There’s been an ongoing chorus over the last several months after CBS announced it had canceled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert that the move was made for political reasons. Things came to a head to the point where the man himself commented on whether or not politics were involved, noting his “side of the street" was "clean.” This obviously didn’t quiet the noise. Now, one longtime reporter shares his take on what he really thinks is happening.

But First, Some CBS And Trump Administration Backstory

Critics of the administration have alleged two things in relation to the cancelation of The Late Show. The first is the way CBS settled a lawsuit for $16 million involving Kamala Harris that paved the way for the Paramount/Skydance merger. Colbert criticized the move on his show, and it was canceled shortly thereafter. Secondly, Trump has made his dislike for late night no secret. Jimmy Kimmel has taken flak. Seth Meyers has taken flak. And Trump even shared an AI video of himself kicking Colbert into a big green dumpster.

This video is still up and available for public consumption on the X(Twitter) profile of the President of the United States.

At the time of this writing, the video has been viewed 100.8 million times.

It Was This Video That Prompted One Late Night Reporter To Speak Out

It was this viral moment that one longtime late night reporter feels is evidence Trump was involved in the ousting of Stephen Colbert at CBS. During a segment on MSN, NYT reporter Bill Carter opened up about the video and why he feels it is “not a good development for the country.”

He went on to talk about CBS as a network in general, noting he feels the network should never have capitulated when it came to the aforementioned interview with Kamala Harris, which the Trump administration had alleged deceptive editing over. A lawsuit ensued, and while CBS issued no apology, Paramount agreed to pay $16 million to settle. The money will allegedly go toward Trump's Presidential Library.

Colbert had commented on this suit on the air, and he said later he was told via phone call he'd been axed. He'd been taking a nap before his show hit the airwaves when the call came in from his agent with the news. CBS CEO George Cheeks only called him later.

Meanwhile, CBS has increasingly taken flak for the way 60 Minutes and other news programming has been handled under Bari Weiss. Scott Pelley has specifically been vocal about "political bias" and the newcomer changing the integrity of the news at the network. Former CBS News Senior Vice President Betsy West went so far as to claim, "Everything she's touched has turned to shit."Amidst firings, Anderson Cooper also stepped down. (Though that was allegedly for personal reasons.)

The Late Show has now ended, but CBS is still in the news and not just producing the news on a regular basis. We'll keep you posted as the summer wears on.

There’s been a lot of hoopla surrounding the end of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, whose cancellation was announced last July, nearly a year before the host was sent moshing into the night last month following his final episode. Unfortunately, that’s not the only big talk show cancellation hitting the 2026 TV calendar, and while we’ve been paying so much attention to Stephen Colbert and the CBS of it all, The Kelly Clarkson Show has seemingly already taped its final episode.

Unlike The Late Show, which aired the same day it taped, The Kelly Clarkson Show records its episodes months in advance, so we’ve still got a while before we actually get to see the final episode on TV. Still, June 11 was reportedly the final day of physical production, as revealed by producer Bryce Mcleay, who posted a lengthy and emotional message on Instagram to commemorate the end, writing in part:

There was some confusion about when the final tape day was, as fans tried to get tickets to be in one of Kelly Clarkson’s final studio audiences. According to a discussion on Reddit, it appears the final episode with its host was taped on June 5, and guest hosts continued to film The Kelly Clarkson Show’s final episodes until June 11 (I'm assuming those guest-led episodes will still air before Clarkson's finale, despite being taped later).

According to fans and the ticket site 1iota, Joel McHale was scheduled for an interview on the morning of June 11, with Mario and Courtney Lopez serving as guest hosts for a taping that afternoon.

Other social media posts seemed to confirm that production on the popular daytime talk show ceased over a week ago, as stage manager Brendan Higgins reflected on how “badass” it’s been to be a part of The Kelly Clarkson Show. Longtime contributors Emily Kaufman (aka The Travel Mom) and lifestyle expert Lawrence Zarian also seem to have made their final appearances, each posting their own memories.

The Kelly Clarkson Show is coming to an end after seven seasons and multiple Daytime Emmy Awards. Kelly Clarkson announced the news about a year after the host missed several tapings without explanation and rumors that she wanted to leave TV. Her absences were explained in August 2025, when her ex-husband Brandon Blackstock died after a long, private battle with cancer.

However, the rumors about Kelly Clarkson wanting to end the show persisted, and sure enough, the host confirmed that she had to step away from the talk show’s grueling schedule in order to be there for her two young kids who had just lost their father.

The Kelly Clarkson Show’s final tape day may have passed us by, but the big emotional goodbyes are yet to come when the finale airs later this year, likely in September, though no official date has yet been announced. Until then, check your local listings to see when the final season’s episodes air in your area.

There have been a lot of stories that have come out over the last several months about The Late Show after CBS decided to cancel it. One of those stories was from Colbert himself, who joked he and the crew were “fired” the second the series ended, and had to go clean out their desks ASAP. The flippant comment was actually only half comedy. He and his wife Evie did go to his New York office to clean house the following week, and it was there she encountered a scrap of paper he’d kept taped to his desk for “21 years.”

So, what's up with that? Apparently, the funnyman kept a note on hand through his years of TV work to try and always remember who he was as a person and what he stood for. It was his wife who revealed the "scrap" of paper she'd encountered while helping her husband clear out his office in the week after he said his final goodbyes on the 2026 TV schedule. She said (via THR):

But wait, Stephen Colbert only hosted The Late Show for 11 years, right? From what she’s saying, I think he actually may have had that piece of paper with him on The Colbert Report, then transitioned it to his desk when he came over from Comedy Central to CBS. The sentiment is strong, and kind of what I’d expect from the late night host, but the five words really stick out when you read them separately.

• Loyalty
• Respect
• Trust
• Honesty
• Love

It's an admirable list, and one that's served the late night host well, both in his interactions on TV, where people clearly showed up to pay tribute in the last months the show was on air, but also in his marriage with Evie. The couple wed in 1993, well over 30 years ago at this point, and they’ve weathered plenty of career changes over the years. He's often said he knew immediately Evie was the right fit.

After his retirement, she also stepped back from her position as President of the Montclair Film Festival, and Evie said she’ll be leaving behind a legacy there that also hit on the tenets that have been so precious to her famous husband.

It's been a whirlwind few weeks for the late night host and his family as he left his longtime show, went to his brother's wedding, cleared out his office, and celebrated his wife's retirement. Now, hopefully it's time for a well-deserved break. And maybe a little more work on that post-retirement LOTR movie.

I’ve been writing a lot about late night in recent months, what with Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Meyers earning Trump’s ire and The Late Show getting unceremoniously canceled by CBS. However, one thing that came up when I was contemplating Stephen Colbert’s newly open schedule recently had to do with what the hours on late night TV actually entail. Thankfully, Seth Meyers has answered that question for us.

My query started because I wondered what Colbert was doing during his final days on set. Anyone who pays attention to the late night scene should already know that shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live! are a bit of a misnomer. Late night shows are taped, not live, and while they have backgrounds that give the feeling it is evening, they are worked on and taped hours earlier than they appear on our TVs. It’s a bit of bts magic that helps set the scene.

So we know the two Jimmys, Colbert, Seth Meyers and other hosts across the years work during the day, but they don’t always observe 9-5 hours. In fact, Meyers actually illuminated his late night schedule for viewers once, and it does sound like a bit of a grind, albeit a well-paying one.

Running Down How Late Night's Team Works Each Episode

At 8:30 a.m., Seth Meyers shows up at his office to start the day. That’s not as early as some, but it’s certainly a bit earlier than his former SNL cast members are waltzing into 30 Rock for their 9 a.m. pitch meetings on Mondays. By 11 scripts have been cemented and Meyers’ staff heads into his office for walk throughs on certain bits; in the Washington Post rundown of this timeline, they were working on a “Jokes Seth Can’t Tell” segment.

They keep rolling through noon and 2 p.m., and then finally the late night hosts steps up onto the stage for a quick run through with the test audience. The run through at Rockefeller Plaza commences at 4:15 p.m. Jokes are tried out, new jokes are sometimes written on the fly, and Meyers’ team takes a gauge of the temperature of the room after he runs through this initial version of his monologue.

By 5 p.m. the official cue cards are put together for Late Night. Seth Meyers employs Wally Feresten and his cue card team to help out with the show. Wally’s been doing SNL for 27 years and has the whole cue card thing down to a science. If you are wondering why Meyers is still using cue cards, there is a reason.

One big pro, though, to doing Meyers’ show is that SNL really is live. It’s gonna stop and start whether or not the cards are ready or need to be changed on the fly. Late Night’s a little looser and can stop and go, per Feresten.

It’s 6:15 when curtain call happens and the former SNL star is greeting his guests. Taping ends around 7:30 p.m. (remember some adjustments are able to be made for changes or emergencies). Presumably it’s after that when Seth Meyers goes home.

Sometimes, however, that’s not true of his staff, who must respond to breaking news, and must change jokes and segments for the next day’s show on the fly. In the WP article, Meyers’ writers Sal Gentile and Amber Ruffin, for example, kept working after taping, one at home and one in the writer’s room at 30 Rock.

To be clear, these shows are producing at volume. They usually break for a bit in the summer, on holidays, and a few other times over the year, but on average the 2026 TV schedule had late night shows producing between 150-200 episodes a season over the course of around 40 out of 52 weeks. So, it's certainly a long schedule, there's no question about it, and it's no wonder this was maybe not Colbert's "dream" job when he hesitantly said yes to it.

In the U.K., talk shows like The Graham Norton Show only air once a week. In the U.S., the Late Night writers are grinding it out like this five days a week, and they are responding to whatever is going on in the world in real time. It’s a lot, and while I can’t confirm Late Night with Seth Meyers operates in exactly the same way Stephen Colbert’s show did, the point is, it’s hard work for the large crew of individuals that bring us the tapings over and over again.

There’s been a considerable amount of excitement since the New York Knicks won the 2026 NBA Finals and brought home their first championship title since 1973. Not only have fans been expressing their elation, but celebrity fans as well. Timothée Chalamet has been living it up, and Jennifer Lopez has been pumped as well. Given all this positive energy around the Big Apple, I’m sad The Late Show isn’t still on so Stephen Colbert can get in on the fun. But, in the late-night realm, Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon have been holding it down with that.

Over a year ago, The Late Show was formally canceled by CBS, which cited financial reasons for pulling the plug on the series. The final episode aired on May 21, with Colbert officially signing off after 11 seasons. In hindsight, it's a somewhat cruel irony that the New York-based talk show would end shortly before the Knicks hoisted that Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. Considering Colbert’s own sports fandom and athletics-centric segments he’s had, I think he very well would’ve found a way to hype up the Knicks’ win.

I truly wish Colbert would’ve had the opportunity to honor the beloved Knickerbockers in his own unique way, but there’s definitely a silver lining in that his peers haven’t dropped the ball (no pun intended). Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon hyped up the Knicks throughout their playoff run and even attended games. Before the team’s series with the San Antonio Spurs ended, the topic even prompted Fallon to make some Trump jokes. More recently, though, Fallon welcomed the entire team to the show, and it was fantastic:

Seeing so many audience members sporting Knicks gear is great, but the icing on the cake is the presence of filmmaker Spike Lee, a New York native who’s long rooted for the NBA team. Fallon and co. choosing to invite the whole team and coach Mike Brown instead of just a handful of players is also particularly admirable. Even as a Boston Celtics fan, I can more than admit these guys all deserve their time in the sun, and they’ve certainly been getting it.

With that thought in mind, Jimmy Kimmel Live!’s titular host celebrated the Knicks’ victory and poked fun at some of the chaos that ensued in N.Y. after it happened. Kimmel, who lived in Brooklyn as a kid, shared footage of people in the city getting a bit overzealous with public property. Not only that, but the quippy host also shared a video from a tourist, whose first day in the United States coincided with the Game 5 win. Check it all out in the Instagram post:

I’d expect nothing less from Kimmel, who’s known for having a twisted sense of humor. Overall, though, his comments and Fallon’s big to-do represent the unique ways in which talk show hosts can get in on the fun that coincides with a professional sports team winning a championship. So, given all that, it’s hard not to consider what kind of fun segments Colbert and his since-moved-out staff would’ve come up with.

Since The Late Show’s cancellation, the late-night landscape has changed, and that’s benefitted the Jimmys in a way. Both of their respective shows have seen gains when it comes to ratings, which seemingly indicates that viewers have been gravitating towards other talk shows in recent weeks. I could imagine that being bittersweet for Kimmel and Fallon, though, considering they’re both friendly with Colbert and were classy with him up through the end of his show.

There’s a firm chance we’ll never know how Stephen Colbert and co. would’ve commemorated the New York Knicks’ championship run. At present, though, let’s just appreciate that there are still some talk show personalities who are still in the position to celebrate this piece of sports history that now marks the 2026 TV schedule.

Stephen Colbert had a big week after The Late Show ended. There was some late night moshing, then his brother got married, and then he had to get back to New York to clear out the office because CBS wasn’t playing when it came to the cast and crew getting out. We know he already has some work lined up thanks to his LOTR movie with his kid and Peter Jackson, but in general, he’s not working 9-5 (or more like 8-6:30) days anymore. As it turns out, though, he’s not the only person taking a step back now his late night gig is over.

News broke this week that Colbert’s better half Evelyn ‘Evie’ Colbert is also having a big goodbye month. She stepped down from her longtime role with Montclair Film, an organization responsible for putting on the Montclair Film Festival each year. She’d served as President of the nonprofit group, which she’d helped to establish back in 2011.

Colbert has not mentioned whether she stepped down as a direct result of her husband’s changing role on the Late Night scene. However, the timing feels like it can’t be coincidental. The Late Show’s last episode hit the 2026 TV schedule on May 21st. The family then had that wedding trip planned, and now his wife is also taking a step back, though she will reportedly continue to be involved as a member, just not a leader of the organization.

Stephen Colbert was on-hand at the event, and the family went out afterward to Joe's Pub to celebrate, but the best part of the evening maybe was what the intrepid interviewer had to say about his wife of 32 years (Via Usa Today). (Also, I hope you have a tissue handy.)

