Stephen Colbert’s Cancellation Sounds A Terrifying Death Toll For Late Night TV


The Late Show has become the first victim of a changing landscape in network television as the streaming era continues to expand. A storied franchise in television that began under the tutelage of David Letterman, Stephen Colbert’s time as a late-night host on CBS will come to an end, as well as The Late Show brand itself.

As television’s composition and dynamics change to compete with the ever-expansive streaming platforms, late-night talk shows are becoming cumbersome to networks, financially and politically. With the cancellation of The Late Show, other late-night talk shows may have to prepare for the possible inevitability of their end, whether they like it or not.

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’s Cancellation Explained

Surprising And Sudden End To A Storied Franchise

Marion Curtis/Starpix for Warner Bros. Pictures/INSTARimages

CBS officially canceled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, as well as The Late Show franchise, in a shocking move yesterday that was both unexpected and confusing. Paramount Global, currently in the process of its sale to media conglomerate Skydance, has attributed the cancellation to a financial decision.

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“F*ck You CBS”: Iconic Late Night Host Slams Network After Stephen Colbert’s Shock Cancellation

Talk show legend Jimmy Kimmel didn’t waste time releasing a strongly worded response to CBS’s decision to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Discussion is rampant about whether the decision to cancel was based on the recently settled lawsuit involving Paramount and President Donald Trump. Trump celebrated Colbert’s cancellation on his social media platform, providing additional questions on the motives behind The Late Show‘s cancellation, which is set to end in May 2026.

President Donald Trump’s Lawsuit Against Paramount Global, Explained

Borne From A 60 Minutes Interview During The 2024 Election

Donald Trump

During the 2024 presidential election, 60 Minutes, the legendary CBS news program, aired an interview with Donald Trump’s opponent, Kamala Harris. After allegations that the Harris interview was edited to show her answer to the Middle East conflicts in a better light on 60 Minutes, Trump filed a $20 billion lawsuit against Paramount Global, CBS’ parent company.

Amidst the sale of Paramount Global to Skydance, the company opted to settle the lawsuit for $16 million, and it was announced on July 15th. The settlement was opposed by a number of news commentators and media heads across networks and platforms, and saw the resignation of CBS News President Wendy McMahon and 60 Minutes producer Bill Owens earlier this year.

CBS’ Canceling The Late Show Sets Up The Death Of Late Night TV

The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, And Others In The Crosshairs

With the cancellation of The Late Show and the end of Stephen Colbert’s tenure, the landscape of network television might now come into focus. NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, once seen as institutions and staples of their respective networks, now seem to be in jeopardy.

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Why We’re In The Last Days Of The Late-Night Talk Show Era As We Know It

After keeping audiences laughing for decades, late-night talk shows could sadly be well on their way to becoming relics of a distant past.

Even with The Late Show ranking highest in the ratings among its contemporaries, the show was still canceled. Their venerated status on the television landscape no longer matters, and if CBS can move on from one of its most celebrated properties this quickly, no other late-night show is safe or immune from a similar fate.

What The Death Of Late Night TV Show Means For The Entertainment Industry

The Impact Of Both Streaming And The Paramount Lawsuit Settlement Looms Large

the daily show stephen colbert

One of the common themes among the late-night hosts is their vocal criticisms of President Trump, and discussions have already taken place regarding the future of The Daily Show with its host, Jon Stewart. If Trump continues a litigious path against the media, and especially continues to find that some will acquiesce to his demands, it could change the ways presenters and hosts present content.

Colbert could find himself joining fellow The Daily Show alum John Oliver, who made his name on HBO with Last Week Tonight. Oliver provides a template for unfiltered television, and if Colbert does make the move to a platform like HBO, or to streaming, Fallon, Kimmel, and Meyers could take a similar approach to enjoying that same creative freedom.

Outside the potential of government interference, networks find themselves struggling with competing in a meaningful way against Netflix, HBO, and others who have provided new and unfiltered platforms. If Colbert finds himself in the streaming sphere, more hosts may be more apt to follow, causing additional consequences for the networks in the wake of the end of The Late Show.

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The Late Show Poster-1


The Late Show


Showrunner

Christopher Andrew Licht

Directors

Jake Plunkett, Jim Hoskinson, Ballard C. Boyd

Writers

Emmy Blotnick, Michael Brumm, Nate Charny, Aaron Cohen, Stephen Colbert






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