After 33 years, ‘The Late Show’ will end its run in May 2026 after CBS decided to cancel the iconic show.
The series has been led by Steven Colbert since 2015, taking the name ‘The Late Show with Steven Colbert’, but began in 1993. Initially talk show host David Letterman led the shows after being passed over by NBC for The Tonight Show.
In announcing the news, CBS paid tribute to ‘The Late Show’ and to Colbert for his “historic run” on the show.
“We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire ‘THE LATE SHOW’ franchise at that time,” a CBS statement read. “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.”
“This is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night,” they added. “It is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.”
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However not everyone is quite so convinced by CBS’ explanation. CBS is owned by Paramount, which is currently in the middle of an $8 billion merger with Skydance, the Hollywood studio. However the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) needs to approve the deal and it was thrown into uncertainty by the current political environment.
In recent months as lawyers operating for President Donald Trump lawsuit over an interview the CBS show ’60 Minutes’ aired with Vice President Kamala Harris in the build-up to last year’s election. In response to the Trump lawsuit, Paramount has agreed to settle the suit with a $16 million payment for Trump’s future presidential library.
Speaking on ‘The Late Show’, Colbert described the payment as “a big fat bribe” and questioned his own parent company’s decision-making. He said: “Paramount knows they could have easily fought it, because in their own words, the lawsuit was completely without merit.”
Colbert has not been the only one to express his concern with the decision. Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff wrote on social media: “If Paramount and CBS ended the Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better.”
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