He went on to say her parents would be "looking down" on her and would be "so proud." I should have known Colbert would have lovely words for his wife given the way he often has spoken about her in public, but that was such a touching speech to go out on.

I can’t even imagine the whirlwind the last few weeks have been like for this couple. It’s been go-go-go, but all signs indicate that as the summer progresses it will be slow-slow-slow. It’s sort of hard to believe, but Stephen Colbert and his wife at 62-years-old at this point, and there’s a lot the world can offer outside of work obligations. I hope semi-retirement treats them very well.

Jimmy Kimmel would never say The Late Show’s cancellation by CBS was a good thing — quite the opposite, actually, as he has been outspoken in support of Stephen Colbert and proclaimed late-night is “being poisoned” — but the numbers don’t lie. Both Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC and Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show on NBC have seen their ratings increase since Colbert took his final bow. The Eye Network’s ratings battle with its fellow broadcasting giants doesn’t end there, though, with CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil seeing some interesting trends in the latest numbers.

This year has been quite a tumultuous one for CBS so far under new leadership, from the cancellation of two scripted series to a daytime staffing shakeup and the recent firings from 60 Minutes’ staff. So it was probably something of a relief to see some upward trends in the ratings. Tony Dokoupil’s CBS Evening News finished the week of June 1 with 3.8 million total viewers — 560,000 in the coveted 25-54 demographic, according to AdWeek (via TV Insider). That’s an increase over the previous week of 1 percent in total viewers and 14 percent in the demo.

That’s good news, to be sure, for CBS, but there’s a catch — CBS Evening News still fell in a distant third place behind its competition, with ABC’s World News Tonight, hosted by David Muir, taking the top spot. Here’s how last week's numbers broke down:

Compared to a week earlier, ABC was down 2 percent in total viewers but increased in the demo by 1 percent, while NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas closed the gap with ABC by increasing 6 percent in overall viewership, 12 percent in the demo.

Year-over-year numbers showed CBS’ evening news program falling 2 percent overall but increasing 8 percent in the demo, while ABC and NBC saw larger gains from 2025 — World News Tonight is up 9 percent overall, 7 percent in the demo, and Nightly News is up 16 percent in both total viewers and the 25-54 demographic (where the majority of advertisements are targeted).

Ratings are particularly important for CBS News right now amidst all of its staffing changes and rumors surrounding new editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, but it’s not just the CBS evening program that’s keeping a close watch. The morning shows on ABC and NBC have been back and forth, with Good Morning America and The Today Show jockeying for the No. 1 spot. (CBS Mornings remains in a distant third place.)

Today has led more than not, due in part to the ratings boost it got in February in the days after Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother went missing. However, the morning show did not get the bump it expected when Guthrie returned to The Today Show in April, allowing Good Morning America to close the gap.

As for CBS Evening News, we’ll have to see if these latest numbers indicate an upward trend for Tony Dokoupil, after some backlash over the ouster of previous anchors John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois (Stephen Colbert showed his feelings about it with his middle finger).

You can catch the evening news program at 6:30 p.m. ET weeknights on CBS.

Stephen Colbert’s next chapter may still be taking shape, but his first order of business after wrapping The Late Show was apparently very simple: get on the dance floor and go absolutely feral in the most charming way possible. Honestly, this video of him moshing at his after-show will live rent-free in my mind.

ET shared a clip on Instagram from Colbert’s Late Show wrap party, showing the former CBS late-night host bouncing in the middle of the crowd at the after-party following his show's 2026 TV run. The video, credited on-screen to Gisela Margarita Pérez’s Instagram, features Colbert surrounded by partygoers as the room jumps along with him.

The video is labeled, “Stephen Colbert Dances the Night Away at His After-Party for ‘The Late Show,’” which is technically accurate but undersells the energy by about 40%. Colbert is fully in the center of the action, jumping up and down as the crowd moves around him like someone just opened a portal to late-night host spring break.

The videos from the party show Colbert dancing to House of Pain’s “Jump Around,” which makes sense because the man appeared to take the title as a direct instruction. The whole celebration followed Colbert’s final episode of The Late Show, closing out an 11-year run behind the desk. The party was reportedly held at Second, a New York event space, with a wonderfully on-the-nose “Fired & Festive!” dress code.

The guest list also sounds like someone shook a prestige TV snow globe. Reports and social posts from the night mentioned appearances from major CBS figures, former guests and entertainment heavyweights, including Gayle King, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jon Batiste, Anderson Cooper, Katie Couric, Drew Barrymore, Mark Hamill, Paul Rudd, John Oliver, Ewan McGregor and others. Sir Paul McCartney, who appeared on the final episode, was also part of the farewell orbit.

The thing that I’ll continue to think about long after the show has faded from my memory is Colbert himself looking delighted and maybe a little unleashed. For years, audiences watched him steer The Late Show through monologues, interviews, political storms and emotional moments with that familiar mix of sharpness and sincerity. Seeing him in the middle of a dance floor jumping like a madman gives the farewell a much warmer feeling.

There has been plenty of conversation about what Colbert will do next. He has talked about wanting to keep performing, and his future includes co-writing an upcoming Lord of the Rings movie. But before Middle-earth, scripts or whatever his next show might become, he got one very human victory lap with the people who helped make The Late Show what it was.

I'm not sure whether this qualifies as moshing in the strictest sense. Nobody appears to be launching themselves into a wall of elbows, and the vibe is more of a joyful wedding reception than a basement punk show. But spiritually, Colbert is absolutely moshing. Late-night moshing. Dad-at-the-center-of-the-dance-circle moshing. “The show is over, and I have earned this” moshing. Honestly, I support it.

The late night landscape is rapidly changing. Actually, if you were to ask Jimmy Kimmel, he’d say it’s “being poisoned” and he’s starting to feel “defeated” about his long-term prospects. However, while it was a sad day when Stephen Colbert officially said goodbye to The Late Show on the 2026 TV schedule, it’s actually been pretty good news for the Jimmys, AKA Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon.

In fact, Colbert’s axing has been good news for both late night hosts. The numbers for the first week of the 11:35 timeslot after The Late Show ended are finally in. Both Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon are up in the ratings, and for one of those shows, the increase has been pretty significant.

It looks like a lot of viewers who were still tuning in for The Late Show did shift to Jimmy Kimmel Live! this week. Ratings reports indicate ABC’s late night show last Monday nabbed 2.185 total viewers. That’s a 53% increase from the same show in the same time period a year ago. (It’s worth noting though that numbers for late night are down a bit during the summer and Kimmel’s show averaged 2.56 million total viewers in Q1 this year.)

More intriguingly, Kimmel also saw 295,000 viewers in the 18-49 advertising demo, which marked an increase of 178%, per TV Insider. That's a huge number, percentage-wise.

Fallon also saw an uptick in numbers during last Monday’s airing, hitting 1.3 million total viewers. That’s up 10% over the same time last year. At 194,000 he also saw a 14% increase in the advertising demo.

It honestly checks out that Kimmel’s numbers would have increased compared to Fallon’s. Kimmel has been critical of the administration and very political in a way Fallon has said he will never be on his show. While Stephen Colbert felt a bit more measured in his late night efforts, what Kimmel is bringing to the table is discourse in a way that Fallon’s fun celebrity games will never be. It makes sense if there is a natural shift to Kimmel after Colbert's exit.

What Is Good News For ABC And NBC Is Less So For CBS

Before the show ended, Stephen Colbert’s Late Night was comfortably beating the competition in the 11.35 slot, though Kimmel had been seeing gains over the last couple of years. Unfortunately, Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen is not carrying those numbers yet. The final episode of The Late Show landed 6.7 million total viewers – the highest numbers since Colbert was given the post Super Bowl slot way back in 2016.

Obviously, Comics Unleashed was not expected to hit those great heights. In fact, I don’t think anyone expected it would even bring in The Late Show’s Q1 2026 average, which was 2.7 million total viewers an episode earlier in the year. So, what did it bring in? Monday’s episode landed Byron Allen’s show 628,000 total viewers. That means the timeslot was down 65% in viewers.

Obviously, CBS had to know the numbers would drop after it switched formats, but as the network itself has told us, the powers that be don’t really care. Byron Allen’s show is actually paying the Eye Network for the timeslot, and has to fill its own ads. This gives Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen more control, while CBS no longer has a behemoth of a series to contend with.

Given The Late Show had a big staff and was a large production, in the end it was allegedly costing the network $40 million in losses a year. On the other hand, Allen taking care of business will net the network $15 million a year. CBS sees it as “a $55 million swing” when it comes to profit; Allen himself told CBS Mornings that number is more like $150 million all in.

Still, while I’m happy for the Jimmys and hope Allen and co. find a way to turn a profit, I do think it’s worth noting that for now it does seem like not all viewers are sticking with the late night scene in Colbert’s absence. Still, any numbers that are going upward and not downward when it comes to TV ratings is a huge win, and it's particularly a big deal given neither Live! nor The Tonight Show had to do anything to earn them.

By now, Stephen Colbert is off The Late Show and likely living large. I like to picture him sitting in plaid pajamas with a tea (yeah, he’s a tea guy) and maybe a real-life throwback newspaper, but I honestly have no idea if he’s even really been home yet given he was going straight to his brother’s wedding after the show wrapped on the 2026 TV schedule. One thing we did learn recently? Contrary to popular belief, The Lord of the Rings project actually came about before CBS decided to axe its late night series.

Yes, really. Colbert set the record straight in an interview as he was exiting the Eye Network. He told People a tidbit we did know about the project, which is that he’s writing it with his kid. However, he also mentioned this is something he’s actually been working on since Covid days.

That’s kind of good news, I think? If he and his kid have been tinkering with a script for something like five or six years, I’d hope it’s much further along than I would have guessed based on Peter Jackson’s March announcement. The only thing that is giving me a small amount of pause is that it’s a lot of years to be working on one script.

Of course, the man was doing this while working a full time, and very demanding job on network television. If you needed further evidence of how demanding said job is, he was taking a break with a literal “sock over” his eyes before the night in question's show when his agent broke the cancellation news. He’s so tired in the office he had to nap before filming? Maybe things worked out for the best.

Those who have watched Stephen Colbert in any capacity have known he’s a giant Lord of the Rings fan for years. I think he was super curious to talk to Ian McKellen about not having read the LOTR books when he appeared on his show back in February. (McKellen has told several very funny stories previously on this topic.) The two were able to have a spirited chat about him landing the role and his elvish tattoo and more.

It’s felt like a nice way to close one chapter and open another, and it’s still super cool that Colbert got the idea in the first place from SNL alum Bill Hader. Hader went to write for South Park after wrapping on SNL and spent a year honing his writing skills there. LOTR is already near and dear to Colbert’s heart, and I think it’s a great fit, but I’m even more pleased this is something that’s been in the works for a while.

Hopefully that means it’s closer to fruition than we think. Hopefully.

It’s become apparent that the late-night TV industry has seen some massive changes, and that point became even clearer when CBS canceled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Plenty of talk show hosts have weighed in since then, and the conversation continues in the aftermath of Colbert’s sign-off. Jimmy Kimmel has been particularly vocal about the state of the industry, and he’s acknowledged that a transition is occurring naturally. However, he’s also sharing why he believes the medium is “being poisoned” in a way.

The Late Show’s cancellation was announced in July 2025, at which point CBS’ execs claimed the decision was made due to financial considerations. However, some have theorized that the axe came down due to Colbert openly speaking out against the network’s 60 Minutes lawsuit settlement with U.S. President Trump (which was apparently standing in the way of parent company Paramount’s merger with Skydance). Regardless of the reason for the show being canceled, Kimmel admits to being hurt by it:

Kimmel – who was honored with a Peabody Award this past weekend – previously called out execs over the end of The Late Show. He’s been open about his belief that reports of Colbert’s show losing tens of millions of dollars are untrue. Kimmel has also discussed the elephant in the (green) room, which is the looming possibility of late-night TV drying up for good. However, he still tells Vulture that he thinks talk shows are finding success amid a sea of supposed statistical misinformation:

While illustrating his point, Kimmel references CBS’ decision to renew Colbert’s contract back in 2023, with the host inking a five-year deal. Kimmel questions why the powers that be would even agree to that multi-year extension if Colbert’s show had actually been losing the media conglomerate revenue:

Kimmel’s doubts aside, his assertion that he’s now looking at his own future as a result of The Late Show’s fate suggests that there’s certainly an existential element of this for him. The Man Show alum has been candid about his own late-night future and, even back in 2022, he expressed uncertainty about how long he’d stick with his show. In December 2025, Kimmel did agree to extend his deal to May 2027 yet, even if he were open to re-upping his deal next year, there’s still the question of how ABC would feel about that in this changing market.

As of this writing, though, the Alphabet Network hasn’t given any indication that Jimmy Kimmel Live! isn’t profitable. I’m still intrigued as to what lies ahead for Jimmy Kimmel – as well as fellow hosts like Seth Meyers and John Oliver – in this new era of late-night TV. With The Late Show having reached its conclusion, it’s fair to have genuine concerns about the medium moving forward.

Right now, though, Jimmy Kimmel Live! continues to air weeknights on ABC at 11:35 p.m ET alongside other talk shows amid the 2026 TV schedule.

Stephen Colbert has spent the last several months in a delicate dance, both looking back and looking forward. He signed on for an LOTR movie, he had sweet goodbye moments with Emma Stone and more big stars, and he’s done interviews trying to wrap up this portion of his career. Most recently, he called landing The Late Show as David Letterman was stepping down a “happy accident,” and shared the sweet story behind why he ultimately decided to sit behind the storied desk.

How Stephen Colbert And David Letterman “Perfectly Overlapped”

Colbert set the stage for his connection with David Letterman. The two men are only 17 years apart in age, and Letterman was just getting rolling when the other late night host was coming of age. They then were tied together years later when the fate of The Late Show was laid out.

It seems like it would have been an easy decision to make. Colbert already had plenty of experience in front of a TV camera at that point, having been on The Daily Show and then leading The Colbert Report for nearly 10 years. But network TV late night was a whole other budget behemoth (as Late Night fans would later learn), and signing on for the role was a big deal for the funnyman.

