HBO's annual autism benefit show "Night of Too Many Stars" got off to a bit of a rough start thanks to the presence of buzzers. Jon Stewart was trying to set the show up with a fun and topical monologue when he got a big red X behind him on the screen, like he was failing on NBC's "America's Got Talent."
But it wasn't Howie Mandel behind the mean button. It was none other than his former correspondent and Comedy Central late-night cohort, Stephen Colbert.
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View StoryThe "Late Show" host took to the stage with some choice words about what a terrible job Stewart was doing so far. "This isn't 2015 anymore, Jon," Colbert scolded his former boss. "You can't just toss off divisive jokes like that Peurto Rico slam," referring to Stewart's crack that some people might not know Puerto Rico was part of the U.S.
It didn't even end there, though, as the late-night wars got even more intense when HBO's own poster-child submitted a second buzz. And because it's HBO, they were apparently able to push John Oliver's "Last Week Tonight" desk all the way from his sound-stage to this one, with him along for the ride.
Oliver couldn't even keep a straight face as he slammed Colbert, telling him through giggles, "You're doing more or less what I would expect for a man who serves up his nightly joke meatloaf to an audience full of unsuspecting tourists herded-in from Bubba Gump Times Square.
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View Story"Let me tell you what this evening needs," Oliver decreed. "What it needs is a 27-minute, exhaustively-researched, commercial-free, properly-enunciated truth bomb."
The three men were clearly having an absolute blast reuniting on the show (all three worked together on "The Daily Show" under Stewart's stewardship), laughing jovially even as Colbert got in jabs like, "Here we go Harry Potter and the Half-Hour Lecture."
A little later, another "Daily Show" alum, Samantha Bee ("Full Frontal"), joined in the fun via satellite in a pre-taped bit because she didn't have time for Stewart and the boys to "mansplain" everything to her anyway, and she got the best burns in because of it
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View StoryBut the most important question of the night was never satisfactorily answered: What about dragon rights and equality?
You can stream the entire broadcast right here: