In this special episode of The Late Show, Stephen Colbert introduces a unique look back at his nearly 11-year run by showcasing "the best of the worst"—segments and bits that were created but never aired. He highlights that rather than doing a traditional "best of" clip show, he wanted to share the material that didn't make the cut for a variety of reasons.
Key segments and behind-the-scenes stories shared include:
- The 2016 Election Mishap (2:16-3:44): Colbert recounts a live Showtime special where they had prepared segments featuring male models with "I'm with her" painted on their backs. When the election results shifted, the production team, led by co-executive producer Matt Lapton, had to frantically scramble to modify the bits.
- The "Erotic Body Gravy" Sketch (3:49-5:12): A bizarre Thanksgiving sketch from 2023 that was ultimately cut for being too close to "softcore gravy porn." Colbert also notes he was in immense physical pain during the rehearsal of this sketch because he was suffering from a burst appendix.
- Roller Coaster Interviews (5:14-6:22): A look back at a 2015 segment where Colbert interviewed wonky guests, such as economist Paul Krugman and constitutional scholar Zephyr Teachout, on the Nitro roller coaster at Six Flags Great America.