The actor told People he went to therapy for “four months” to make sure that signing on as Letterman’s replacement was what he really wanted to do. It's a big responsibility and not something one signs on to the dotted line for lightly. Part of the problem is that he really wanted to talk to his mother, whom he was very close to, but she had passed away by this time. So, instead, he called up his sister, Mary. Luckily for CBS, Mary “sealed the deal” for the late night host.

The year 2015 was an exciting time. The first episode of Colbert’s Late Show was up 203% over the same date the previous year. Colbert joining sparked a ratings race with Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon that would continue over the years. What wouldn’t continue were the massive number of subscribers cable and network TV enjoyed for decades.

As those numbers fell off, so did ad revenue. By the end, The Late Show was losing $40 million a year, a number CBS recently confirmed. The show wrapped up last week after months of lead-up to the moment, but when it was done, it was done. Colbert even said the crew had to be out of CBS studios very quickly when it was all over.

I don't know that the Colbert who talked to his sister Mary knew the end would be quite like this, but I'm glad he still gets to hold onto that fond memory.

Byron Allen isn't Stephen Colbert, and that's the exact attitude he has as Comics Unleashed takes over The Late Show's timeslot on CBS. The comedian and host said his 20-year program isn't going to imitate or replace the series during its big showing on the 2026 TV schedule, and he made that clear to CBS at the start.

As Colbert's exit after the final episode paved the way for a smooth (and seemingly much cheaper) transition to Comics Unleashed, Allen appeared on NPR to answer some questions about his new spot on the late-night scene. He brushed off any notion that he'll need to change how he operates just because he'll have a bigger timeslot due to recent events, saying:

The interviewer pointed out that while Comics Unleashed has had a steady audience in the long run, its past viewership numbers haven't ever been on the same scale as The Late Show or other late-night juggernauts. It led to questions of whether Allen may alter his show or ask for larger guests to attempt to draw in more eyes, but the host maintained he's been clear from the start that he's sticking with what he's used to.

Rather than change Comics Unleashed's format or comedy angles to pull in displaced viewers of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Allen would sooner stick with his established audience. To him, he feels like that's the better key to success. In his words:

The bottom line: don't expect Byron Allen to take shots at President Trump like Stephen Colbert did. While his predecessor leaned into speculation that the POTUS played a role in The Late Show's cancellation and traded jabs with his administration, Allen has no interest in offering political commentary or giving a platform to anything other than what he considers good comedy.

It's an interesting strategy that doesn't feel as though it would be instantly successful in past television climates, but these are different times. The traditional late-night television model is dated, and it seems networks are equally as concerned about social media engagement as they are live viewership. Plus, as David Letterman pointed out, Byron Allen is paying CBS for the timeslot, in exchange for being able to claim all its advertising money. The network will make money post-Colbert, and that may be all Allen needs to survive on late-night.

If Comics Unleashed is able to thrive in a way different than The Tonight Show or Jimmy Kimmel Live!, maybe it'll pave the way for new offerings on late-night once again. It's an interesting model, though I will be curious to see how long it runs for. Allen's kept his show running for twenty years, so I wouldn't count him out.

Comics Unleashed airs on CBS weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET. I'm eager to check the series out and see how its doing in its new time slot, and what celebrities are coming out to support it.

I’ve been keeping close tabs on the end of The Late Show, as well as its replacement Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen, which has already shifted into the 11:35 timeslot on the 2026 TV schedule. While it’s been pretty heavily speculated that CBS will be saving a slew of money by saying goodbye to the late night show (and its massive staff), I hadn’t fully comprehended the network is also making money by replacing it with Byron Allen.

Let’s take a look at the numbers. First and foremost, and prior to this CBS had not confirmed this, rumors reported The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was losing $40 million a year before it went off of the air. That’s a hefty chunk of change, and one Jimmy Kimmel scoffed at. Yet, a separate study with hard numbers does indicate the the major networks are making less and less money off of advertisements and seeing a shortfall when it comes to late night shows.

All of this was known info before Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen shifted to 11:35 on May 22. What is newly running around, and particularly intriguing to me, is the fact that CBS is also adding a solid $15 million in cold hard cash by swapping The Late Show out.

How Does Comics Unleashed Work On CBS?

Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen is actually what is known as a “time by,” or a show from another production company that is leasing out the timeslot on CBS. This is exactly what David Letterman mentioned would happen after The Late Show got canceled.

Instead of CBS having to fill the programmatic ads during the segment, the show is reportedly paying CBS to let it air. As the network noted, Comics Unleashed is paying a cool $15 million for the privilege. The show is also responsible for filling its own ads. In short, it’s a way safer bet than The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, as CBS confirmed in a new statement (via Deadline):

Allen seemingly also agreed this is what is happening this week when he talked about hoping his series will garner some eyeballs. He told ET he’s taking a gamble, but it’s one he has his fingers crossed will pay off.

The goal would presumably be that the show backs out and makes a tidy profit, even after paying CBS. If Allen’s team can do it, both should come out with a financial win, and do it at a fraction of the cost of what was in the timeslot prior. Though, if it fails, the outlet also notes Allen has an estimated net worth of a billion dollars, so I think he’ll probably be OK.

Shifting up the timeslot has seemingly started out reasonably well. The series used to pull in a little over 800K viewers on average in the post-Colbert slot, but now that it has shifted up an hour, it debuted to over 2.14 million viewers in Live+Same Day viewing. We’ll have to wait and see if fans stick around.

It certainly was the end of an era saying goodbye to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, but in a time when the TV and streaming landscape is changing drastically, I only project more changes like these to be coming down the pipeline over the long haul.

It’s clear Donald Trump has taken a unique interest in Late Night during his second tenure as President of the United States. Trump recently made a mean-spirited comment about Stephen Colbert’s final episode, and he’s taken similar shots at Seth Meyers, NBC and other late night hosts in recent months. While Colbert was doing exit press after his CBS series was canceled, someone actually asked him about the Trump stuff, and he has one recurring feeling.

Namely, the dude “needs to know how to pick his battles.” In an interview with People, he explained he has never seen his job on late night as breaking news. In fact, he thinks of himself and his fellow late night hosts as “clowns.” An amusing picture blooms when he says that, but it explains why he doesn’t remotely begin to understand the interest the administration has shown in the circus.

Colbert went on to note he’s speaking both “metaphorically” and “literally.” While he’s found the current administration’s distaste for late night to be a curiosity, it doesn’t sound like he is particularly worried about further ramifications. This is particularly true now The Late Show is officially off the air.

While he says he’s not afraid of the current government, it’s worth pointing out that some rumors have circulated noting CBS’ decision may have had ties to the political sphere. The network has said the decision was purely “financial” and has come at a time when late night shows are no longer cash cows. It’s certainly true that advertising revenue is down across the late night spectrum.

This isn’t Stephen Colbert’s problem anymore, however. Next up, he’s already landed a gig writing a new Lord of the Rings movie with Peter Jackson, and if that isn’t a lucrative proposition, I don’t know what is. After LOTR Colbert could always get back to his interviewing roots if he wished. Letterman’s done that on Netflix in a much more leisurely format, but I almost wonder if Colbert will continue in more of a behind-the-scenes role.

I like this idea of Colbert going back to his roots as a writer. Maybe it’s the glasses? I don’t know, but it feels fittingly full circle for his career.

Back in July, the entertainment world was shocked when it was revealed last summer that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was cancelled. But the comedian and host had months to prepare for his final show, with celebs like Ryan Reynolds attended in the audience. And a new report claims to know why his wife Blake Lively was noticeably missing from the show's taping.

While fans have been wondering where Colbert stands with the network post-cancellation, another question fans are asking is why the Deadpool star attended alone, rather than both Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds going as a pair. Rumors are swirling, and according to scooper Rob Shuter, the Gossip Girl star would have totally been allowed to attend the show. The report reads:

There you have it. It sounds like Lively's It Ends With Us drama with co-star and director Justin Baldoni reportedly didn't end up excluding her from the fun of Colbert's last taping. Instead, she simply decided not to attend, with Reynolds contributing to the celebrity contingency or the audience alongside Bryan Cranston, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, and more.

It sounds like, while Blake Lively was invited to The Late Show, Ryan did decide to attend the show solo. Allegedly the It Ends With Us drama is still following the pair, as it was reported:

This is probably a fair assessment. When Lively filed a complaint against Wayfarer Studios back in 2024, it started a years-long battle that has become synonymous with both her and Justin Badloni. While the It Ends With Us stars finally reached a settlement, the aftershocks of the drama are still being felt. According to the report, this is a big reason why the Green Lantern actress stayed home on Colbert's last taping, the same story alleges:

It Ends With Us (which is streaming with a Netflix subscription) is most closely associated with the legal fight between its stars, rather than the deeper message of the book to screen adaptation. Lively and Baldoni reached a resolution and put out a joint statement, but the discourse hasn't stopped online. And per this report, that's why Ryan Reynolds went solo to The Late Show.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert aired its final episode May 25th as part of the 2026 TV schedule. We'll just have to see what comes next for its host in the wake of the cancellation.

There’s been a bunch of back and forth when it comes to why the Late Show was canceled at CBS. If you were to ask those close to the network, the loss of millions of dollars a season was the main factor involved. If you were to ask fellow late night host Jimmy Kimmel, Trump’s been mad about late night (which has been confirmed), and that’s the bigger reason behind the decision. Lending into this, there have been additional rumors Stephen Colbert was being muzzled due to politics. Whether due to bloated budgets or cronyism remains a question, but we do know a lot of people lost their jobs when The Late Show went off the air late last week.

In fact, a large swathe of people are out of work or looking for work as the late night CBS series wrapped. The cast got together right as the Eye Network series was saying goodbye, and it turns out a huge number of people work behind the scenes on the talk series. CNN’s Brian Stelter shared the post as the show was wrapping up:

That's a huge number of people! To make matters even more dire, Stephen Colbert said the network was not really letting the show go peacefully and positively. Instead everyone had to be out of the building, and out of the building fast, with everyone coming back the next week to clear stuff out. It almost feels more like a firing situation than a big, beautiful sayonara. To me, that makes tension feel palpable, but perhaps I’m reading into things.

One thing that has been cited in CBS’ defense is the fact advertising dollars are down significantly over the last several years, as more and more people cut cable and use YouTube and social media platforms to watch shows like Late Night, The Tonight Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live! Those platforms don’t yield nearly as much money for the networks as their own sponsored ads do.

In fact, previously we reported that late night had garnered $439 million in earnings back in 2018. By 2024, that number was only $220 million.

So, there is something to be said for CBS’ official statement on the matter, which was the decision to cancel The Late Show was “financial.’ Insiders said the show was “losing money left and right,” and it’s hard to cut a major swathe of staff or other budget money and to still produce an a-tier, network TV-level production.

In some ways, it sounds like the network was stuck between a rock and a hard place, and this photo of the staff on the last day sort of goes a long way to explain a lot of that bloat we’d heard over the last few months. It's still sad though, because it's a picture of people who showed up every day and had landed a high level job. These are people with a desire to make great content. The worst part is they were successful at it; it's just the circumstances that were wrong.

To me, The Late Show ending is devastating. I knew in my lifetime that eventually Stephen Colbert would be stepping away from the gig, but I don’t think I really understood a future where there would be no Late Show on the 2026 TV schedule. Maybe that makes me naive, but it’s comforting to think of certain pop culture icons as monoliths, and it’s heartbreaking when it all goes away.

May 21 marked the end of an era. After hosting The Late Show for 11 years, Stephen Colbert officially signed off as his program came to an end on the 2026 TV schedule. CBS canceled the late-night talk show last year, and it caused quite a stir in Hollywood and around the world, with many celebrities and fellow late-night talk show hosts showing their support for Colbert. That support has continued over the months, and following the finale, Samuel L. Jackson, Ryan Reynolds, and many more sent some sweet shoutouts.

Colbert went above and beyond for the final episodes of The Late Show, bringing on special guests and doing special segments. Thursday’s finale, which drew The Late Show’s biggest audience in 10 years, according to The New York Times, had appearances from some famous friends such as Jon Stewart and Bryan Cranston, and the host's fitting final guest was Paul McCartney. It was emotional and very sweet. And those feelings didn’t stop when the lights got turned off, as many celebrities took to social media to send messages to the beloved host:

• Samuel L Jackson: Your Comedic Salve will never be replaced for our wounded souls! Thanks for ALWAYS being our Dr FEELGOOD 🫵🏾‼️ @colbertlateshow @colbert
• Ryan Reynolds: Late night tv will never be the same. I’ll miss your tender embrace @colbertlateshow
• Jamie Lee Curtis: THANKS FOR THE LAUGHS @colbertlateshow @colbert
• Conan O’Brien: Here's to Stephen Colbert, a man of great integrity and wit. Onward, friend, to bigger and better things.
• Seth Meyers: For as great as he is on screen, Stephen is an even better person when the cameras stop rolling. A truly generous, kind and thoughtful man who elevates those around him. Can’t wait for his next chapter and grateful to know him.
• Marlee Matlin: One of my favorite interviews was with @StephenAtHome He GOT my humor. Wishing you only the best in your journey beyond your talk show. We need your voice more than ever! @colbertlateshow
• Barack Obama: For more than a decade, Stephen @Colbert has been one of the top voices of late night — making us laugh and, even more importantly, reminding us who we are and what America stands for. Michelle and I enjoyed being Stephen’s guests — even when the games were rigged — and we’re grateful to call him a friend.

All of these messages, plus many others, and the outpouring of love and support that Colbert has received in these last several months, show how much he and The Late Show matter. It’s clear that everyone has had a great time on the late-night talk show, and while many are still debating what truly led to the show’s cancellation, it’s obvious that a ton of people did not want it to happen.

In addition to the sweet messages, some late-night shows, such as Jimmy Kimmel Live!, aired reruns for part of the week out of respect.

That being said, not everyone has been respectful, as President Trump’s post about the final show is as mean-spirited as you’d think. However, overall, the support for Colbert and his program has been overwhelmingly positive.

Earlier this month, Colbert revealed what he’s doing the day afterThe Late Show ends, sharing that his brother was actually getting married in D.C., and it’s much more important than what’s going on with the show. Colbert’s been busy with the final episodes of The Late Show, but he still has his priorities straight when it comes to his family.

