David Letterman and Stephen Colbert Get Their Revenge on CBS in Scathing Monologue

Late-night icon David Letterman shouted, "Good night and good luck, motherf------!" during a defiant rooftop segment with Stephen Colbert.

The viral moment occurred on the Thursday, May 14, broadcast of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, which ran for 11 seasons and approximately 1,800 episodes. It officially ends on Thursday, May 21.

Letterman joined Colbert on the roof of the Ed Sullivan Theater for a segment billed as "the wanton destruction of CBS property."

The two late-night hosts took turns hurling items, including chairs and cake, off the roof onto a giant CBS logo painted below.

Before dropping the final prop, Letterman paid homage to legendary CBS journalist Edward R. Murrow, twisting his famous catchphrase into a direct, explicit jab at the network.

Letterman’s appearance marked his final appearance on the series he started in 1993.

Letterman’s run on CBS's The Late Show lasted for 22 years (1993 to 2015).

"I have every right to be p----- off, so I'll be p----- off here a little bit," Letterman said. "You folks wouldn't be at this theater if it weren’t for me, and Stephen wouldn’t be here if it weren't for me. We built this theater, and then Stephen came in here and, look at this, it’s like the Bellagio. But, as we all understand, you can take a man's show, you can't take a man’s voice, so that's the good news."

The late-night icon expressed serious concern for the future of television hosts and comedians in the wake of recent authoritarian crackdowns on freedom of speech.

"You know what I'm really worried about? What I'm really worried about is what will become of the Jimmys. Are they going to be all right?" he asked, nodding to late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, who is currently engaged in a heated feud with President Donald Trump.

Colbert hilariously reassured him they will be fine, saying, “We've got a plan to put them in a captive breeding program."

The segment follows a string of blistering public remarks from Letterman regarding CBS’ decision to cancel The Late Show franchise ahead of its upcoming May 21 finale.

In a recent New York Times interview, Letterman openly called CBS executives "lying weasels,” rejecting his former employer’s claims that the Colbert cancelation was "unequivocally a financial decision.”

Letterman contends that Colbert was "dumped" to appease Skydance Media and David Ellison ahead of their corporate merger, ensuring Colbert's sharp political commentary would not interfere with regulatory approvals or the administration.

Colbert, who is going on to co-write a new installment in the Lord of the Rings film series, said, “I think we're the first number one show to ever get canceled."