Thursday, May 21, 2026

Paul McCartney Helps Stephen Colbert End His Show Tonight, and Closes Down the Venue Where He Became Famous, the Ed Sullivan Theater

Share

Tonight’s Colbert finale will be a “really big shoo.”

That’s what Ed Sullivan used to say about his shows, the most famous of which introduced the Beatles to America.

Over the years, Paul McCartney has returned to the Ed Sullivan Theater, appearing on both the David Letterman and Stephen Colbert shows.

On one occasion, Paul and his band played outside on the marquee of the theater.

Tonight — as I predicted — Paul returns for one last visit. He helps Colbert end his 11 year run on CBS. He also gets to say goodbye to the theater, the plae where he became famous in 1964.

Now it’s 2026, sixty two years later, and McCartney is a week away from the release of a new album. Can you imagine what he would have said if Ed had asked on February 8, 1964, Do you think you’ll still be here in sixty two years? Young Paul’s mind would have been blown.

It’s going to be quite a night.

And let’s not forget how this moment has come about. CBS has cancelled Colbert to shut him up. It’s what they did in the late 60s to the Smothers Brothers, and to Ed Asner with his “Lou Grant” show in the early 80s. So it’s not Bari Weiss and the Ellisons, it’s corporate America caving to whoever’s in charge.

Donate to Showbiz411.com

Showbiz411 is now in its 13th year of providing breaking and exclusive entertainment news. This is an independent site, unlike the many Hollywood trades that are owned by one company. To continue providing news that takes a fresh look at what's going on in movies, music, theater, etc, advertising is our basis. Reader donations would be greatly appreciated, too. They are just another facet of keeping fact based journalism alive.
Thank you


Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman is the founder and editor-in-chief of Showbiz411. He wrote the FOX411 column on FoxNews.com from 1999 to 2009 and previously edited Fame magazine and wrote the "Intelligencer" column at New York magazine. His bylines have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the New York Daily News, the New York Post, Vogue, Details, and the Miami Herald. He is a voting member of the Critics Choice Awards (Film and Television branches), and his movie reviews are tracked by Rotten Tomatoes. is articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. With D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus, he co-produced the 2002 documentary "Only the Strong Survive," which screened at Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival.

Read more

In Other News