With The Late Show’s cancellation, the future of late-night television is in question. Following Jimmy Kimmel Live’s brief suspension last year and the cancellation of The Late Show, it's unclear what could happen next. However, thankfully, Colbert was able to go out with a bang and surrounded by a whole bunch of folks who adore him and his work. Those who missed the finale of The Late Show can stream it now with a Paramount+ subscription.

President Trump has made his dislike of Stephen Colbert abundantly clear over the last few years; so, it should surprise absolutely no one that the Commander-In-Chief used the last episode of the comedian’s show to express that hatred one more time. Early this morning, he hopped onto social media and let it rip, saying the comedian was “like a dead person” and “a jerk.”

The post was a little shorter than some of the rants President Trump has gone on in the past, but as always, it did not mince words. You can check out the full quote below, which appeared on Truth Social…

Colbert took over The Late Show franchise from David Letterman, who retired in 2015. The former Colbert Report host was always been more political than his predecessor, but over the last several years, he’s gotten increasingly vocal about President Trump and his policies. CBS didn’t seem to have a problem with the show’s direction, but as it became clear the company was going to merge with Skydance last year, some wondered whether Colbert would be able to coexist with new CEO David Ellison, who is widely perceived to have a friendly relationship with President Trump.

The two were apparently on semi-decent terms, but nonetheless, last summer, Colbert and those working at The Late Show were told this current season would be the last in a surprise decision that shocked the industry. Exactly why the decision was made, however, is a matter of hot debate. Rumors have swirled about the show allegedly losing money, and rumors have swirled about those at the top allegedly not enjoying how vocal the host is politically. We’ll likely never know the full story.

Regardless of why it happened, the extended runway emboldened Colbert to get even more political during his final months, and President Trump, who had always been vocal about his dislike for Colbert (and fellow late-night host Jimmy Kimmel), regularly took to social media to respond or sometimes just proactively go off about how much he disliked the comedian. The President openly celebrated on social media when the ending announcement was first made, and it only seems fitting he’d do the same thing following the last show.

It’s unclear what exactly Colbert is going to do long-term. He’s shared his short-term plans, which involve attending a wedding and his son’s graduation, but beyond that, I would imagine he’ll take a little time for himself. Working on a late-night show every single day is grueling.

I can imagine wanting to take some naps after that, but at some point, whenever he’s ready to get his hands dirty again, I’d have to imagine many of the studios will be interested in joining forces, even if it’s not for a traditional daily late night show. His fanbase is going to want to hear from him again, and when that does happen, I have to imagine President Trump is going to have something to say about it.

If you missed Colbert’s last episode of The Late Show, fortunately, you can still watch it. It’s available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription and is a fitting send-off for one of the great late-night comedians, which also includes appearances from Paul McCartney and a slew of other celebrities, including Paul Rudd, Ryan Reynolds, Jon Stewart and many of the other late-night hosts.

• How to watch The Late Show With Stephen Colbert's final episode in the U.S.
• How to watch The Late Show With Stephen Colbert's final episode while traveling abroad
• More details about the final episodes

The end of television era is upon us, as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is set to air its final episode after 33 years, as the Colbert-hosted talk show was canceled back in May 2025, with the plan for it to conclude at the end of its eleventh season. That time has come, and fans of both the comedian and late night in general can tune into the broadcast from anywhere in the world. Read on to find out how.

How To Watch The Final Late Show Episode In The US

The Late Show's final episode is set to air on CBS on Thursday, May 21, at 11:35 p.m. ET, after taping earlier that day at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City. Take note that this is reportedly an extended episode, though it's not clear at the time of writing how much longer it will air beyond its normal end time.

Below is a list of TV providers to choose from.

• Subscribe to YouTube TV and save $15 a month for the first five months.
• Subscribe to DirecTV to save up to $500 over the next two years.
• Subscribe to one of Sling's various plans, including 1-3 day passes.
• Subscribe to Hulu + Live TV

You can log into each of the above providers from anywhere in the world using NordVPN.

How To Watch The Final Late Show Episode From Anywhere

Surely, Stephen Colbert has fans around the world, especially those who also love and follow his UK colleague John Oliver. The easiest way to watch the final episode of The Late Show from around the world will be to use NordVPN to log into one of the TV services listed above, and save 76% in the process.

Otherwise, a good option for anyone watching in the U.S. or around the world would be to stream it on Paramount+ the next day. If you're in a country where you find yourself unable to log in trouble-free, avoid those hassles by logging into your account safely through a VPN.

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Ever since it was revealed that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was canceled, Jimmy Kimmel has been a very loud and passionate supporter of the host. Now, as we approach the final episode of Colbert’s program, the Jimmy Kimmel Live host has shared a heartfelt tribute about his pal and longtime colleague.

During Kimmel’s May 20 monologue, he began with a “programming note” about how his show will be going dark on May 21, “out of respect for our colleague and friend Stephen Colbert.” He then gave a heartfelt tribute to his friend and The Late Show, saying:

Kimmel went on to reflect on the state of late-night television and how the current hosts are all very supportive of one another. Unlike “the old days of late night,” Kimmel, Colbert, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers are not competitive. In fact, Kimmel, Meyers, Fallon and John Oliver all appeared on The Late Show recently to support Colbert (you can stream that episode with a Paramount+ subscription). Speaking to that point, the Jimmy Kimmel Live host said:

I feel like it’s worth noting that this message was placed right at the start of Kimmel’s monologue. He made it clear that his show would be off the air for Colbert’s last episode on the 2026 TV schedule, and he spoke for a while about why this was an important and emotional moment. He also criticized CBS and its choice to cancel The Late Show while doing this, saying:

He then transitioned into his political comedy for the episode by joking that they needed to talk about the people who “forced" The Late Show "off the air.”

Overall, this is another example of how Jimmy Kimmel has been an outspoken supporter of Stephen Colbert. He was quick to share his thoughts on the cancellation right when it happened, he’s appeared on The Late Show in the months since the news broke more than once, and he even put up a billboard telling Emmy voters to vote for Colbert’s show instead of his.

Now, we’ve reached the very end of Stephen Colbert’s run, and Jimmy Kimmel is continuing to support him. The other hosts are too, as The Tonight Show is also going dark alongside Jimmy Kimmel Live to give the 11:30 p.m. slot fully over to The Late Show.

So, to watch Stephen Colbert’s last episode of The Late Show, make sure to tune in to CBS tonight, May 21, at 11:35 p.m. ET.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is nearing the end of the road, as the show is set to wrap up its 11-season run this week as part of the 2026 TV schedule. Ahead of the talk show’s farewell tour, there was a lot of talk about the show’s surprising cancellation. Many have debated the reasoning that CBS’ parent company, Paramount Skydance, has given for pulling the plug on the series. Now, ahead of his final sign-off, Colbert is getting real about where he stands with Paramount’s CEO.

Skydance and Paramount merged in 2025 and, after that consolidation, David Ellison took the reins as CEO. In time, Paramount opted not to renew The Late Show, with that move coming after Colbert criticized his employers on air for settling a $16 million lawsuit with U.S. President Donald Trump involving 60 Minutes. That suit was widely viewed by analysts as the last hurdle that could prevent the merger from receiving FCC approval.

More recently, Colbert spoke with THR, during which much of the cancellation drama was discussed. The veteran media personality was also asked about his current standing with Ellison. According to Colbert, he and Ellison do not currently have a relationship, though they have apparently spoken to each other. Colbert also laid out what he’d heard about the businessman when the merger was still coming together:

So what exactly do a late-night talk show host and the head of a major media corporation talk about when they meet up? Well, Colbert shed some light on that, too, and I’m honestly surprised by the topic. He and Ellison apparently had a conversation regarding a piece of technology that the former thought could be invaluable for the company:

Ellison and co. explained months ago that The Late Show’s cancellation came down to financial factors, though some individuals who work in the industry have argued against that claim. However, per monetary details that eventually surfaced, the late-night program had allegedly been losing millions of dollars over the last several years. Additionally, there were also those who believed that the decision to cancel Colbert’s show was politically motivated. Yet Colbert himself doesn’t buy into that politics-based theory.

In the lead-up to his final show, Stephen Colbert has been opening up about a quite a bit. That includes the phone call he had with CBS’ entertainment head, George Cheeks, after the cancellation and the amount of time the Late Show staff have to pack up their belongings after the last show. Colbert has mostly played coy when it comes to what he wants to do next but, based on his comments, it’s hard to say if fans can expect him to go into business with David Ellison at some point.

Check out the final episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, which airs on Thursday, May 21 at 11:35 p.m. ET.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is finally ending this week, this marking the end of an era in late-night TV history. Once the show finishes its final taping, most of the staff will actually need to make a quick exit. Colbert himself recently revealed the timeline for when he and the other employees have to vacate CBS' premises after his late night show's untimely cancelation. All in all, the answer differs depending on who's being asked about.

Stephen Colbert, whose final show airs May 21st, spoke about the exit process during the latest episode of Strike Force Five. As the star of the show, Colbert may get a bit more of a grace period than others, but he also revealed he has some big family events that run up against the finale's taping:

It's super cool (and totally understandable) of Colbert to say his son's graduation and brother's marriage are more important than his show ending, and I genuinely believe he feels that way as well. Overall, he's seemingly handled this entire situation relatively well. Not only that, but this turn of events has also led to some funny and memorable moments on his "flaming toboggan ride" of a show.

As for the timetable for Stephen Colbert to leave the office, he's getting a grace period to clear out his belongings. During the podcast, host recalled that after David Letterman did his final episode of The Late Show, most of his set was in the dumpster the very next day. Yet Colbert will apparently get a week to collect his personal belongings. As for his colleagues, the process apparently has to move a lot faster:

Each host of Strike Force Five (Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, John Oliver, Jimmy Fallon) grumbled about that speedy timetable, perhaps exemplifying the level of care each of them has for their individual crews. Oliver, in particular, was shocked their final day of pay was the end of the final show, seemingly leaving some to clear out their spaces on unpaid time.

Fortunately, it seems the crew will get a bit more time than those who worked on David Letterman's iteration of The Late Show did. As for Colbert, he shared insight into where he stands with packing:

I don't imagine many late-night hosts are ones for procrastination, so I'm not too surprised to hear Stephen Colbert is already packed up and ready to move on for whatever comes next. In the immediate future, we know he's attending family events, but what about after that?

The selfish side of me hopes he'll return to TV in some way, though, after enduring this rollercoaster ride to the end, I wouldn't fault him for wanting to take a break. For the first time in a long time, he won't have to worry about keeping up with celebrity news and current events and not comment on whatever jabs those in government may make at him. (At least, he won't have to do that third thing on the job anyways.) But here's wishing Colbert and co. the best moving forward and that everyone gets their stuff out of the office on time.

Tune in for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert during its farewell week on the 2026 TV schedule, as the show airs nightly at 11:35 p.m. ET. I'm eager to see how these final episodes go as well as what other moments might come out of Colbert's final week on the network.

As terrible as it was for Stephen Colbert and all others involved when CBS canceled The Late Show last year, that much-maligned decision has certainly led to some late night highlights and lowlights that might not have happened otherwise. One such positive outcome was the recent reunion for the former Strike Force Five quintet of Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, John Oliver and Jimmy Fallon. The podcast conversation was filled with fun stories and anecdotes from each host, but the bulk of the focus was on the outgoing Late Show frontman.

In the midst of all the jibber-jabber, Jimmy Kimmel asked Stephen Colbert if there was a ever a guest whose attractiveness was distinct enough to become a distraction, and the Strangers with Candy vet had an answer locked and loaded.

Of all the guests that have sat across from Colbert’s various desks over the past 21 years (including both The Late Show and The Colbert Report), Dawson’s Creek and Fabelmans star Michelle Williams is the Hollywood starlet who turned the normally loquacious wordsmith speechless. He continued:

This makes me think talking to her about Dying for Sex’s sex scenes would be his anti-Kryptonite, and learning from the source that her oral sex skills have been strengthened due to working with intimacy coordinators. (The first season is streaming via Hulu subscription.)

Williams may hold that top honor, but Colbert shared that he had even stronger reactions in the past over Oscar-winning actress Rachel Weisz. As he put it:

The entire Strike Force Five conversation is a hoot to watch (stream it on YouTube), and I can only hope that this group is able to get together more often after The Late Show is over. Not that the other four won't still have their own late night jobs, but still. Hopes don't have to be logical.

The final Late Show with Stephen Colbert episode will air on CBS on Thursday, May 21, with Jimmy Kimmel taking the night off out of respect.

Stephen Colbert has received a lot of support from his fellow late-night hosts amidst the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, both publicly and privately. We all saw how Jimmy Kimmel and more sounded off against CBS in the aftermath, and Colbert has more recently revealed the funny texts he, Kimmel and Jon Stewart exchanged after the news broke. As The Late Show’s final episode approaches, Kimmel is making another classy gesture as a show of respect to Colbert.

The final episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is set to air on the 2026 TV schedule on Thursday, May 21, on CBS, and when it does, it will not be competing with Jimmy Kimmel Live! for viewers. Jimmy Kimmel confirmed to LateNighter that he will not air a new episode of his ABC late-night show next Thursday in deference to Stephen Colbert.

Kimmel reportedly did the same thing back in 2015, when David Letterman signed off for the last time from the CBS series, saying at the time that he had too much respect for Letterman to do anything that might pull people away from his swan song.

Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel have formed quite the bromance, as months after The Late Show’s surprising cancellation announcement, Jimmy Kimmel was suspended for comments he made on his show in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s death. The hosts have since foregone any essence of competition that they might have from being on opposing networks, appearing as guests on each other’s shows.

While CBS has maintained that the decision to end The Late Show was purely financial, many think politics are at play, as the cancellation came just days after Stephen Colbert criticized CBS for settling a lawsuit with Donald Trump over a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris.

Jimmy Kimmel himself has spoken out about the supposed $40 million loss Stephen Colbert’s talk show accrued, saying that number is “beyond nonsensical.”

Kimmel also showed his support for the CBS host ahead of the Emmy Awards, where they were both nominated for Outstanding Talk Series. The ABC host took out a billboard to throw his support behind The Late Show, writing, “I’m voting for Stephen.” Incidentally, Colbert did win his first Emmy after that, and he gave a sob-worthy acceptance speech about love and loss.

