Summary of "Late Show Home Shopping: Canceled Clearance Sale! with John Oliver"

What happens

Stephen Colbert turns a late-night eviction into a comedy charity auction. Facing the prospect of leaving the Ed Sullivan Theater, he stages a “Late Show Home Shopping: Canceled Clearance Sale” to sell off show items and donate the proceeds to World Central Kitchen. The audience is hyped, the band (Loose T) plays, and John Oliver guests as co-host, gleefully helping sell questionable memorabilia.

“If we don’t sell this stuff for charity, the network will ‘sell everything for pennies on the dollar and use the cash to buy Warner Brothers.’”

Highlights, jokes and standout moments

The premise

Stephen frames the bit as a mock home-shopping clearance to avoid the network selling everything. The show leans into cheesy sales patter and ridiculous price pitches while repeatedly reminding viewers that all proceeds go to World Central Kitchen.

John Oliver

John plays along throughout, joking about being forced into an outfit and cheerfully abandoning credibility to hawk merch.

Item-by-item comedy

Colbear Report script
- Stephen offers his actual script from the final Colbear Report episode, reportedly signed by Randy Newman. He jests that the actual Late Show finale script isn’t written yet (“Welcome to the Late Show” plus some untelevised words). John deadpans absurd values (e.g., “50,000 quid”) while the auction opens at $30.
The guest chair
- Described as the chair where celebrities sat “while he pretended to listen.” Stephen jokes it has “seen the ass of a thousand celebrities,” claims it narrowly beat Pete Davidson, hides a $100 bill in the cushions, and starts bidding at $98 — “there is a chance you could make two bucks.”
Big furry hat
- The show’s iconic “Big Furry Hat” is auctioned. John absurdly values it at “$43 million”; Stephen starts bidding at $100 and ups the silliness with a signed headshot inscribed by Paul Giamatti: “I’ve been playing John Oliver this whole time.”
Props-closet sprint
- The grand, chaotic prize: 60 seconds to raid the show’s prop closet. Items include a wrestling dummy that “kind of looks like Mike Pence,” disembodied arms, a briefcase with prop money, wigs, etc. The frenzied dash may be shown on air for physical, visual payoff.

Repeated bits and audience reactions

Stephen riffs on a goofy auction website URL and teases CBS about hiring him between bits.
He repeatedly reminds viewers the proceeds go to World Central Kitchen, giving the sketch a sincere purpose.
The audience responds with frequent cheering, laughter, and applause; both hosts milk the crowd for energy.

Why it stands out

Playful and self-aware: mixes a genuine fundraiser with absurdist late-night humor and mock-home-shopping patter.
Strong visual payoff: the props-closet sprint provides chaotic physical comedy after the verbal bits.
Celebrity-name gags and meta-jokes: mentions of Randy Newman and Paul Giamatti, jokes about scripts and networks, and intentionally ridiculous valuations keep the tone gleefully ridiculous.
The charity angle (World Central Kitchen) gives the silliness a real-world, sincere purpose.