# The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
**The Late Show with Stephen Colbert** was an American late-night comedy-variety talk show broadcast weeknights on CBS from September 8, 2015 to May 21, 2026, hosted by [Stephen Colbert](https://www.edgepedia.org/stephen-colbert) from the [Ed Sullivan Theater](https://www.edgepedia.org/ed-sullivan-theater) in New York. Colbert was the second and final host of the Late Show franchise, which was created for [David Letterman](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-letterman) in 1993.[1](https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2025/07/late-show-stephen-colbert-canceled-cbs/683602/) • [2](https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/2026/05/19/what-colberts-cancellation-means-rest-late-night-tv/) CBS announced in July 2025 that the show would end in May 2026 and that the Late Show franchise would be retired entirely.[1](https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2025/07/late-show-stephen-colbert-canceled-cbs/683602/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Aired | Weeknights, 11:35 PM–12:37 AM ET/PT, CBS; premiere September 8, 2015[3](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/cbs-studios/shows/the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert/about/) |
| Venue | Ed Sullivan Theater, New York[3](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/cbs-studios/shows/the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert/about/) |
| Key personnel | Host Stephen Colbert; bandleader Louis Cato; executive producers Colbert, Tom Purcell, and Jon Stewart[3](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/cbs-studios/shows/the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert/about/) |
| Cancellation | Announced July 2025; final episode May 21, 2026, after which CBS retired the Late Show franchise[1](https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2025/07/late-show-stephen-colbert-canceled-cbs/683602/) • [4](https://apnews.com/article/747403f27ed1f771aa6ccd73c6bb0cdf) |
| Stated reason for ending | Paramount cited financial losses of up to $US40 million a year[5](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-21/late-night-talk-shows-free-speech-colbert-late-show-ends/106635688) |
| Ratings | Averaged about 2.7 million viewers in Live+7 ratings; most-watched late-night show for nine consecutive years[6](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/last-colbert-late-show-review-cbs-b2981555.html) |
| Awards | 42 Emmy nominations and 8 Emmys, including Outstanding Variety Series in 2025 and 2026[7](https://www.televisionacademy.com/shows/late-show-stephen-colbert) • [8](https://www.televisionacademy.com/features/news/awards-news/78th-emmys-winners-recap) |
## Format and production
Each episode followed the late-night formula: an opening monologue on recent headlines, sketch comedy, celebrity interviews, usually two per episode, and a musical performance.[9](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/late_show_with_stephen_colbert/s01) • [10](https://www.tesisenred.net/bitstream/handle/10803/670726/epp1de1.pdf?isAllowed=y&sequence=1) The show was produced by The Late Show, Inc., a CBS company, filmed in HD as a comedy-variety-talk program, and broadcast from the Ed Sullivan Theater, the venue the Late Show franchise had occupied since Letterman's tenure.[3](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/cbs-studios/shows/the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert/about/)
When CBS began replacing Letterman in 2014, it hired Colbert, who had collected Emmys and acclaim hosting [Comedy Central](https://www.edgepedia.org/comedy-central)'s *The Colbert Report*, gave him total creative control, and fully revamped the Ed Sullivan Theater for his tenure.[1](https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2025/07/late-show-stephen-colbert-canceled-cbs/683602/) At the start he presented himself as an entertainer in the traditional, even-handed late-night mold, having retired the satirical conservative-pundit character he had played for a decade on *The Colbert Report*.[6](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/last-colbert-late-show-review-cbs-b2981555.html)