Jimmy Kimmel may be the most vocal of Stephen Colbert’s supporters, but he’s not the only one of their peers who’s stepped up. Conan O’Brien spoke out about silencing the late-night hosts. Jimmy Fallon expressed shock over The Late Show’s cancellation and joined Jon Stewart, John Oliver and more in a great sketch on The Late Show to raise fans’ moods:

I love how much these guys all band together, despite some of their shows airing on competing networks. It’s a remarkable show of respect that Jimmy Kimmel would intentionally step aside so that Stephen Colbert and The Late Show can have the biggest audience possible for their final farewell.

If you want to tune in, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s finale will air at 11:35 p.m. ET Thursday, May 21, on CBS.

We’re only a couple of weeks away from the final episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert airing on the 2026 TV schedule. To put it mildly, this is a topic that people have been fascinated with since the decision was made to cancel the longtime CBS talk show. Stephen Colbert may have not fully processed his upcoming career change, but he recalled the phone call he had with his boss, where he said he wasn’t going to shy away from talking about it either.

Stephen Colbert has been as open as he can be about the impending end of his late-night show, including what he’ll miss the most and the funny texts he got from fellow hosts. With that, he divulged the contents of his conversation with CBS’ head of entertainment George Cheeks following the cancellation news. Colbert revealed to THR:

Stephen Colbert was initially upset that George Cheeks reportedly told his manager that The Late Show was ending, but did not speak with Colbert directly until later in the summer. The host said that at that time, he made his intention known — he was going to address some people’s opinion that the cancellation was politically motivated

For context, Colbert made critical comments about CBS’ decision to settle a lawsuit with Donald Trump over a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris, and the cancellation came just days later. CBS has consistently blamed finances for The Late Show getting the ax, citing an alleged loss of $40 million in a year — a number that fellow late-night host Jimmy Kimmel has called “beyond nonsensical.”

Meanwhile, Colbert said the figure surprised him but he had no wishes to litigate it. As for his conversation with George Cheeks, he continued:

Stephen Colbert has insisted he’s too busy putting together The Late Show’s final episodes to think about much of anything else. He’s got a couple of things lined up afterward, including a Lord of the Rings script, some “much more important” family events to attend, and he’s admittedly relieved to possibly take a break from the news cycle.

It’s not over yet, though. You can still catch The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35 p.m. ET on weeknights through Thursday, May 21, on CBS.

Sometimes comedy is the best medicine and a great coping mechanism. That seemed to be in play as some of Stephen Colbert’s fellow hosts reached out to him in the immediate aftermath of The Late Show’s cancellation. I write that because the host revealed the texts Jimmy Kimmel and Jon Stewart sent him right after he learned that his show would be ending, and the conversations are surprisingly funny.

In the months since Colbert’s cancellation, the other late-night hosts have been advocates and allies for him. Right after it was announced that his show would end on the 2026 TV schedule, Jon Stewart went on a heated rant on The Daily Show, and in the weeks following the news, Jimmy Kimmel called out claims about why The Late Show was canceled.

It turns out, those two also personally texted Colbert right after they learned about his program’s fate. After being asked about talking with “Seth Meyers and the Jimmys” about what happened during an interview with THR, Colbert recalled the text he got from Kimmel:

Well, that’s hilarious, and it turned out to be true. Stephen Colbert won his first Emmy in the wake of his cancellation, and Jimmy Kimmel wanted that to happen. In fact, the Jimmy Kimmel Live! host had a billboard made that said: “I’m voting for Stephen.” After that happened, Colbert promised to “pay him back next year” and do the same thing for Kimmel.

So, while the text Kimmel sent Colbert right when the cancellation happened could feel a bit morbid, it’s also funny, and it turned out to be accurate in a way.

Now, on to Jon Stewart. When Colbert announced that The Late Show would be ending, The Daily Show host texted a one-word question to his friend and former colleague. Here’s how that conversation went:

It’s not funny-funny, it’s more like sad-funny. However, overall, it was nice to hear how Colbert’s fellow hosts were reaching out right after this shocking news broke. I would assume that other hosts, as well as notable celebrities, reached out to him as well. However, as Colbert noted, after those two texts came through, he handed his phone over to his wife and didn’t look at it for a while.

This all happened in the immediate aftermath of the cancellation news, and now, sadly, we are approaching the final episode of The Late Show. The show is ending this month, but have no fear, Colbert has a stacked lineup of guests for his last episodes, including Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver, Seth Meyers and David Letterman (and I wouldn’t be shocked if Stewart showed up at some point too).

The final episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will air on Thursday, May 21, at 11:35 p.m. on CBS, and I can only imagine the texts (both funny and heartfelt) the host will receive after he says his last goodbye to late-night.

Reality may be starting to sink in for Stephen Colbert, who has admitted that he’s so busy with the final episodes of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert that he hasn’t fully processed his feelings about his talk show’s cancellation. The conversation is starting to shift to what’s next for the comedian, and while there’s probably a fair amount of uncertainty in his future, he knows where he’ll be the day after his final episode.

The last edition of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will hit the 2026 TV schedule on Thursday, May 21, and while emotions will certainly be running high, the host won’t have a whole lot of time for reflection. In fact, he won’t even be the center of attention for very long, as he has a big family event in the books. Colbert told THR:

It’s really nice that Stephen Colbert will have his family around him when he says goodbye to his band, his crew, his writers and the audience, as he said that’s what he’ll miss the most about the late-night talk show. Then he’ll have something of a distraction as the spotlight will turn to his brother.

That’s not the only huge milestone his family has coming up, either, as Colbert continued:

That’s a pretty strong display of how the world keeps turning despite what any one person is going through. It’s the end of an era for Stephen Colbert, who’s losing his job amidst this messy brouhaha with CBS, and at the same time, his brother and his son are both celebrating wonderful and exciting new beginnings. The fact that the host can even see those things as more important than his show ending is pretty amazing.

It’s a new beginning for Stephen Colbert, as well, who is actually somewhat relieved, he’s said, to be able to opt out of the national conversation if he wants to. He’s also working on a Lord of the Rings script, after being inspired by Saturday Night Live alum Bill Hader to “just go do something you love.”

Tune in to see the final episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35 p.m. ET Thursday, May 21. It may not be the biggest thing going on that week in the Colbert family — at least in the host’s eyes — but it’s still pretty monumental for his career and today’s media landscape at large.

The end is near for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, with CBS’ late-night talk show set to air its final episode May 21 on the 2026 TV schedule. The network chose to cancel the show after 33 years — 11 of them under Colbert — and while emotions will certainly be running high when the host signs off for the final time, I can’t imagine it could get more stressful than that very first night.

Stephen Colbert is rounding out his last episodes on late-night TV with some big guests and plenty of humor, and before one recent taping, the comedian regaled his audience with The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s origin story. Honestly, it sounds like it’s a miracle anyone ever saw it! The host recalled the hours following their very first taping, saying:

Technology, am I right? I’m certainly no expert, so if the button doesn’t do what it’s supposed to do when you press it, what 's even the next step (after turning it off and on again, of course)? This place of panic seems to be where Stephen Colbert was living a mere 30 minutes before he was set to make his Late Show debut. He continued:

Either the comedian’s IT people were very confident in their abilities, or they were trying to keep it cool in front of the boss, because one of the editors decided the best course of action was to bypass intermediary channels and export the show straight to the broadcast network from his computer.

The only issue, Stephen Colbert said, was that there were no TVs in the room to be able to tell if it was working. Now we’re getting to the heroic finale, and I'm picturing dramatic music and slow-motion when the host says:

The crowd went wild! The bourbon flowed! The editor who’d figured out the workaround took a victory lap, and while that was unquestionably a stressful few hours for Stephen Colbert, it’s a night he will remember for the rest of his life, he said:

Not only did The Late Show with Stephen Colbert get a second show, it ended up getting about 1,800 of them. The host has admitted there’s a bit of relief mixed in with all of the emotions of the show’s cancellation, but after all the memories he’s formed over the past decade-plus with his crew and writers — like the one he told above — it’s no wonder that it's the people that he’s going to miss the most.

Tune into The Late Show’s final episodes, airing at 11:35 p.m. ET weekdays on CBS.

It’s hard to believe that we have less than a month before Stephen Colbert’s final edition of The Late Show on CBS will air on the 2026 TV schedule. A lot has been said about how he feels about the cancellation of the late-night talk show that he’s hosted since 2015 and what the hardest part will be. But you have to take the good with the bad, and Colbert admitted there’s one thing he’s relieved about.

The news of CBS canceling The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was shocking when it came last July, but as the host actually rounds out the final episodes with some impressive guests, it’s really sinking in that the end is near. Stephen Colbert told The New York Times that putting the show together on a daily basis takes about 95% of his brain, so when asked if he also felt some relief about what’s transpiring, he said, “Oh, yeah.” Colbert continued:

As it is now, Stephen Colbert doesn’t just have to be well-informed of all that’s happening in the political arena — he has to have an opinion about it and be able to craft an eloquent commentary around it. While he no doubt would prefer the alternative — where he and his crew continue to be gainfully employed — there’s no denying that it’ll be nice to take a breath and actually turn off the news. A media cleanse, if you will.

This is a concept he literally hasn’t even had time to fathom until now. Getting new episodes of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to air has left him no time to process all of the huge life changes that lie ahead. Every day is like being on a “flaming toboggan ride,” he’s said, with all of his energy going into producing a new episode.

He does know, however, what he’s going to miss the most, and that’s the people who have been by his side for all these years — the band, cameramen, writers, sound, lighting and the audience. Even as the end approaches, Stephen Colbert admitted he’s still got a “white-knuckle grip” on them, and the jokes he makes about losing his job don’t soften the blow all that much.

We’ll have to see what’s next for Stephen Colbert — other than that The Lord of the Rings movie script he’s working on — after he’s able to get a little distance from the day-to-day news cycle and regroup. I’m sure there’s some relief to be had, given how much he puts into The Late Show, but I can’t see Colbert straying too far from the political conversation, for the same reason.

The final episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is set for Thursday, May 21, on CBS.

One thing I will say about a monumental show ending is that I’ve been paying a heckuva lot more attention than I normally would. I’ve always been a viewer of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, but more of the casual variety, popping in when he’d have on a-listers like Emma Stone and more. Now CBS has cancelled the series, however, I have been watching a whole lot more frequently, and I have to say Colbert has really been taking this ending with good cheer.

Colbert's Final Guests Continue To Roll Out

It probably helps he’s landing some great guests. This week, he talked with Don Cheadle (and worked in a funny out of work joke). More info about Colbert’s final guests also came down the pipeline this week, and it’s just going to be a murderer’s row of talent. Anne Hathaway is on tonight. Bryan Cranston is on next Monday. Then we have Anderson Cooper, Keanu Reeves, Andy Serkis, Meryl Streep, Mayor Pete, and more. On the music side, it’s guests like Jack Black and R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe also popping in. (Stipe is set to be interviewed, too.)

Which brings me to Barack Obama, who is also on the docket. Last night, Colbert also announced that on Tuesday, May 5th, he’ll be sitting down with the former President of the United States from the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, IL.

As I said, it’s going to be a run of heavy hitters before The Late Show makes its last appearance on the 2026 TV schedule on May 21st.

Colbert Is (Amusingly) Giving Away His Jokes To Jimmy Kimmel As Part Of His Exit

Colbert’s also been on a tear with jokes about The Late Show ending. Some of these have been emotionally devastating, and some have put a smile on my face, such as when Oprah took over The Late Show desk. This week Colbert pulled out a box of jokes he’d like to give fellow late night host Jimmy Kimmel. The box read “Iran War Jokes.” He went on to address it on air, writing on the box and telling the audience:

He was teasing, here, of course, but Kimmel will be taking up their shared bent on his own once Colbert is off the air. While Jimmy Fallon has stayed out of politics, the other two late night hosts have gotten more political in recent years on their respective networks. I certainly don’t fault Fallon for doing what he’s good at, but there is something about passing the torch that I found fitting about this bit. Kimmel and Colbert are a bit of kindred spirits, with the former defending the latter after CBS claimed The Late Show was losing $40 million per year.

If you are wondering how Stephen Colbert will ultimately say goodbye to the Eye Network, a former Daily Show writer has some thoughts about how he thinks the last episode will play out. Calling Colbert ‘classy,’ he also said the late night host got to go out on his own terms despite the series getting canceled. The final episode will doubtless reflect that. From all of us here at CinemaBlend, we wish Colbert “good night, and good luck.”

It’s hard to believe we are exactly one month out from the end of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on the 2026 TV schedule, ending an era of late night interview programming on CBS as a whole. It makes me sad and uncomfortable to think about, but Stephen Colbert is clearly getting used to the idea, and is even joking about it with his Late Show Band this week. He’s fine. I’m not.

Don Cheadle was on The Late Show early this week in support of his new Broadway show produced by Barack and Michelle Obama, Proof. If you are interested in his relationship with the Obamas and more, the video is quite delightful, but I personally was distracted almost immediately by the joke Colbert made as the actor was getting settled. Take a look.

In the clip, Colbert referred to the house band as “national treasures,” and Cheadle asked Colbert if the band “tours.” The band confirmed they have a tour lined up, to which Colbert then quipped, “Alright, great, if you need someone to introduce you, I’m free.” He continued the bit, confirming if he signed on, it would be an “even split” between the host and the band.

It was a short moment that happened right up front, but I honestly could hardly pay attention to Colbert and Cheadle exchanging stories after that. Of course, we’ve known Stephen Colbert’s late night show will be ending – and not by his own volition – for months now. It's also true that I’ve already seen him have several heartfelt moments about his exit with other celebrities, most notably Emma Stone. So, we've had time to start getting used to the idea.

While he seems totally OK in the video about the outcome, the honest truth is he hasn’t processed his feelings about CBS bailing on The Late Show, possibly because the end has not occurred yet. His former Daily Show producer recently mentioned what Colbert “doesn’t say” is sometimes “better than what can be said,” and I think this video is a clear example of one of those moments. Like many comedians before him, it seems like the jokes are masking the real, human feelings behind the ending of the show, but also the ending of an era of television on CBS.

