Stephen Colbert is a solid interviewer. He’s witty, candid, and can get people talking about topics ranging from politics to God and the universe. He also has a sentimental streak, as shown when both of his series ended, first on Comedy Central and then this year on CBS. Surprisingly, it was Bette Midler who spilled the tea.
The actress took to Instagram to show off the gift Colbert and co. had sent her after the conclusion of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS. It was a message, “thank you for being part of the Joy Machine” along with a snow globe commemorating Colbert’s time at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York. Take a look.
The globe features a look at the theater and area surrounding. Probably the greatest detail is it also features the sandwich shop Rupert Gee’s Hello Deli which was a fixture next door until it closed back in 2023. Did I mention Colbert is sentimental? The snow globe actually played a larger role in the series finale, too; it wasn’t just a keepsake to commemorate the occasion. After Paul McCartney and Stephen Colbert were sucked into some sort of weird time warp and cut the lights at the Ed Sullivan Theater, the whole building was sucked into a snow globe… the very same globe Colbert gave out to friends of the show.
If you were watching in the final weeks, you probably already know Midler played a key role in the final season, when she came out and performed a comedic version of “Wind Beneath My Wings.” Her version fittingly had Frodo jokes and more, in reference to Stephen Colbert’s next act, which will be writing an LOTR movie with his son (and Peter Jackson’s blessing.)
A lot of a-listers had emotional and viral moments on The Late Show during its final season. Emma Stone and Colbert had a moment when they discussed their next interview, then realized it wasn’t in the cards. Taylor Swift had trouble answering a Colbert question, and Colbert broke our hearts when he joked there wasn’t much time left. In short, there were a lot of moments similar to Midler’s in the final months.
This Isn’t Colbert’s First Rodeo With A Snow Globe
Stephen Colbert actually has a long history with snow globes. He’s a fan of St. Elsewhere, a TV series that really doesn't get talked about enough, and a show that uses a snow globe famously as a device to hint the entire story over six seasons may have actually just been something made up in the mind of one boy. That show ended in 1988. Several decades later, Stephen Colbert was the host of The Colbert Report. It was ending its famous run on Comedy Central, and he decided to nod to the series.
Similarly to The Late Show ending, Colbert was given time to wrap up, and he also gave out 200 snow globes to friends and crew on the show. For The Colbert Report, those snow globes featured The Colbert Report set.
Not only are snow globes beautiful and unique keepsakes, the implication that working together as a team on a show of such scale as The Colbert Report – and even more so The Late Show – is a beautiful dream is a take that will stick with me for a long time. It’s almost as lovely as the note Colbert’s wife posted that she found taped to his desk as they cleared it out. It read, “loyalty, respect, trust, honesty and love.’ It’s still very sad CBS cancelled The Late Show, but what a classy way to go out.
