"The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" returns with a full studio audience for the first time in over a year

For nearly 15 months, Stephen Colbert has been remotely filming "The Late Show" from "the converted storage room eight floors" up. He's produced 211 episodes remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. But now he's back on his old stage.  

Colbert's hit late night show on CBS returned Monday with an audience of over 400 people in the Ed Sullivan Theater. Audience members had to provide proof of full vaccination to attend, but masks were optional once inside. As the show began, the audience chanted "Ste-phen! Ste-phen!" as Colbert hugged bandleader and musical director Jon Batiste. The standing ovation lasted over a minute.  Former "Daily Show" host and friend of Colbert's Jon Stewart made a guest appearance. "This human contact — now you know I don't care for it," Stewart joked, adding, "You and Dave Chappelle, I believe, sustained me during this period." Comedian Dana Carvey also joined the fun with an impersonation of President Biden.