David Letterman makes a triumphant return to ‘Late Show’

Scott Kowalczyk/CBS

After more than eight years since signing on as host of Late ShowDavid Letterman’s return to the Ed Sullivan Theater was welcomed with a standing ovation on Monday.

“Ladies and gentlemen, my guest tonight certainly needs no introduction,” his successor Stephen Colbert announced before the audience began chanting “David.” Letterman smiled as the crowd got louder, and asked sarcastically, “Is there going to be a problem?”

Elsewhere in the interview, Colbert commented on Letterman’s remark that late-night sitting is “a weird job that a lot of people don’t understand.” He continued: “I’m lucky enough that my friend Jon Stewart is talking about this strange job with my friends at Fifth Strike Force… Was there anyone for you, when you were in the chair, that you could do that with? Someone you can call and talk about. Can you call Johnny? [Carson]?

Letterman responded that although he had “great respect for those guys,” he was “an orphan in the talk show world.” While his answer elicited a unanimous sound of sympathy from the audience, the former host interrupted: “Well, I don’t appreciate the sarcasm.”

To conclude the evening, The National gave a stunning rendition of “Space Invader” to welcome back the legend of the night. Before the band’s performance, Letterman told Colbert that this was “the second time in my life that this has happened here tonight” — a reference to the Foo Fighters’ historic appearance on the show’s final episode. Late show. “So I will love those two groups forever,” Letterman said.

While Letterman had previously appeared on late night television since his departure Late Show – He’s a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live And Late Night with Seth MeyersBeside finale episode to The Late Show with James Corden Earlier this year – Monday’s episode marked his first time returning to the show he launched on CBS in 1993.