## The political pivot and ratings
**Politics drove the show's success.** Colbert's early tenure trailed [Jimmy Fallon](https://www.edgepedia.org/jimmy-fallon)'s *Tonight Show* in the ratings, but after Donald Trump's 2016 election, Colbert's monologues against the new president drew surging audiences, and *The Late Show* became the highest-rated talk show in America, a lead it did not relinquish afterward.[1](https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2025/07/late-show-stephen-colbert-canceled-cbs/683602/) • [11](https://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-late-night-trump-20170302-story.html) His political satire of Trump helped the show earn record ratings and drew criticism from Trump himself, whom Colbert had hosted as a guest just two weeks into his tenure in September 2015.[12](https://time.com/4945440/sean-spicer-emmys-donald-trump-season-colbert/) • [6](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/last-colbert-late-show-review-cbs-b2981555.html)
The scale of the audience was modest by historical standards even as the show led its field. By the 2019–2020 season *The Late Show* averaged 3.45 million viewers.[13](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/oct/29/late-night-comedy-trump-era-colbert-snl-daily-show) Before cancellation it averaged about 2.7 million viewers in Live+7 ratings, close to the 2.8 million who watched Letterman's final season in 2014, a decline that reflects broad changes in viewing habits rather than a collapse relative to rivals.[6](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/last-colbert-late-show-review-cbs-b2981555.html) In its second-to-last week the show averaged 3.3 million viewers, more than [Fox News](https://www.edgepedia.org/fox-news)'s *Gutfeld!*, which had led the spot for all of 2026, and Colbert's final run of episodes, featuring interviews with Letterman and former president [Barack Obama](https://www.edgepedia.org/barack-obama), drew nearly as many viewers as *Jimmy Kimmel Live!*, *The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon*, and *Late Night with Seth Meyers* combined.[14](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/stephen-colberts-late-show-exit-ratings-deliver-final-twist-for-cbs/)
## Cancellation and controversy
On July 17, 2025, Colbert told his audience on air that the next season of *The Late Show* would be the last and that the series would end in May 2026.[15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuqEZx6TmfI) Paramount, CBS's parent company, called the decision purely financial, citing losses of up to $US40 million a year, a figure that was difficult to evaluate because the company's books were not shared; Letterman reacted sharply, saying the network did not want to spend any money.[5](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-21/late-night-talk-shows-free-speech-colbert-late-show-ends/106635688) • [16](https://www.cinemablend.com/television/yes-stephen-colbert-replacement-less-popular-late-show-cbs-jimmy-kimmel-ratings-september-2026)
The timing drew skepticism. The announcement came as Paramount was seeking approval from the [Federal Communications Commission](https://www.edgepedia.org/federal-communications-commission) for a merger with [Skydance Media](https://www.edgepedia.org/skydance-media), and just days after Colbert castigated CBS for settling a lawsuit Trump had filed against *60 Minutes* for $US16 million, a settlement Colbert called a "big fat bribe".[5](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-21/late-night-talk-shows-free-speech-colbert-late-show-ends/106635688) Trump celebrated the cancellation on social media in the days after the announcement. Two months later, Trump's FCC chair pressured ABC into suspending [Jimmy Kimmel](https://www.edgepedia.org/jimmy-kimmel), another late-night host.[5](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-21/late-night-talk-shows-free-speech-colbert-late-show-ends/106635688) • [17](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2026-05-21/stephen-colbert-exits-whats-next-for-late-night-tv-talk-shows)
## The final episode
Colbert's last broadcast aired May 21, 2026, closing the Late Show franchise's 33-year run, 11 of them with Colbert, after more than 1,800 episodes.[4](https://apnews.com/article/747403f27ed1f771aa6ccd73c6bb0cdf) • [6](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/last-colbert-late-show-review-cbs-b2981555.html) The final show was deliberately presented as a "regular episode" rather than a special, with brief celebrity cameos and a comic skit in which a fictional Pope Leo XIV refused to leave his dressing room over the snacks on his rider. The surprise final guest was [Paul McCartney](https://www.edgepedia.org/paul-mccartney), who had first performed at the Ed Sullivan Theater as a 21-year-old in 1964, and Colbert joined him on stage for a performance of "Hello, Goodbye".[4](https://apnews.com/article/747403f27ed1f771aa6ccd73c6bb0cdf) • [6](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/last-colbert-late-show-review-cbs-b2981555.html) The episode contained no direct mention of Trump, and the show's final season later won Emmys for writing, directing, picture editing, technical direction, and lighting.[6](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/last-colbert-late-show-review-cbs-b2981555.html) • [8](https://www.televisionacademy.com/features/news/awards-news/78th-emmys-winners-recap)
