In a surprising move on Thursday, CBS announced that it will cancel The Late Show in May 2026. The show, which debuted in 1993 with host David Letterman, is currently hosted by Stephen Colbert.
CBS was quick to attempt to squash any rumors that the show’s cancellation had anything to do with Paramount’s possible merger with Skydance amid furor at CBS that the company settled in a recent lawsuit with President Trump in an attempt to, in their mind, bribe the president, “This is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night. It is not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount."
Colbert’s contract was scheduled to expire in 2026.
The decision to cancel The Late Show comes after CBS cancelled After Midnight after a year and a half, as host Taylor Tomlinson decided a full-time career in stand-up was better than being tethered to a late-night TV show. Paramount’s other late night program, Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, also runs a tight budget, as it has not had a full-time host since 2022.
As for Colbert, he was a leading voice for America’s religious left. He would call conservatives bad Christians on spending cuts and immigration while championing abortion and so-called “gender-affirming care.”
He was the epitome of the downfall of late night comedy into what could be called late night clapter, where the applauding of conservative misfortunes replaced wit or cleverness. Under Colbert, The Late Show became an avenue for liberals to vent their frustration at conservatives through cathartic booing.
Colbert was the most likely of all the permanent late night hosts to bring on liberal guests. His show would have been a must-visit place for 2028 Democratic hopefuls. Even on this Thursday, Colbert is scheduled to have Sen. Adam Schiff on.
The future of light night is bleak. ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel has mused about retiring next year and is pessimistic about the state of the industry, a sentiment shared by NBC’s Seth Meyers. The death of late night was caused by many things, including increased competition that comes from streaming platforms and YouTube, but Colbert-like liberals also played a role. You can’t just write off half the country and expect a 70-year-old institution to survive forever.
