During the very cheeky series finale of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Stephen Colbert discussed a news story about Lee Mendelson Film Prods., the company that owns the rights to Vince Guaraldi’s Peanuts music, going after unauthorized uses of classic compositions like “Linus and Lucy.” Following the news story, house band Louis Cato and the Great Big Joy Machine performed “Linus and Lucy,” leading Colbert to say, “Oh no! I hope this doesn’t cost CBS any money!”
Turns out, it did. Variety reports that the network has since paid Lee Mendelson Film Prods. an undisclosed amount of money for the music’s inclusion in the episode. However, Lee Mendelson Film Prods. is donating the licensing fee to World Central Kitchen, the non-profit organization created by Chef José Andrés (which already received a $2.5 million donation from The Late Show during the series’ penultimate episode).
