Scott Kowalchyk
Before Stephen Colbert took over The Late Show in 2015, he had a meeting with his predecessor, the venerated maestro of the Ed Sullivan Theater, David Letterman. The two comedians looked back on that conversation on Monday night, as the retired host returned to his old haunt for the first time since he left the show. It turns out, Letterman had already forgotten most of that old talk—but as Colbert reminded him, there was one thing he said he’d wished he’d tried before he left, and Colbert made sure to incorporate it when he took over.
It’s been eight years since Letterman left The Late Show and, two years later, launched his Netflix series, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, which has run for four seasons. But in news that’ll surprise no one, Letterman still seems right at home at Ed Sullivan—even if he readily admits he’s already forgotten most of that old talk with Colbert.
“One of the last things I asked you was, ‘Is there anything you wish you had done that you didn’t do while you were here?’” Colbert reminded Letterman. “And you said, ‘Yes, I would have liked to try the desk on the other side of the stage.’ … Because Johnny [Carson] had his desk on this side of the stage.”