Stephen Colbert Prepares for Final Broadcast as CBS Retires ‘The Late Show’
CBS says financial pressure forced the end of Stephen Colbert’s 11-season run, and the final episode drew more than 9 million YouTube views after a canceled interview.
- On Thursday, May 21, 2026, host Stephen Colbert will sign off from the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City, ending The Late Show with Stephen Colbert's decade-long run on CBS.
- CBS executives called the cancellation "purely a financial decision," though critics link it to Colbert's criticism of Paramount Global's $16 million settlement with President Donald Trump, which he called a "big fat bribe."
- Starting Friday, Byron Allen's Comics Unleashed will occupy the 11:35 p.m. slot, with network executives projecting savings of approximately $150 million annually in production and marketing costs.
- Former host David Letterman criticized the decision, while Colbert reflected that the cancellation may have "saved life," pivoting to co-write a Lord of the Rings film.
- The cancellation reflects declining late-night broadcast viewership, as networks increasingly shift from political satire toward cheaper, non-partisan syndicated content in an evolving media landscape.
191 Articles
191 Articles
Colbert’s Crowning Era Ends… CBS Cancels ‘The Late Show’ Amid Speculation
CBS’s decision to cancel “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” signals the end of an era for late-night television. After 11 seasons, the show will air its final episode on May 21, 2024. Many have raised eyebrows at CBS’s financial rationale, with speculation swirling about the underlying motives behind this abrupt conclusion. The shock was palpable in media circles when the news broke in July 2023. Colbert revealed the show’s end date during an …
The Five Best Faith Moments From Stephen Colbert’s ‘Late Show’ Run
When Stephen Colbert announced this season would be the end of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, most of the conversation focused on ratings, politics and the future of late night. Fair enough. Colbert spent nearly a decade at the top of the format and reshaped what a network talk show host could sound like in the Trump era. But for a lot of viewers — especially Christians — something else is disappearing too. For years, The Late Show quietly …
Late-Night Therapy: Jon Stewart Tells Colbert Audience to 'Close Your Eyes and Dream' of Voters Repudiating 'Putrid' Trump Admin -- 'We Are Tired'
Stephen Colbert reunited with buddy Jon Stewart on Tuesday night’s episode of The Late Show and the two quickly reignited their dewy-eyed mutual admiration society.
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