Recommendations of the Editorial team
Only a few more months, then Stephen Colbert will no longer accompany the Americans into the night with substantial chats and clever punches. As became known on Thursday (July 17th), CBS will be “The late show with Stephen Colbert” discontinue. The moderator announced this on the show.
The last episode runs in May 2026. Instead of a replacement for Colbert as a moderator, the broadcaster has decided to completely hire the TV series for financial reasons.
In a statement it says to stop the “Late Show”, “a purely financial decision against the background of a difficult situation in the late night area. In no way has to do with the performance of the show, the content or other processes at Paramount.”
Late night shows are too expensive
Problems in the late night business have been reported on television in the US media industry for years. Colbert, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers have all reduced their broadcast times to four evenings per week after the ratings dropped more and more. James Corden’s “Late Late Show” was replaced by a game show after his departure.
Industry experts now also suspect that the change of ownership at CBS (Skydance is about to play a role shortly before Paramount, the parent company of CBS), and this is only a start for further savings intervention.
Smarter talk show host
“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” differs in several ways from other US talk shows in the late evening program. The moderator combines a left-liberal attitude with a classic late night charm and is often an intellectual satirist.
Talks in his show, especially with musicians, can often become unexpectedly profound. Some time ago, a conversation with Nick Cave was enthusiastic when both talked very seriously about writing songs.