After nearly a decade of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, CBS just dropped a major surprise: they’re canceling the show altogether after this upcoming season.
Not replacing him. Not rebranding it. Just ending the entire Late Show franchise—after 33 years.
💔 Here’s What Went Down:
Colbert announced the news to his audience this week, and they immediately booed. His response?
“Yeah, I share your feelings. It’s not just the end of our show... it’s the end of The Late Show.”
CBS followed up with a statement calling Colbert “irreplaceable” and said the decision was strictly financial—not about performance or politics. They emphasized that late-night shows just aren’t pulling the same numbers they used to, especially among young viewers.
Still, The Late Show was beating Kimmel and Fallon this past season, averaging 2.5 million viewers a night.
So... why pull the plug?
🧐 The Rumors Are Swirling
Some fans think Colbert’s recent digs at Paramount (CBS’s parent company) over a $16 million settlement with Donald Trump may have played a role. But if that’s true, it’s weird they’d cancel the entire brand and not just replace the host.
CBS also axed After Midnight—the late-night show that followed Colbert—back in March. So maybe this really is the start of a bigger trend.
One thing’s for sure: Late-night TV is not what it used to be. Streaming, social media, and shorter attention spans are changing everything—and Colbert’s exit marks the end of a major era in late-night history.
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