fairchild, who had a few different opportunities to team up with the late actress over the years, remembered her as "the sweetest, most gracious lady." "I am heartbroken to hear of the passing of the wonderful Loni Anderson! We did Bob Hope specials together & a Christmas movie 2 years ago," she posted on X. "I'm just devastated to hear this. Love & condolences to Bob (who was on set every day w her) & her kids and grandkids, who she adored. #RIPLoniAnderson💔💔💔💔💔💔💔." Later, Fairchild shared a photo of Anderson walking off set with her husband, musician Bob Flick. "#Lovely Loni and her beloved husband, Bob, leaving our set. I took this, thinking it was a sweet pic, but now seems especially poignant 💔," she posted on X. Barbara Eden Barbara Eden remembered her friend in a lengthy tribute shared on X, writing, "The news just came through that my dear friend Loni Anderson has passed. Like many, I am absolutely stunned and heartbroken. Our friendship has spanned many years, and news like this is never easy to hear or accept." 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Tori Spelling Tori Spelling got the opportunity to work with Anderson when the late actress played Spelling's mom on So Notorious, a parody series based on Beverly Hills, 90210 star's life. In a heartfelt Instagram tribute, she praised Anderson for the "special imprint on my heart, soul, and very being," adding that their bond, "transcends the short time we spent playing mom and daughter on tv." Spelling also credited Anderson for guiding her as the actress "was leaving the metaphysical nest, embarking into adulthood." "She represented kindness, humbleness, and pure grace. She taught me so much. We laughed, we cried, she was as real as they got, while simultaneously knowing her worth. When you think of a star ⭐️, Loni was truly that in every sense," Spelling wrote. "When they say 'don't meet your heroes,' they weren't talking about Loni Anderson. She was everything and more to everyone." The tribute got the attention of Anderson's granddaughter, who thanked Spelling in the comments. 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She was an absolutely wonderful woman and friend, a wife, mother and grandmother. Love and condolences to Bob, Deidra, Quintin, and all the grandkids. Loni is singing with the angels now. God bless her," he wrote in a tribute shared on X. Read the original article on People Solve the daily Crossword
USA Today
4 hours ago
- USA Today
'The Daily Show' is on hiatus. Here's when it'll return.
Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" is on hiatus, but not for too long. The Emmy and Peabody award-winning late night comedy series is taking an extended break until September during its 30th season. The break comes after Jon Stewart, who propelled to fame during his first stint as host, returned as a one-day-a-week anchor in 2024. Trevor Noah (Stewart's first replacement) bridged most of the gap in hosting duties before leaving the desk in 2022. In addition to Stewart, episodes are hosted by comedians Ronny Chieng, Josh Johnson, Jordan Klepper, Desi Lydic and Michael Kosta. Lydic announced the break at the end of the latest episode in July. 'We're going on a production break for August, which was planned months and months ago. So don't freak out," said Lydic, alluding to the abrupt cancellation of fellow late night host Stephen Colbert's "The Late Show" on CBS. "Have a great summer and we'll see you in September when we can all freak out together," Lydic said. 'King of the Hill': How the show rediscovered its voice with new Hulu revival When does 'The Daily Show' return? The series is set to return to the air in September 2025 after a "pre-planned" hiatus, show representative Parker Moreno confirmed to USA TODAY. How to watch 'The Daily Show' "The Daily Show" airs weeknights, Monday through Thursday, at 11 p.m. ET/10 p.m. CT on Comedy Central. Viewers can stream new episodes the next day on Paramount+. Shark attack: Former NBA player's pregnant wife attacked in Puerto Rico When did latest 'The Daily Show' episode air? The series' latest show aired July 31 with Lydic assuming hosting duties, according to Comedy Central's website. The host spoke with actor Tony Hale while promoting the film "Sketch." "Sketch" actor @MrTonyHale shares how the film's story about a child's drawings coming to life was inspired by writer-director Seth Worley's sister Contributing: Anna Kaufman Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@ and follow her on X @nataliealund.