Look, Colbert’s going to be OK. For a while we didn’t know what his post CBS-retirement plans were, but then Peter Jackson announced he’s going to write an LOTR project. Great, he’s an LOTR fan, it’s a great next chapter, and I can’t wait. Before I can process that fully, though, first I need to get through another month of this emotional rollercoaster.

Stay tuned, as the last episode of The Late Show airs on May 21st.

We’re nearing the end of an era for late night, with just over a month to go until CBS’ Late Show cancellation is made complete. Stephen Colbert’s swan song episode is hitting the 2026 TV schedule on May 21, after which the network will replace the esteemed talk show with another hourlong, Byron Allen-produced comedy series, giving the mega-producer the full two-hour late night block that was once held down by the likes of David Letterman and Craig Ferguson. As one might imagine, Letterman isn’t exactly applauding CBS’ efforts.

As the creator of The Late Show, David Letterman obviously has a vested interest in the general topic of late night, even if he’s got little skin in that game at this point. (He’d since taken his interviewing skills to Netflix, where My Next Guest… is still going strong.) During a recent installment of The Barbara Gaines Show, the Emmy winner shared his take on CBS’ choice for filling the Late Show slot, calling it a money-saving tactic. In his words:

CBS will start airing back-to-back episodes of Comics Unleashed in the 11:30 p.m. ET time slot starting on Friday, May 22, followed by an hour of another Byron Allen-produced series, Funny You Should Ask. The latter was created in 2017 for syndication, hosted by Jon Kelley and featuring a revolving panel of comedians, while Comics Unleashed initially ran from 2006-2016 before returning in 2023, and getting reworked again for 2025.

Considering CBS execs blamed the Colbert cancellation on the show's expenses and lost profits — a claim Jimmy Kimmel has called B.S. — it's not exactly shocking that choices were made to fill the timeslot with a preexisting concept that wouldn't require the building of brand new sets or the hiring of all-new crews. It's unclear at this point if the network will stick with this money-saving move for years on end.

To be fair, David Letterman was being more critical about CBS than Allen or his shows, and he even paid the comic/producer's creations a compliment.

Byron Allen's shows will be a complete flip from The Late Show. Colbert has long held to a political bent as host, stemming from his years on The Colbert Report and The Daily Show. Meanwhile, Allen has often made a point to keep Comics Unleashed as free as can be from topical, hot-button subject matter, so that episodes airing in syndication won't feel immediately dated.

David Letterman is no stranger to Byron Allen, either. He shared that they actually first worked together around 50 years ago, when Allen was a scrappy underaged talent, saying:

Decades later, Byron Allen became a legitimate billionaire who has, in the past, put in bids to buy BET from Paramount, as well as to buy ABC, FX and more from Disney. Will this timeslot takeover be the first step on the path to Allen attempting to purchase CBS? Funny I should ask...

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert airs weeknights at 11:35, with that final episode coming on Thursday, May 21. We probably shouldn't expect anything over-the-top from that final hour, but one can hope.

The end of May will bring about a big change to the 2026 TV schedule, and to those of successive years, as CBS will officially be out of the late night talk show biz. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is set to conclude on May 21, ten months after CBS officially canceled the long-running staple previously hosted by David Letterman. Some fans are expecting potentially calamitous fireworks upon his eventual exit, but Colbert’s former Comedy Central partner in crime has other thoughts.

Emmy-winning writer Ben Karlin spent seven years on The Daily Show before co-creating The Colbert Report with the titular D.C. native, so he and Colbert obviously have a solid relationship. While appearing on The Daily Beast’s Obsessed podcast to talk about his new series Bait (streaming via Amazon Prime subscription), Karlin was asked for his thoughts on whether the host will bow out in a blaze of politically polarizing glory, or something more traditional. He answered:

With this answer and others, Karlin made sure to note that he was speaking mainly for himself and not for anyone else, but I think he's pretty on the money with his assessment. Had The Late Show's final episode come in the weeks immediately following the cancellation announcement, when the sting was still fresh and emotions were all over the place, then I could maybe see Stephen Colbert stepping outside his gentlemanly comfort zone to turn full heel for his final stretch. (I kinda wish we had a Sliding Doors situation where we could see what that eventuality looked like.)

However, with the final episode set so many months after the decision was made, the initial heightened feelings have settled, and now it's become a more normalized end-date on the horizon. Granted, Colbert has caused some flashbangs over the months, particularly involving his non-televised interview with political candidate James Talarico, and the related dust-up with FCC chairman Brendan Carr.

Ben Karlin addressed that, in the scheme of things, Colbert's Late Night exit is about as good as it can get for a host facing an inevitable disappointment, since there has been such a long runway. In his words:

If losing every job came with the same kind of self-dictated endgame, I might have been far less employable in my life. But that's obviously not the way it goes for most people.

To his point, though, Colbert quickly started setting up new gigs for himself around the time of CBS' cancellation decision. He's popped up on Elsbeth and Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, and was recently a surprise guest voice in the Handmaid's Tale spinoff The Testaments. Perhaps the biggest news of all, however, is that he's working on writing a new Lord of the Rings movie, as inspired by Bill Hader. So it's safe to say he won't be twiddling his thumbs at home for the back half of 2026.

Plus, for all the upset feelings about being ousted, Karlin pointed out that getting out of late night after 11 years could be better than sticking with it for decades, as that format's success can be a double-edged sword. As he put it:

Stephen Colbert can definitely ride off into the sunset knowing that he delivered the goods as a worthy follow-up to David Letterman, and hopefully without any regrets. Oh yeah, and for that sunset, the sun is actually Jon Stewart's face.

We’re just over a month away from the final episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and the last episode of The Late Show at all, for that matter. Colbert has said he hasn’t really had a chance to think about what he’ll do next, but he does know what he’s going to miss when it’s all over.

Oprah Winfrey was a guest on The Late Show recently, but she couldn’t help but start asking questions of the host. She began asking Colbert about his thoughts as the show is wrapping up, so the host actually switched seats with Winfrey so she could better interview him. The legendary journalist asked if there was anything he wanted to “release” as the show was wrapping up, but Colbert said his feelings were quite the opposite of that. He said…

The one thing that Colbert has been pretty open about through the entire cancellation fiasco has been the simple fact that he doesn’t want to go. He clearly enjoys the show, and if it were up to him, he would continue to do it. He’s clearly frustrated by the entire situation.

While Colbert says he misses the audience the most, this isn’t a play for applause, because applause actually has nothing to do with why the audience is so important. Colbert and Oprah discuss the way that the audience helps make the show better, and it’s actually quite interesting. Colbert said…

Colbert admits that, as an interviewer, he may not be paying 100% attention to what his guest is saying, because he’s also focused on making sure he asks all his questions (as somebody who occasionally conducts interviews, I feel this so hard it hurts). The audience then acts as a barometer, allowing him to know where the interview is going.

Colbert and Winfrey have more in common than just a history of interviewing people. Colbert recently made a voice cameo on Hulu's The Testaments, a franchise Winfrey has also vocally appeared on. Check out the full exchange between Oprah Winfrey and Stephen Colbert below.

If this exchange between Stephen Colbert and Oprah Winfrey is an example of what is to come during the final weeks of The Late Show, we are in for some incredible moments.

Stephen Colbert may be getting ready to say goodbye to being in front of the camera, at least for a while, but the man is certainly not having any issues finding work, even if you can’t see him.

The long-time late-night host certainly has a distinctive voice, and so when you hear him, you tend to notice. Fans of Star Trek heard him recently as the voice of the Digital Dean of Students on Starfleet Academy. However, that's not his only heard but not seen role on streaming these days. He also appeared in the first episode of The Testaments.

The series is a follow-up to The Handmaid’s Tale. In the first episode, one of the characters turns on a hidden radio in order to listen to Radio Free Boston, and the DJ is very recognizable. Showrunner Bruce Miller tells EW he was very thankful Colbert was willing to be involved, saying…

Miller is open that the reason he felt Colbert was an appropriate choice was that The Late Show host is known as somebody willing to speak truth to power. This made him a fitting voice of the resistance to an authoritarian government as seen in The Testaments.

Of course, Colbert’s speaking out about those in power has arguably gotten him in some trouble. It’s been suggested that Colbert’s criticism of Paramount’s lawsuit settlement with President Trump contributed to the decision to cancel The Late Show. Of course, as Miller joked, the fact that the show was ending meant that Colbert might have been more open to the voice cameo…

Colbert’s cameo isn’t without precedent. The Handmaid’s Tale had an iconic, and equally fitting, voice cameo as well when Oprah Winfrey appeared in the series. Bruce Miller thinks the two cameos fit very well together because of what they mean to people, which is something that the audience watching the show will certainly understand. He continued…

The incredibly short length of the appearance may have actually had quite a lot to do with why Colbert agreed to appear. The host recently admitted that he hasn’t been able to consider his post-Late Show career much because hosting the show is still a full-time job. So he likely won’t be able to think about the future until the show wraps its run next month.

Once the show does finish its run, however, Colbert may certainly appear in more places. We know he’s working on the screenplay for an upcoming Lord of the Rings movie, and knowing that Starfleet Academy has another season on the way, I hope he returns as the Digital Dean of Students. If anybody else wants to hire him as a voice actor, it seems like he'll take the call.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will come to an end in May on the 2026 TV schedule. Meaning, after eleven seasons, the long-time host will be done with his show, and he’ll be moving on to other projects. One of those projects is a Lord of the Rings movie he’s writing. Now, you might be wondering: How did he decide to do that? Well, it would seem that a choice one Saturday Night Live vet made when they left the NBC show may have inspired him.

While going from late-night to writing a fantasy film seems kind of random, Colbert’s LOTR fandom makes it obvious that he’s made a passionate and clever career move. His conversation on Smartless (which was released on April 6, but was recorded in March, a week before the Lord of the Rings announcement, per The Wrap) about what he’s doing next also seemingly helps explain his choice, too. Speaking about his plans and how he was inspired by Bill Hader when it came to them, the host said:

When Hader’s second child was born, he left SNL. While he’s considered a legend of the show, Hader had a hard time performing on it. So, after eight seasons, he said goodbye. His final show was in 2013, and after that, he went on to work as a full-time writer on South Park, per Vulture. He did continue to act; however, this pivot is very notable, seeing as it’s not what we typically see from long-time Saturday Night Live performers right when they exit the show.

Thinking about that, Colbert realized a pivot like this was what he wanted to do, explaining on the podcast:

Now, while Colbert didn’t specifically name his Lord of the Rings project, his thinking here 100% aligns with his next career choice. During the podcast, he wouldn’t say what he was doing next, but he did note, “I got some things I do want to do.” When this was recorded, his writing project wasn’t publicly announced. However, now that it is, it’s easy to connect the dots here.

Much like Bill Hader going to write for South Park after performing on SNL, Colbert’s next career move is a hard pivot. However, it’s also a logical one, and it’s one that’s driven by what he loves. Hader had a history with the animated series, and he adores it. The same is true for the late-night host and Lord of the Rings. So, the inspiration seems pretty clear to me.

However, Colbert has a show to finish first. The Late Show will end on May 21. However, until then, you can catch new episodes on weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on CBS (or you can stream them with a Paramount+ subscription). Then, it’ll be time for the host to get writing his Lord of the Rings movie, and try out something different that lives in a realm he loves.

We’re only a couple of months away from the final episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The announcement that the show would be ending sent shockwaves through the world of television, and while we’ve known for months that the show was coming to an end, host Stephen Colbert admits he still hasn’t really had a chance to come to terms with it.

In an appearance on the Smartless podcast, Colbert talked about his feelings regarding the show ending, except that he doesn’t really have any feelings... at least not yet. He says he hasn’t really been able to process the end of the show for the simple reason that he’s still doing the show, and that takes all his time and attention. He explained…

Considering that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert produces new episodes on almost every weekday, it’s certainly not a shock that the job is taking a lot of time. Each day requires writing new jokes and putting together interviews with different guests. There’s certainly a lot of work that goes into it.

As far as what the future holds for Colbert, beyond the occasional joke about going to work for Netflix, Colbert hasn't revealed what's next for him. It seems that's because he doesn't know, and for the same reason: he hasn’t had time to consider the question. While he hints generally at some work in the future, a long-term future plan hasn’t been announced by Colbert because he doesn’t have one. Colbert said…

At least one of the things that we know Colbert is committed to is screenwriting. He’s attached to co-write a Lord of the Rings movie as part of the current franchise expansion that will start with Andy Serkis ' The Hunt for Gollum movie.

While CBS may be getting out of the late-night game, one assumes that if Stephen Colbert wants to host another talk show or other comedy series, he will have his choice of options. Colbert has made it clear he would have stayed with The Late Show for a long time if given the chance, and so he's going to need something new to keep him busy.

When CBS execs made the call in 2025 to cancel The Late Show after 11 seasons, it’s unclear if anyone involved expected host Stephen Colbert to spend much of the following year earning a steady outpouring of industry support and awards recognition that had previously passed him by. The latest honor bestowed upon him, which follows a Producers Guild win in February, was the Writer’s Guild of America’s Walter Bernstein Award. As one can imagine, his acceptance speech was as awards-worthy as anything.

To be sure, Colbert didn’t use the entirety of his time on the Edison Ballroom stage to take aim at his to-be-former employers, and wasn’t nearly as deliberate with his potshots as he gets on his talk show. But it was a 15-minute speech, so there was time to tap into all manner of commentary on the matter, including addressing what will be the hardest thing for him to say farewell to when The Late Show closes its doors for good.

Introduced by his longtime friend and former collaborator Robert Smigel (of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog fame), who spoke to the Colbert Report vet’s lengthy comedic career (via Deadline), Colbert humbly gave Smigel and others props for helping him reach the successes he has. To skip to the end right quick, he wrapped his speech by honoring The Late Show's writing team, saying:

(For those who either don't remember or never watched The Dana Carvey Show, it's where Colbert got his big break alongside Steve Carell, 30 Rock co-creator Robert Carlock, Oscar-winning screenwriter Charlie Kaufman and more brilliant comedians. And it's also streaming via Tubi, so familiarize yourself sooner rather than later.)

