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The following is a list of sketches which debuted on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS.[1]
Recurring sketches with guests
Big Questions with Even Bigger Stars
Colbert and a guest sit under the stars and have absurd conversations about topics. Such conversations include killing baby Hitler, what Santa does the rest of the year, and whether they would rather have feet for hands or hands for feet.
Guests Performed with
- Scarlett Johansson (September 9, 2015)
- Tom Hanks (September 30, 2015)
- Bryan Cranston (November 6, 2015)
- Jennifer Lawrence (December 14, 2015)
- Will Smith (August 2, 2016)
- Kermit the Frog (February 1, 2016)
- Samuel L. Jackson (June 29, 2016)
- Mel Gibson (November 1, 2016)
- Ryan Reynolds (March 21, 2017)
- Brad Pitt (May 16, 2017)
- Nicole Kidman (November 1, 2017)
- Justin Timberlake (November 29. 2017)
- Benedict Cumberbatch (May 18, 2018)
- Matthew McConaughey (January 23, 2019)
The Colbert Questionert
The Questionert (pronounced "questionnaire") is a series of 15 questions designed to get to know celebrities. They include "What is your least favorite smell?", "What number am I (Colbert) thinking of?", and "Describe the rest of your life in five words". Many of these are pre-recorded and aired on special Friday episodes.
Guests Performed with
- Tom Hanks (January 2021)
- Meryl Streep (January 2021)
- George Clooney (January 2021)
- Tiffany Haddish (February 2021)
- Billy Crystal (March 2021)
- John Oliver (April 2021)
- Jane Fonda (April 2021)
- Ringo Starr (April 2021)
- John Krasinski (May 2021)
- Seth Rogen (June 2021)
- Neil deGrasse Tyson (September 2021)
- Jon Stewart (September 2021)
- Bruce Springsteen (October 2021)
- Jeff Goldblum (November 2021)
- Sting (November 2021)
- Jennifer Lawrence (December 2021)
- Keanu Reeves (December 2021)
- Bradley Cooper (January 2022)
- Martha Stewart (February 2022)
- Sandra Bullock (March 2022)
- Daniel Craig (May 2022)
- Josh Brolin (May 2022)
- Shaquille O'Neal (May 2022)
- Jon Batiste (June 2022)
- Cate Blanchett (November 2022)
Colbert and a guest host a community calendar of events in the guest's hometown. Based from Colbert's special appearance at Only in Monroe, a local public access program in Monroe, Michigan, with Eminem as his guest.
Guests Performed with
- Jeff Daniels—Chelsea, Michigan (March 11, 2016)
- Nick Offerman—Minooka, Illinois (April 4, 2016)
- Aaron Paul—McCall, Idaho (June 17, 2016)
- Adam Driver—Mishawaka, Indiana (January 5, 2017)
- John Oliver—Bedford of Bedfordshire, England (February 7, 2017)
- James Marsden—Stillwater, Oklahoma (April 20, 2018)
- Melissa McCarthy—Plainfield, Illinois (May 11, 2018)
- Aubrey Plaza—Wilmington, Delaware (June 14, 2019)
- Ty Burrell—Grants Pass, Oregon (March 6, 2020)
- John Mulaney—The Internet (May 1, 2020)
Family Meeting
Colbert and his lead guest hold a family meeting in character as the concerned "parents" of the US.
Guests Performed with
- William H. Macy (November 19, 2016)
- Joe Biden (December 7, 2016)
- Leslie Mann (January 31, 2017)
- Nick Kroll (September 28, 2017)
- Tom Hanks (June 16, 2022)
- Michelle Obama (November 14, 2022)
Personal Space
Colbert and a guest talk in Colbert's "personal space"—a cardboard box, labeled "Personal Space," just big enough for their heads and the camera.[23]
Guests Performed with
- Tom Hanks (December 12, 2017)
- John Oliver (February 10, 2018)
- Seth Rogen (June 22, 2018)
- Steve Carell (February 3, 2019)
- Conan O'Brien (May 24, 2019)
- Ricky Gervais (July 27, 2019)
Rescue Dog Rescue
Colbert and his lead guest try to help find homes for dogs up for adoption by making up stories about them (such as claiming one dog knows the lyrics to the Frozen song "Let It Go", but will not sing them).
Guests Performed with
- Aubrey Plaza (February 2017)
- Bryan Cranston (March 2017)
- Jim Parsons (May 2017)
- Ellie Kemper (August 2017)
- Billy Eichner (October 2017)
- Nick Jonas (December 2017)
- Whoopi Goldberg (2018)
- Emilia Clarke (April 2019)
- Tom Holland (June 2019)
- Jason Sudeikis (August 2021)
- John Oliver (February 2022)
Source:[24]
Just One Question
Members of Colbert's staff each ask one question to a celebrity.