Stephen Colbert exits ‘The Late Show’ with a mix of defiance and celebration

Colbert has approached the last weeks of his show on his own terms, with A-list guests like Tom Hanks, David Letterman and David Byrne — but the guests for tonight’s finale remain a mystery.

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TERRY GROSS, HOST:

This is FRESH AIR. “The Late Show With David Letterman” ran on CBS from 1993 until he retired in 2015. And after that, in the same Broadway space, now known as the Ed Sullivan Theater, it became “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.” Tonight, after 11 years at