The honoree continued his speech, sharing what he'll seemingly miss the most once The Late Show is officially done. As he put it:

Even if one disagrees with 99% of everything that comes out of Stephen Colbert's mouth, that sentiment is hard to challenge. I think the sound of others' laughter can be one of the best parts about any job, which can only get better when those people are all professional comedy writers.

Stephen Colbert's Swipe At Paramount And CBS

Though the esteemed host didn't spent nearly as much time lambasting his studio bosses as one might have expected, he did trot out a variety of jokes and gags that were previously cut from The Late Show telecasts, many of which fell on the NSFW side of the spectrum. Of course, he couldn't refrain entirely from poking the bear.

In reference to the eponymous award being granted, which was named for a screenwriter who was blacklisted at a point when McCarthyism plagued Hollywood, Colbert said:

• This is not the 1950s. This is not the Red Scare. And, as far as I can tell, no one in late-night is fomenting a revolution. As we know, the revolution will not be televised. It was going to be televised, and then Paramount bought it. Evidently, the revolution was losing, like, $40 million a year — it had to go. I hear the revolution is thinking of starting a Substack.

The host referenced the alleged amount of money that execs claimed CBS was losing out on due to The Late Show, a total that has been contested by Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel and others in the industry.

Despite the lack of love between host and network, hosts from competing networks have been quick to honor Colbert as well. Just last week, Jimmy Fallon popped by the Ed Sullivan Theater to serenade his rival with a rousing rendition of Paul Anka's "My Way." Weird that Colbert didn't mention THAT as the thing he'd miss the most when the show is over. Or not.

The Late Show airs weeknights on CBS at 11:35 p.m. ET, with the final episode already locked into the 2026 TV schedule for May 21, 2026. New episodes stream the next day via Paramount+ subscription.

The back half of the 2026 TV schedule will be missing a major late night personality, with Stephen Colbert’s Late Show getting canceled last year by CBS, whose execs set up May 2026 as the endgame window for the long-running talk show. Never one to go down quietly and quaintly, Colbert has been a lightning rod in recent months, and the show keeps landing the kinds of wins and recognition it’s arguably deserved for the past decade, with the PGAs being the latest to sing the show’s praises.

The 2026 Producers Guild Awards were held on February 28, with One Battle After Another taking home the big prize on the movie side of things, while The Pitt, The Studio and Adolescence maintaining their respective winning streams for TV in the drama, comedy and limited series categories. And those who are good (or not) at picking up on context clues can probably surmise who won for the category of Outstanding Producer of Live Entertainment, Variety, Sketch, Standup & Talk Television category.

That’s right, The Late Show’s producers were honored with this award win, and the show boasted about it on Instagram Stories.

This marks the first time The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has won out in that category, in which it's been nominated for seven out of the past eight years. (2024 was the lone holdout, with a trio of stand-up comedy specials limiting late night's presence.) And it's the latest to support the idea that awards organizations are finally giving Colbert his due honors now that he won't be eligible to receive them anymore, at least within the world of late night talk shows.

Prior to 2025, the only noteworthy awards The Late Show with Stephen Colbert earned (at least of those listed on IMDb) were two Telly Awards and an ICG Publicists award. But following the cancellation hullaballo, here's how the show has done:

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert's Post-Cancellation Award Wins

• 2025 Primetime Emmy - Outstanding Talk Series
• 2025 Primetime Emmy - Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series (Jim Hoskinson)
• 2025 Online Film and Television Association TV Award - Best Variety or Sketch Series
• 2026 PGA Award - Outstanding Producer of Live Entertainment, Variety, Sketch, Standup & Talk Television

Not exactly irrefutable proof of anything, but the trend seems to be tipping in Colbert's favor, so I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if The Late Show kept its winning streak going in the months to come. (Including the 2026 Emmys, which won't even air until months after his hosting duties ended.)

For the most part, Colbert & Co. hasn’t really changed anything about the show to intentionally draw an abundance of renewed attention, though the host’s cavalier attitude about his CBS and Paramount bosses has certainly given it an edge that The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon could never even attempt for. His not-exactly-a-feud with FCC boss Brendan Carr is such an example, with the latter recently voicing an intention to bring equal partisan policies back to late night and daytime talk shows.

It's also not like he pivoted to airing only the most highbrow and poignant of interviews to achieve mass critical acclaim. Sometimes it just takes dating advice and sharing a big sandwich to make for fun TV.

Colbert himself has not yet shared any celebratory posts online about the win, but I bet he'd love to rub it in the faces of those responsible for giving the show an end date. Maybe if it wins another 3,000 awards in the next two months, CBS will renege on its cancellation decision. And maybe the network will replace The Late Show with Flying Pigs and Worms With Ears.

Stephen Colbert's final Late Show episode is set for May 21, 2026, but he'll continue winning viewers over every weeknight on CBS at 11:35 p.m. ET, with new eps streaming the next day via Paramount+ subscription.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is inching closer to its conclusion. The late-night program, which was canceled by CBS in 2025, will close out its 11-season run this coming May amid the 2026 TV schedule. Colbert himself has shared a plethora of thoughts on his show ending but, ultimately, the veteran host just wants to “land this plane” in a firm way. With the impending close of the series also comes a few ending milestones and, just this week, the program hit one of those benchmarks.

Over the course of Colbert’s run on The Late Show, the series has gone live on a number of rare occasions and, in many cases, those segments coincide with significant events. This past Tuesday marked the annual State of the Union address, which was delivered by U.S. President Donald Trump. As a result of that, Colbert was on hand to give a live opening monologue, with which he could discuss POTUS’ sentiments in real time. Colbert started his broadcast by delivering the following confirmation:

As noted in Colbert’s monologue, which is on YouTube, President Trump broke the record for the longest SOTU address in history. The Late Show producers couldn’t predict when the speech would end but, given the timing, they went live so Colbert could respond. Colbert hit a number of points related to Trump’s “incredibly long” speech, including the president honoring the gold medal-winning U.S. Men’s Hockey Team. Colbert also mentioned that the Women's team opted not to end, quipping that they said, “Puck no.”

The actual content of the monologue aside, there’s a very surreal aspect to all of this. Reports confirm that this will indeed be the final time Colbert’s show goes live before it ends in a few months. While Colbert’s live hits were few and far between, they marked a solid change of pace from the usual pre-recorded segments that aired on the show weekly. If anything, this final live monologue makes the inevitability of the talk show’s demise feel all the more real.

Paramount Skydance, the parent company of CBS, reportedly canceled The Late Show because it was no longer profitable, and reports at the time suggested that the Emmy-winning series had lost the network millions of dollars in recent years. Other arguments have since been made regarding the rationale behind the cancellation. Some analysts asserted that the series was axed due to Stephen Colbert openly criticizing the Eye Network’s decision to settle a $16 million lawsuit with President Trump.

Colbert addressed those politics-related claims and admitted that he could understand why commentators would think the cancellation was politically motivated. However, the media personality also stated that he had “no interest” in trying to add to the speculation, saying “people can have their theories” but his “side of the street is clean.”

It’s honestly going to be quite weird to have a TV landscape in which Late Show – which began in 1993 with David Letterman as host – isn’t on the air. Still, it seems like Colbert and co. are going about their business as usual during the final months of the show’s run. On that note, those who tuned in for the program’s final live monologue on Tuesday night can now say they took part in a bit of TV history.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET, and its final episode is set to air on Thursday, May 21.

Seven short days ago, Austin politician James Talarico was scheduled to appear on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. He flew to New York, headed to the famous Ed Sullivan theater in which CBS’ late night host tapes, and filmed his segment. Then all hell broke loose. The FCC said The Late Show was not following the equal time mandate. CBS pulled the segment from the air. It ended up online. There was public outcry. Even Stephen Colbert was pissed, and didn’t try to hide it during subsequent tapings.

All of this was actually great news for James Talarico.

The Late Show’s Loss Was Talarico’s Gain

Honestly, I've thought very little about James Talarico in the days since The FCC and Stephen Colbert got into the public spat. This is true despite us following the coverage closely and reporting on various aspects of CBS and Colbert’s back-and-forth. James Talarico was simply the man in the chair the FCC wanted to make an example of. But back at home in Texas, people sat up and paid attention to the member of the Texas House of Representatives, who is currently running against fellow Democrat Jasmine Crockett in the U.S. Senate race.

Reports indicate that in the two days following his appearance on The Late Show, James Talarico landed new donations in the ballpark of $2.5 million dollars, as confirmed by his campaign. The number of people Googling who he is and what he stands for in politics also spiked after this appearance, which was additionally put up on YouTube.

After Talarico spun himself as the underdog, Jasmine Crockett spoke out about her feelings on the impending race, noting to CBS News that cash injection should have been helpful for her opponent.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has had a more political bent for years, and Les Moonves was previously candid it was a strategy for the show. Unlike some of the other late night shows, Colbert's is a little less pop culture-oriented, though he still has actors, actresses and singer on often. However, when the producer reached out to James Talarico, I'm not sure anyone saw this whole sequence of events coming.

Things have been pretty heated on The Late Show since, but it's been heated for a while given CBS unceremoniously cancelled the show. Still, it’s interesting this particular fire was lit thanks to an appearance on Colbert's show most people never saw. Now, if only more people in need of notice and/or cash injections were pulled from the 2026 TV schedule thanks to an FCC mandate...

Stephen Colbert has been back in the headlines again in recent days. It’s not just because his show is set to end on CBS in the coming weeks, a fact he’s allegedly “pissed” about. There’s also been an entirely separate brouhaha brewing on The Late Show after President Trump’s administration decided the FCC’s equal time rule applied to late night talk shows, a standard that had not been challenged particularly in the past.

While all this is going on, Stephen Colbert has gone from sentimentally reminiscing about not getting air time with the likes of Emma Stone ahead of future movie projects, to using air time to call out CBS and the FCC. There’s been notable, loud discourse on the Internet, and former fellow late night host Conan O’Briend knows his feelings are big. O’Brien recently broke his silence about what’s going on, and there’s one note he really wants Colbert to heed: A lot of what’s going on has nothing “to do” with him.

Colbert himself hasn’t gone so far as to say he’s “pissed” over the chain of events that led to CBS ultimately axing The Late Show; those are Conan’s words. However, he has been candid that he is “not thrilled” about his show ending in 2026, and there have been some questions about whether or not CBS’ “financial” explanation for the cancellation holds water.

O’Brien got real about feeling like what has been happening on late night recently, particularly in regards to the separate disaster that was Kimmel getting suspended from Live!, was “outrageous.” However, he’s a pretty reasonable guy in general, and he did tell The New Yorker we should all be looking at “the larger picture.”

O’Brien actually appeared on The Late Show a few months ago and lauded Colbert for the way he’s handled this portion of his career. He said at the time, that he and the other late night hosts have a "very special" "connection" with the audience they get to keep forever, even when the show is not longer on the air.

Colbert is getting the chance to wrap his series (mostly) the way he wants to wrap it, outside of the recent FCC intervention. Plus, O’Brien wants to put it on record that the end of one’s late night career is not the end of one's life.

He hosts a successful podcast filled with topical content. David Letterman has a well-liked Netflix series that pays him incredibly well and allows him to work when he feels like it. Jay Leno is out there still riding motorcycles (perhaps ill-advised) at 75. He might no longer be a part of the 2026 TV schedule in just a few short months, but change often means newer, more unique opportunities.

I, for one, can't wait to see what's next.

For myriad reasons, it feels like the late-night landscape is changing. From Stephen Colbert’s show getting canceled and Jimmy Kimmel’s program being taken off the air last year to a slew of online creators becoming prominent in the interview space, it feels like we’re in a major moment of evolution. Now, Bowen Yang, who left Saturday Night Live partway through Season 51 and hosts a very successful podcast with Matt Rogers, has made it clear that he does not want late-night to die.

For years, Yang and his friend and fellow comedian Matt Rogers have hosted a successful podcast called Las Culturistas. They’ve interviewed A-listers like Tina Fey, Chappell Roan, Jennifer Lawrence and many more, and they hosted their own award show on Bravo last year. Along with all that, they were featured in a Vanity Fair article about the rise of digital creators who are “shattering the talk show format” and creating a “new late night.”

However, while they’re making waves with their own podcast, Yang made it clear that he is still a big supporter of classic late-night shows, saying:

There’s no question that what happened to these two late-night hosts was unexpected, and it feels like a sign that things are changing. Yang believes that, too, because when Colbert got canceled, he reacted, explaining that it was “tragic” and “a really dark day” for late-night television. Following the news that The Late Show would air its final episodes on the 2026 TV schedule, the comedian also wondered how SNL could be impacted by big changes like this.

Obviously, Jimmy Kimmel Live! getting suspended last fall after FCC chairman Brendan Carr threatened ABC, also created questions about the future of late-night television. While Kimmel did return to the air, his show's suspension due to comments he made on air about Charlie Kirk left many concerned about the ripple effects a move like this could have.

So, considering all of that, Yang ended his comment by saying:

Overall, there are a lot of factors that play into the future of late-night. Colbert and Kimmel’s situations emphasized them too, as they’ve pointed out financial and potential political challenges that are being presented.

Meanwhile, a new crop of creators, like Yang, Hot Ones’ Sean Evans, Royal Court’s Brittany Broski, Therapuss’ Jake Shane and more are making waves through their interviews, creating a new generation of personalities who conduct work that is redefining the interview game.

Bowen Yang is one of said creators. He left Saturday Night Live mid-way through Season 51, and while he has a flourishing film and TV career, his impact on the internet cannot be denied. His and Matt Rogers podcast is a big deal, and they get major guests (like late-night hosts do). However, he’s also still a fierce ally of late-night TV and wants to see it protected at all costs.

Things are getting a little heated over at The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The host only has about three more months of his talk show to go before the plug is officially pulled, and while Colbert may be going, he’s not going quietly, and it looks like he has little issue upsetting the CBS execs who fired him on the way out the door as Colbert is now engaged in a war of words with his own network.

