tim daly. lauren cohan. and musical guest, sleigh bells. featuring jon batiste and stay human. and now, live on tape from the ed sullivan theater in new york city, it's stephen colbert! >> stephen: hey! what's going on? hey, everybody! ( cheers and applause ) >> stephen: hey! what's going on? >> jon: i had to get it. i had to get it! >> stephen, stephen, stephen stephen! >> stephen: what's going on? what's up? stephen! stephen! ? ? ? ( cheers ) >> stephen: that's awfully nice. thanks, everybody. that's lovely. wooo! ( cheers ) >> stephen: please, everybody, thank you so much. welcome to "the late show." so glad you're here. i'm your host, stephen colbert. it's lovely to be back. we haven't seen you guys for a week. i hope you guys-- everybody have a good thanksgiving? ( cheers and applause ) i did, too. i had a fantastic-- jon, you were there. >> jon: yeah. >> stephen: here's something i discovered this thanksgiving. i discovered if you bury your face in the pecan pie, it absorbs your screams. and best part is, after you-- it's true-- after you put your face in it, you get to h

all right, go to the >> stephen: please welcome tim daly. ( cheers and applause ) ? ? ? >> they're very kind. they're very nice. >> stephen: the audience is very nice. nice to see you again. >> great to be seen. >> stephen: how were your holidays so far? how was thanksgiving? >> you know, thanksgiving is great. i like the actual holiday of thanksgiving, because involves, you know, food and drink and stuff like that. but i have to say, you know, you never thought in my lifetime they would watch the news and have black friday be a story. like, why do i have to know? why do i have to turn on the news and have a newscaster say, "americans spent more this black friday than in any time in history." >> stephen: well, everyone loves a good trampling. >> i guess that's right. >> stephen: it's america's running of the bulls. ( laughter ). >> seriously-- gr you don't engage in the black friday? for the wide-screen tv? >> i don't, but i am susceptible to-- i no longer say, "merry christmas, happy hanukkah or happy holidays." i say, "merry retail shopping season." that's what it is.

>> stephen: we'll be right back with tim daly. ? ? ? ? ? hi. how can i help? ? ? ? i'm making a peppermint mocha for melissa. she's one of my favorites, and she comes in every day. she calls me to do her drinks. and she loves getting drinks from me... ...and i love making 'em for her. she gets so excited; it makes her really happy which makes me really happy. melissa's going to be so ecstatic when she gets this drink. this is going to make her day. when cold and flu hold you back try theraflu expressmax, now in new caplets. it's the only cold & flu caplet that has a maximum strength formula with a unique warming sensation you instantly feel. theraflu. for a powerful comeback. ? (laughs..) here it is. ? ? hey dad! ? wishes do come true. the lincoln wish list sales event is on. get exceptional offers on the lincoln family of luxury vehicles. sign and drive off in a new 2017 lincoln mkc with zero down ? ? ? ( cheers and applause ) >> stephen: fantastic. hey, welcome back, everybody. folks, my first guest tonight is a talented actor who stars in the hit cbs drama "madam

they forgot. >> joining me now is tim daly.coming on. >> thanks for having me, chris. >> i wonder what it was like shooting your latest episodes during november, as in realtime, and it was realtime for you as well-being an american to shoot scenes from a dramatic series about a secretary of state as a woman, a smart woman, and at the same time maybe model it after hillary at the time the campaign came down to a conclusion which we never expected. >> well, it was, you know, very interesting, for a lot of people very difficult. i think it was no secret i was a supporter of hillary. and i hillary and i worked for her. little did we know when we were making this political show that our actual political situation in this country would be more dramatic and maybe more farfetched than anything we do on tv. >> that's the truth. i'm wondering. this is still concerning to me, because i still get up in the morning and i go, clinton lost. i don't know -- whether that's more powerful in my head or trump won is still powerful in my head. i ha