All articles tagged with #the late show
Stephen Colbert returned to Instagram two months after ending The Late Show to wish his dog Benny a happy seventh birthday, a pet that has long been a fan favorite on the show. Colbert had teased Benny’s on-set antics in the past and has since popped up publicly for a few appearances as he shifts focus to family and other projects.
CBS disclosed that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert loses about $40 million per year, and that Byron Allen’s Comics Unleashed operates under a 'time buy' in which Allen pays CBS about $15 million annually to lease the 11:30 PM hour and sell the ads himself, a structure CBS says turned the hour from a loss into a profit (a roughly $55 million swing). The revelation comes amid ongoing debate over Colbert's cancellation and the successor's early ratings; Comics Unleashed drew about 878,000 viewers across two half-hours, far below Colbert's finale's 6.74 million, underscoring the challenges in late-night television.
After CBS canceled The Late Show, Stephen Colbert launched a YouTube channel and posted his May 22 hosting gig on the Michigan public access show Only in Monroe. The episode featured guests like Jack White, Eminem, Jeff Daniels, Steve Buscemi and Byron Allen, who has bought Colbert’s CBS timeslots. CBS says the Monroe episode was financed by CBS Studios and posted in collaboration with Monroe Community Media and The Late Show’s YouTube channels, and, while typical takedown notices were paused for this episode, they plan further review of enforcement.
Trump claimed Colbert had ‘no ratings’ even as Colbert’s Late Show farewell drew about 6.74 million viewers—the show's strongest in years—well above recent averages; the piece notes Trump amplified the dispute with an AI-generated clip of Colbert being dumped in a dumpster, illustrating how his online strategy leans on imagery over data.
Paul McCartney joined Stephen Colbert for CBS’s The Late Show finale, sharing memories and performing Hello, Goodbye as a slew of cameos—including Bryan Cranston, Ryan Reynolds and Jon Stewart—helped close out Colbert’s 11-year run. The network cited economic reasons for ending the show, and the broadcast leaned into surreal, celebratory moments—from a faux Pope cameo to a snow-globe theater gag—as Colbert bid farewell to late-night TV.
Stephen Colbert’s final Late Show episode included a subtle dig at Donald Trump (he never named him) during a Paul McCartney interview about the Beatles’ Ed Sullivan Theater debut, with Colbert quipping about makeup and the era’s orange glow, and closing with a playful nod to Tolkien’s Shire. The night also featured Trump’s Truth Social rant praising Colbert’s end and anti-Trump protests outside the Ed Sullivan Theater, all set against CBS’s earlier characterization of its cancellation as a financial decision.
On the penultimate Late Show, Stephen Colbert subjected himself to his own Colbert Questionert as a slate of famous guests—Billy Crystal, Weird Al Yankovic, Josh Brolin, Martha Stewart, Mark Hamill, Jim Gaffigan, Jeff Daniels, Tiffany Haddish, Evie McGee Colbert, Amy Sedaris, Ben Stiller, Aubrey Plaza, James Taylor, and Robert De Niro—ask him the 15 questions, with John Dickerson moderating. Highlights include Crystal naming Katz’s pastrami as the best sandwich, Brolin’s fear of trapdoor spiders, Colbert recalling an autograph moment with Steve Martin, and his love of Raiders of the Lost Ark as his favorite action movie, plus personal quirks like preferring aisle seats on planes. He also shares the line he gave for describing his life in five words: “My family, my friends, fun.” The piece notes the long-running bit’s guests and invites readers to watch past Questionerts.
Bruce Springsteen used The Late Show’s penultimate episode to blast Donald Trump and Stephen Colbert’s bosses, accusing them of kissing Trump’s backside to get what they want, and performing an acoustic Streets of Minneapolis as Colbert’s era at CBS nears its end amid ongoing controversy over the network’s leadership and the show’s cancellation.
Donald Trump said he would have a message for Stephen Colbert at a later date as Colbert braces for the final Late Show episode; CBS canceled The Late Show for financial reasons, prompting coverage of reactions from other late‑night hosts and Colbert’s own post‑show plans.
On Jimmy Kimmel Live, Kimmel urged fans not to tune into CBS for Stephen Colbert’s final Late Show, quipping “Don’t Ever Watch It Again” while praising Colbert and saying he’ll be watching the finale; the finale airs May 21, 2026, with reruns on other late-night programs, and the piece notes The Late Show’s ending was a financial decision by CBS/Paramount linked to a Trump-related settlement.
Stephen Colbert says CBS’s abrupt ending of The Late Show wasn’t his choice, but he’s framed it as a chance to pause, regroup, and pursue other projects (including a Lord of the Rings script) while spending time with family; with three episodes left, staff must vacate the Ed Sullivan Theater as CBS defends the decision as financial, drawing support from Letterman and fellow hosts.
On The Late Show’s final week, Jon Stewart reunited with Stephen Colbert and presented two luxury recliners as gifts, joking that one would be used to watch Matlock, before Andra Day surprised Colbert with a live performance of Rise Up; Stewart reflected on Colbert’s impact, recalled a David Letterman nugget about cancellation, and teased the sendoff as Bruce Springsteen is lined up as a future musical guest while the show winds toward its finale.
Host Jimmy Kimmel mocked Donald Trump’s White House ballroom push with a brutal new nickname—“Blob the Builder”—as Trump touts a security-heavy, six-story underground complex beneath the ballroom; the project’s price tag has ballooned to around $400 million, fueling questions about taxpayer funding and turning it into a focal point of controversy amid broader political scrutiny.
Jon Stewart surprised Stephen Colbert on The Late Show’s final episodes by unveiling two motorized recliners that lift the hosts into view, then Andra Day walked out to perform Rise Up in a poignant moment between longtime friends as Colbert prepares to end the show on May 21.
Stephen Colbert, in a somber Architectural Digest tour, says the Ed Sullivan Theater is a space you’ll never get again as The Late Show heads to a May 21 finale, with CBS ordering staff to vacate within a week after the show ends. He recalls theater lore and past moments (Letterman helping move furniture), jokes about CBS’s handling of coverage, and emphasizes soaking in the venue’s history before the abrupt exit amid the network’s financial decisions.