It’s now official – CBS has pulled the plug on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. This announcement represents the conclusion of a complex, meaningful epoch in late-night TV. The show in its entirety has been a 33-year boon for CBS prime-time programming. If that holds, it would end its run in May 2026, right at the end of the traditional broadcast season. Stephen Colbert has been the show’s full-time host since 2015. In his final Thursday night taping, he thanked the audience at home and the team behind the show.
The Late Show has now been shut down during these challenging days for late-night television. This decision is budgetary, not a reflection of Colbert’s performance. All that wasn’t enough for CBS to keep the franchise alive, even with ratings in the stratosphere. During its run, the show consistently ranked as the top-rated show in its time slot. Colbert inherited the show from David Letterman, who helmed it for 22 years, from 1993 until 2015.
For Colbert, these last two years have been the real Tea Party. We know that he’s been a fierce partisan over the past five years. On the one hand, CBS acknowledges that Colbert is ultimately irreplaceable and will be retiring The Late Show franchise when it ends.
“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will end its historic run in May 2026 at the end of the broadcast season,” stated George Cheeks, co-CEO of Paramount Global and president and CEO of CBS. Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment, and David Stapf, president of CBS Studios, flanked him on either side. They defended how the show has radically affected late-night television.
“We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire The Late Show franchise at that time. We are proud that Stephen called CBS home. He and the broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late-night television.” – George Cheeks, co-CEO of Paramount Global and president and CEO of CBS; Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment; and David Stapf, president of CBS Studios
It was hard to hear Stephen Colbert break the news of the show’s cancellation while taping last week, alternately pained and somber. Wow, I’ll tell you what, it is a wonderful job,” he said with visible enthusiasm. His excitement belies just how much he loves serving as PBS Kids showrunner. He said that he hoped it wasn’t him getting the news. It’s just one of the many ways that speaks to how ingrained into the show’s legacy he already is.
“I wish someone else was getting it. And it is a job I am looking forward to doing with this usual gang of idiots for another 10 months.” – Stephen Colbert
The announcement has proven controversial among fans and media commentators, to say the least. Some have questioned if there are political reasons for the cancellation. Senator Adam Schiff remarked, “If Paramount and CBS ended The Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better.”