Michael Keaton and Paul Schaffer Reminisce About Unaired Late-Night Bits

Stephen Colbert used a broadcast on May 18, 2026, to celebrate the most unsuccessful and eccentric ideas produced during his tenure on The Late Show. The episode, which aired during the program’s final week, focused on segments that either failed completely or were viewed by the production staff as ideas the audience would dislike.

The themed episode featured appearances by Paul Schaffer and actor Michael Keaton, who assisted Colbert in reminiscing about unaired and unsuccessful bits from the show’s history.

The Pigeon Sketch

A central part of the broadcast involved a surreal segment featuring Michael Keaton. The bit began with Colbert appearing to struggle with ideas for a segment involving the actor, only to spot Keaton dressed as a pigeon tapping on his office window.

The sequence transitioned into a dream in which both Colbert and Keaton were pigeons fighting over a piece of old pizza. The scene concluded when the real Michael Keaton woke Colbert up, leading to a discussion about the original idea to have a celebrity dress as a bird.

Colbert explained that the bit had originally been cut because the production had run out of time in previous episodes.

Philosophy of the Worst-Of Episode

Colbert noted that while the show had sufficient material for a standard “best of” clip show, he preferred to highlight the “weird bits” and failed concepts. He suggested that the decision to focus on the worst ideas was possible because the pressure of viewership had diminished.

“Here’s the thing: We ran out of shows and we couldn’t fit the bit in. But then I thought, ‘Wait, what if we did a worst of The Late Show episode?’ It’d feature all of the weird bits that either completely failed or things that we as a staff liked but thought the audience would absolutely hate.”

Stephen Colbert

Colbert added, You know, as if the ratings didn’t even matter any more, when discussing the theme of the episode.

Reflections on the Series

During the broadcast, Colbert opted to skip his traditional monologue. He told the audience that he felt it was appropriate to take the evening easier, citing the heavy nature of current global events.

The host reflected on the longevity of the program, noting that the production had been running for almost 11 years and had completed nearly 1,800 shows.