How CBS Responded To Stephen Colbert’s Comments

Everything started on the evening of February 16 when Colbert announced that he had been ordered by CBS’s legal team not to air his interview with Texas Rep. James Talirico, who is running for Senate in the state. Despite being advised not to talk about it on-air, Colbert did just that, taking aim at his network, and parent company Paramount, a favorite target in recent months, for the move and the FCC for considering alterations to its equal time rule that led to the network’s decision.

However, in a surprising move, CBS released a statement following Colbert’s show claiming that isn’t quite what happened. The statement read:

The issue at hand is that FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, the same man who suggested ABC affiliates pre-empt Jimmy Kimmel before they did exactly that, and Kimmel was suspended, has suggested removing the exemption from the equal time rule that talk shows have had. Colbert claimed CBS was acting as if the exemption had already been lifted. CBS’s statement seems to imply the network was simply preparing for the possibility that the rule could be enforced.

Colbert did an end run around the issue by airing the interview only on YouTube, where the FCC has no jurisdiction.

How Stephen Colbert Reacted To His Network’s Statement

Needless to say, it’s a little unusual to see a network and the host of the network’s show go back and forth like this. One wouldn’t expect Colbert to leave things there, and he did not. On Colbert's February 17th show, he criticized the statement from CBS, which was apparently released without The Late Show even being made aware that it was happening. Colbert said he didn’t understand why it needed to be released, as everything he’d said had already been vetted by lawyers. Colbert included:

Colbert then ended the segment by crumpling up a copy of the CBS statement and picking it up with a bag, the way one handles dog droppings. It will be interesting to see if CBS has any new statement following Colbert’s salvo. This particular issue is likely done, but Colbert is clearly playing The Late Show like a senior who is done with finals. He's out in May, and the worst anybody at the network can do to him is fire him.

Stephen Colbert is nearing the final stretch of his Late Show hosting tenure at CBS, with the previously canceled talk show staple set to conclude in May, and he hasn’t exactly spoken glowingly about his home network in the time since. The bad blood runneth over once more on Monday evening, as Colbert went against his superiors’ wishes by ripping into both them and the FCC over not allowing him to air an interview due to a potential rule change regarding equal opportunity partisanship for late night guests.

Seemingly as proof of his prior "flaming toboggan ride" comments, The Late Show’s President’s Day episode was also affected by BTS challenges. The ep featured solo marquee guest Jennifer Garner promoting Season 2 of her Apple TV+ drama The Last Thing She Told Me, but before she took the stage, Stephen Colbert had thoughts to share. Taking a few minutes to address the fact that the episode was also meant to feature an interview with Texas state representative James Talarico, Colbert said he was flat-out forbidden from showing it to his broadcast audience. Here’s how the host started his incensed mini-segment:

As if Colbert could be trusted to successfully follow any and all rules laid out before him, even if he fully aligned with them. Naturally, he took every opportunity to defy those supposed orders by addressing the interview-sniping directly.

The Strangers with Candy vet took specific aim at FCC boss Brendan Carr, who spoke out in January about the impulse to revive the long-dormant "equal time" rule that states if a broadcast TV and/or radio program invites a political candicate from a certain party as a guest during an election period, the program must also then invite a guest from the opposing party. To that end, Colbert shared his belief that re-enforcing that rule now is just a sign of Carr's own allegiance to POTUS Donald Trump. As he put it:

Colbert's rant also referenced fellow late night host Jimmy Kimmel, who was previously suspended for comments made after Charlie Kirk's death, as well as the infamous Nipplegate incident. He played an audio clip of Carr speaking about Colbert and Kimmel's reactions to the "equal time" rule, and saying that they're free to make the jump to streaming services where the FCC's rules won't factor in. To which, of course, the host had a snappy response:

When in doubt, Arby's is always right there for a quick punchline.

Colbert wasn't done yet, and he pointed out that he was forced to pull an interview over something that wasn't even officially put back into the rulebook yet.

Colbert likely hasn't made himself any new friends across the political aisle since the Late Show was canceled, and it could be that his on-air behavior has ruffled some feathers and provoked certain network execs to get stricter as his time gets closer to wrapping up. We'll have to wait and see if more provisions get cascaded down to him in the final three months.

Before he was finished, Stephen Colbert vowed to his audience that he was still determined to bring his interview with James Talarico to the masses, directing them to find the video streaming on The Late Show's YouTube page, where it no longer fell under the FCC's ruling. In fact, that interview can be watched below.

Here's a look at the The Late Show's lineup for the rest of the week, assuming no last-minute changes will affect any of them.

• Tuesday, February 17
  • Kaitlan Collins, Walter Isaacson
• Wednesday, February 18
  • Senator Jon Ossoff, Kyle MacLachlan, Thundercat sitting in with Louis Cato and the Late Show Band
• Thursday, February 19
  • Melissa McCarthy, Michael Pollan

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert airs weeknights on CBS at 11:35 p.m. ET, with episodes streaming the next day via Paramount+ subscription.

Tom Hiddleston is beloved for many things, but he is best known for his work as Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Night Manager actor is set to reprise the role the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, and he was a natural fit to play the God of Mischief. Loki’s antics and story arc are very telling of Hiddleston as an actor with natural charm, which Stephen Colbert says is true in real life as well.

Hiddleston recently appeared as a guest on the final season of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, currently airing on the 2026 TV Schedule, to promote The Night Manager Season 2. It’s been a decade since The Night Manager Season 1 was released, coincidentally around the same time the Loki actor first met Colbert’s wife. The Emmy-winning host recalled the encounter in a video posted to Instagram, and I can’t get enough of this story about the Hiddleston being way too British and charming around Colbert’s wife:

Did he just come up with that on the spot? Tom Hiddleston, I have underestimated you! A swoon-worthy line indeed, and the smooth moves didn’t end there. Presumably, this story is from the infamous 2016 Met Gala where Hiddleston and Taylor Swift first sparked dating rumors with Swift fresh off her split with Calvin Harris. Clearly, Hiddleston was on his game that night, so perhaps Colbert had reason to be territorial over his wife, Evelyn McGee-Colbert.

After Swift and Hiddleston’s whirlwind summer romance, Colbert penned and performed a comedic song about their breakup. Perhaps the song came from a place of retribution for wooing his wife, but after listening to the lyrics, I’m starting to wonder if the Late Show host was secretly jealous of his wife having Hiddleston’s attention. Based on how Colbert tells the story, I’m sure he would have also rather walked away arm and arm with the Marvel actor, instead of listening to Elon Musk talk about the logistics of making rocket fuel on Mars.

All jokes aside, I have no doubt Hiddleston is a very respectful guy, and would never (purposefully) put the moves on a friend’s partner. It’s not his fault he has an English accent and a naturally charming personality. Regardless, these days The Essex Serpent actor seems to channel all his charm and devotion to his fiancée, British actress and playwright Zawe Ashton. The couple just welcomed their second child together in December.

Watching this Late Show interview, one thing is for certain: Tom Hiddleston has aged like fine wine. And after playing Charles Krantz in the Stephen King adaptation Life of Chuck, he has added ballroom dance to his skills to sweep ladies off their feet. If Colbert was worried about the Thor actor a decade ago, I can assume he told his wife Evie to stay at home while the War Horse actor was on Late Show.

There has been no shortage of support for Stephen Colbert following the cancellation of The Late Show last year. Now, as we sadly count down the days on the 2026 TV schedule to his final telecast, the love hasn’t stopped pouring in. In fact, at the Golden Globes, tons of celebrities showed their appreciation for the host with some very kind words, while others, including Judd Apatow, shared their thoughts on the show coming to an end.

Last summer, when Colbert’s program got canceled, the late-night hosts reacted and shared their support for him alongside a bunch of other celebrities, including Judd Apatow. Then, at the 2026 Golden Globes, he showed that level of support again when he was asked to talk about the host for The Late Show's TikTok on the red carpet. In response, he said:

The Knocked Up director wasn’t the only one asking Colbert to stay on the air, either. Kumail Nanjiani used his time on the carpet to talk about why the host needs to keep doing The Late Show, saying:

Sadly, Colbert will have to stop on Thursday, May 21. That’s the official last day of his show. However, for the next four-ish months, he’ll keep going on this “flaming toboggan ride” and delivering episodes every weekday on CBS at 11:35 p.m. ET that show why people were so quick to sing his praises on the red carpet.

Now, while many don’t want The Late Show to end, the sad reality is that it will. So, the question becomes: What will Stephen Colbert do next? Well, Colbert has joked about his next gig and asked Netflix or Amazon to call him. He’s also made it clear that he wants to “land this plane” in reference to his current show, and noted that that's where his full focus is at the moment.

Well, while Colbert might have his focus on finishing The Late Show strong, others have ideas. For example, on this red carpet, Overcompensating star and comedian Mary Beth Barone threw out this idea:

It certainly will be interesting to see what Stephen Colbert does after his show comes to an end. However, whatever it is, I’m sure tons of people will be ready and willing to support him.

That was shown in this video too, as the other celebrities who spoke to the show on the red carpet were quick to compliment Colbert with words like:

• “Stone cold fox.” -Ayo Edebiri
• “Legend. Articulate. Kind.” -Paul Mescal
• “Wise, intelligent hero.” -Mark Ronson
• “Hilarious. Insightful. Iconic.” -Paul W. Downs
• “Poised. Regal. Joyus.” -Hudson Williams
• “Lovely, gentleman, sensitive.” -Keegan Michael Key
• “I love Stephen Colbert. I wrote Stephen, you can ask my publicist, a literal love letter.” -Justine Lupe

That’s not even all of them, either. There’s more.

So, all this is to say, the love for Stephen Colbert is strong, and so is the anger toward his show’s cancellation. Even though it’s been months since the news broke about The Late Show ending, and there are still months left before its final episode, people are still ready and willing to sing the praises of this late-night show host, and I love to see it.

Fans were devastated to learn last summer that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert would end. The decision to axe the series was considered a controversial move by CBS, whose parent company, Paramount, was in the midst of a merger deal at the time. It’s been over six months since the cancellation came down, and the situation now seems to be sinking in for Colbert and his many staffers who have been working with him for years. The date for the show's final broadcast has since been announced, and Colbert discussed the process of running the show.

Colbert has expressed sadness over the conclusion of his long-running talk show. However, he's also not holding back about the production side of it. During an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Colbert got candid about what it has been like crafting an episode of the Emmy-winning talk show every night, especially with the ever-changing political climate that Colbert famously reflects on in his monologues. Based on the description Colbert gives, it definitely doesn't seem easy:

Calling it a "flaming toboggan ride" may seem wild, but that description is quite fitting. I don’t think people realize the kind of works a talk show like this takes to create. For instance, there are a team of segment producers who work on celebrity interviews, making sure the questions asked are interesting and creative.

Also, there's a group of monologue writers who work with Colbert to make sure their reflection on the news of the day is topical and funny while also not alienating an audience. There are also teams that specifically handle the cold-open, production logistics, legal affairs, graphics, research and even more. Ultimately, it all comes together each night to entertain audiences and, in most cases, it all looks like it's done effortlessly.

Of course, Stephen Colbert is aware of the hustle, because he is at the center of it, inundating himself in the news because he is the mouthpiece for all this hard work. I wouldn't be surprised if, in some ways, he feels a little relief in having a break from all of the chaos. On the other hand, as he states, he has a lot of fun doing this show and has a bond with his staff. Previously, Colbert said he was not thrilled with everything that had been happening, especially considering the show wasn't ending on his terms.

As it final episodes approach, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert's legacy is becoming clear. It’s not just an off-the-cuff comedy show, it’s an accumulation of the demanding work that the staff and crew put in every night to create something truly special.

With the end in sight, I feel like the curtain has been pulled back a bit on everything that goes into a show like this. Even though, Colbert calls the show a “flaming toboggan ride,” part of me would like to think he wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. Even though they won’t be riding it much longer, the Late Show gang have a lot to be proud of.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will air its final episode on Thursday, May 21 amid the 2026 TV schedule. Until then, you can see the show weeknights at 11:30 p.m. EST on CBS. Fans can also revisit their favorite episodes now with a Paramount+ subscription.

The months are counting down until the final credits roll on The Late Show in the 2026 TV schedule, and Stephen Colbert delivered an update on how he’s feeling about the cancellation since he previously said he’d learned not to “trust billionaires.” He visited another late night TV host to open up about feeling “not thrilled” as the reality of the looming finale sets in, with the comedy twist of a truly epic spit-take right on the set of Late Night with Seth Meyers.

CBS shocked the world back in July with the news that The Late Show was being cancelled after a final eleventh season with Stephen Colbert as host, and the ending feels a whole lot closer on this side of 2026. The Elsbeth scene-stealer has gotten snarky as well as emotional about the end over the past months, including when he won his first-ever Emmy for The Late Show. He was seemingly feeling sentimental again while visiting Late Night with Seth Meyers, telling SNL’s former “Weekend Update” anchor:

Colbert got serious about the end of his time with the people working on his show now that it “feels real,” but that doesn’t mean he brought gloom and doom to Late Night. As soon as Seth Meyers started to broach the subject of the cancellation, the Colbert Report vet reached for his mug and… well, it deserves to be seen at least once. Take a look:

I’d be lying if I claimed to have only watched that clip once, because it was already funny as soon as Stephen Colbert started trying to keep a straight face behind his mug while waiting to deliver his spit-take. Seth Meyers, undoubtedly a veteran of the spit-take himself after more than a decade on Saturday Night Live, had a reaction worth a watch as well.

Still, my favorite part might be when Colbert realized that he’d ended up with about as much water on himself as he projected outward. Honestly, I don’t think the spit-take would be as epic if it had been more successful. It does make me miss the comedy that he brings to the small screen on a regular basis as host of The Late Show. The end is quite literally in sight now as well, with Deadline confirming the series finale will air on Thursday, May 21 on CBS.

I do think it’s a safe bet that the final weeks of The Late Show will be pretty packed with standout guest stars. My fingers are crossed to see Colbert’s fellow late night hosts turning up before the end. Jon Stewart seems like a likely visitor, and my fingers are crossed for John Oliver to visit the couch at the Ed Sullivan Theater at least one more time. And who knows? Now that Seth Meyers has hosted Stephen Colbert in 2026, maybe Meyers will visit Colbert.

For now, you can find new episodes of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on CBS, or stream the next day with a Paramount+ subscription.