## Aftermath and late night's decline
Colbert was replaced in the 11:35 PM slot by [Byron Allen](https://www.edgepedia.org/byron-allen)'s syndicated *Comics Unleashed*, which drew fewer viewers, a shortfall CBS accepted because the economics of the genre had deteriorated. Networks once made money from young night-owl audiences, but streaming, shrinking advertising, and instantly available YouTube clips have eroded the economics of hour-long nightly shows.[17](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2026-05-21/stephen-colbert-exits-whats-next-for-late-night-tv-talk-shows) The final Emmys of the show's run were widely read as Academy voters' response to the cancellation: *The Late Show* won Outstanding Variety Series for the second consecutive year.[8](https://www.televisionacademy.com/features/news/awards-news/78th-emmys-winners-recap)
## References
1. [The Tragedy of Ending Stephen Colbert’s ‘The Late Show’, The Atlantic (David Sims, July 2025)](https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2025/07/late-show-stephen-colbert-canceled-cbs/683602/)
2. [What Colbert's cancellation means for the rest of late-night TV, The Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/2026/05/19/what-colberts-cancellation-means-rest-late-night-tv/)
3. [The Late Show with Stephen Colbert | About, Paramount Press Express](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/cbs-studios/shows/the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert/about/)
4. [Paul McCartney helps Stephen Colbert say goodbye to 'The Late Show', AP News](https://apnews.com/article/747403f27ed1f771aa6ccd73c6bb0cdf)
5. [On the eve of Stephen Colbert's final Late Show, ABC News (Andrew Thorpe, May 21, 2026)](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-21/late-night-talk-shows-free-speech-colbert-late-show-ends/106635688)
6. [Stephen Colbert's final Late Show went out with a whimper, The Independent (Kevin E G Perry, May 22, 2026)](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/last-colbert-late-show-review-cbs-b2981555.html)
7. [The Late Show with Stephen Colbert | Emmy Awards and Nominations, Television Academy](https://www.televisionacademy.com/shows/late-show-stephen-colbert)
8. [Widow's Bay Carries the Day with Six Wins at 78th Emmy Awards Telecast, Television Academy](https://www.televisionacademy.com/features/news/awards-news/78th-emmys-winners-recap)
9. [The Late Show With Stephen Colbert: Season 1, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/late_show_with_stephen_colbert/s01)
10. [Gender Representation and Television Talk Show, Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca thesis](https://www.tesisenred.net/bitstream/handle/10803/670726/epp1de1.pdf?isAllowed=y&sequence=1)
11. [President Trump is late-night TV's muse and viewers are loving it, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-late-night-trump-20170302-story.html)
12. [Stephen Colbert and Sean Spicer Just Pulled Off the Perfect Trump Joke at the Emmys, TIME](https://time.com/4945440/sean-spicer-emmys-donald-trump-season-colbert/)
13. [Can late-night comedy recover from the Trump presidency?, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/oct/29/late-night-comedy-trump-era-colbert-snl-daily-show)
14. [Colbert Exit Ratings Deliver Final Twist for CBS, The Daily Beast](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/stephen-colberts-late-show-exit-ratings-deliver-final-twist-for-cbs/)
15. [Stephen Colbert Announces The Cancellation Of "The Late Show", YouTube (official channel)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuqEZx6TmfI)
16. [Yes, Stephen Colbert's Replacement Is Less Popular Than The Late Show, CinemaBlend](https://www.cinemablend.com/television/yes-stephen-colbert-replacement-less-popular-late-show-cbs-jimmy-kimmel-ratings-september-2026)
17. [As Stephen Colbert exits, the future of late-night TV talk shows dims, Los Angeles Times (Stephen Battaglio, May 21, 2026)](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2026-05-21/stephen-colbert-exits-whats-next-for-late-night-tv-talk-shows)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Television talk, interview, and variety programs › Late-night talk shows*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license