Late night time speak reveals lately have not been fairly as a lot of a staple of community tv like within the days of David Letterman and Jay Leno, however CBS’ transfer towards The Late Present with Stephen Colbert will nonetheless come as a shock to many. Within the midst of Colbert’s tenth season as host of the present that changed Late Present with David Letterman, the comedy icon himself made the announcement. Not solely is his time on CBS as a late night time host ending, however this can be a cancellation that may mark the conclusion of The Late Present altogether.
Whereas change has been afoot for late night time within the 2025 TV schedule, I did not count on this, and Colbert appeared to really feel the identical means in his announcement. Visibly emotional, he broke the information to the studio viewers throughout the taping of a brand new episode, saying:
Subsequent 12 months will likely be our final season. The community will likely be ending the late present in Might. [in response to boos from the audience] Yeah, I share your emotions! It isn’t simply the top of our present, however it’s the top of The Late Present on CBS. I am not being changed. That is all simply going away.
Colbert went on to state that CBS have been “nice companions.” Then he expressed his gratitude to the viewers (who cheered at this for the primary time after booing the unhappy information), to the home band, and to the “200 individuals who work right here.” He acknowledged that he wished “someone else was getting it” reasonably than the present ending altogether. Ten months of The Late Present stay.
A joint assertion from Co-CEO Paramount World and President and Chief Government Officer George Cheeks, CBS Leisure President Amy Reisenbach, and CBS Studios President David Stapf addressed why The Late Present was so all of a sudden cancelled:
That is purely a monetary determination towards a difficult backdrop in late night time. It isn’t associated in any solution to the present’s efficiency, content material or different issues taking place at Paramount.
The cancellation is not on account of any sort of scandal or controversy or dive within the scores, however merely a “monetary determination.” The information broke not too lengthy after Jimmy Kimmel of ABC’s late night time lineup opined that the format won’t make it one other decade, and Seth Meyers of NBC’s Late Evening with Seth Meyers recommended “in all probability some disappointment” sooner or later for late night time lovers. NBC made some cuts for The Tonight Present Starring Jimmy Fallon in fall 2024, and CBS cancelled After Midnight a couple of months earlier than The Late Present acquired the axe.
The assertion from the CBS execs went on to say:
Our admiration, affection, and respect for the abilities of Stephen Colbert and his unbelievable crew made this agonizing determination much more troublesome. Stephen has taken CBS late night time by storm with cutting-edge comedy, a must-watch monologue and interviews with leaders in leisure, politics, information and newsmakers throughout all areas. The present has been #1 in late night time for 9 straight seasons; Stephen’s comedy resonates every day throughout digital and social media; and the printed is a staple of the nation’s zeitgeist.
It is exhausting to not begin worrying in regards to the futures of late night time packages which might be airing on different networks. In any case, if this system that “has been #1 in late night time” for 9 consecutive seasons can get the axe, is any present secure?
Which may be a bit dramatic till we all know extra, however I can 100% relate to Stephen Colbert’s response when his straight face broke just a bit bit to acknowledge and agree with the viewers booing the cancellation. I additionally must commend him for his poise total, particularly since he acquired the unhealthy information simply the night time earlier than the taping on the afternoon of Thursday, July 17. Check out his announcement under:
As someone who has been watching Stephen Colbert on and off since his days on The Day by day Present within the early aughts, it is virtually exhausting to think about late night time with out his explicit model of humor. At the least there may be nonetheless the higher a part of a 12 months left earlier than he indicators off from The Late Present for good to finish an very lengthy period of CBS within the late night time TV sport. For now, new episodes of The Late Present with Stephen Colbert air on weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET.