David Letterman made his final appearance on The Late Show to bid his hosting successor, Stephen Colbert, and the beloved franchise a farewell. At the end of Thursday’s episode, Letterman, 79 — who originated CBS’s long-running late night talk show in 1993 before handing over the reins in 2015 — thanked Colbert for “everything you’ve done for the country.” Asked if he had any parting words to share with the audience, Letterman said: “Well, not necessarily to the audience, but to the folks at CBS — in the words of the great Ed Murrow, good night and good luck, motherf***ers!” The last-ever episode of The Late Show will air next Thursday, May 21, nearly a year after the network announced it was axing the franchise altogether, citing a “financial decision.” The sudden cancellation came days after Colbert criticized CBS’s parent company , Paramount, for reaching a $16 million settlement with President Donald Trump over accusations that its newsmagazine series 60 Minutes deceptively edited a 2024 interview with…