AceShowbiz - Stephen Colbert is preparing for the final episode of the Late Show on CBS, scheduled for May 21. In the lead-up to this farewell, the show is set to host a remarkable lineup of late night television’s most prominent figures next week.

One of the highlights will be the return of David Letterman, who originally launched the program in 1993 and passed the hosting duties to Stephen Colbert in 2015. Letterman is expected to appear on the Thursday, May 14 episode, marking a rare appearance since his departure. Earlier this week, Letterman expressed frustration with CBS executives over the show's cancellation, referring to them as "lying weasels."

The week begins on Monday, May 11, with a special reunion of the “Strike Force Five,” the group of active late night hosts who collaborated on a podcast to support striking writers in 2023. This episode will feature Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver. Notably, Kimmel will already be in New York for Disney’s upfront presentation the following day, Tuesday, May 12.

Additional guests include familiar faces such as Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tom Hanks, both longtime favorites on the Late Show. Former President Barack Obama, who recently appeared on the show, will also participate in an upcoming edition of “The Colbert Questionert” on Wednesday.

In a recent interview featured on the cover of The Hollywood Reporter's New York issue, Stephen Colbert shared insights about the cancellation and the support he received from fellow hosts. He revealed that after learning the show was ending, the only people he spoke to for days were other late night hosts. Among the messages he received, Jimmy Kimmel jokingly called it “a hell of an Emmy campaign,” while Jon Stewart expressed surprise with a text reading, “Whaaaaat?”

“When I got canceled, the only other people I spoke to for days were those guys,” Colbert said. He described closing his phone after the exchanges and handing it to his wife, Evie, hoping to avoid further messages for a few days.

In addition to these planned appearances, Colbert took part in a video answering questions from both current and former late night hosts, including Jay Leno. This marks a significant moment as CBS’s decision to cancel the Late Show last summer came as a surprise to many viewers and industry insiders alike.

With this star-studded farewell week, Stephen Colbert and CBS are honoring the long legacy of the Late Show by bringing together the iconic voices that have defined late night television over the years.