CBS came under fire after canceling Stephen Colbert‘s The Late Show — but when does the last episode air?
Colbert, 61, took over hosting the Late Show franchise following David Letterman’s step back in 2015 and celebrated nearly a decade on the air before shocking viewers with the cancellation news.
“Before we start the show I want to let you know something that I found out just last night. Next year will be our last season,” Colbert announced during a July taping as the audience booed. “I share your feelings. It’s not just the end of our show, but it’s the end of The Late Show on CBS. I’m not being replaced. This is all just going away.”
He continued: “I do want to say that the folks at CBS have been great partners … And I’m grateful to the audience, you, who have joined us every night, in here, out there, and all around the world.”
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Colbert confirmed at the time that CBS “will be ending The Late Show” in May 2026, but a specific date for the final episode was not immediately revealed. CBS executives subsequently released a statement addressing their decision, revealing it was not “related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount” but was instead due to finances.
The damage, however, was already done as Colbert’s peers, U.S. senators and even the Writers Guild of America questioned the timing of CBS canceling The Late Show.
Jimmy Kimmel reposted a clip of Colbert’s announcement via his Instagram Story with the caption, “Love you Stephen. F*** you and all your Sheldons CBS.” Fellow late night host Jimmy Fallon said he was “just as shocked as everyone” else in a separate social media post.
“Stephen is one of the sharpest, funniest hosts to ever do it. I really thought I’d ride this out with him for years to come,” he wrote in July. “I’m sad that my family and friends will need a new show to watch every night at 11:30. But honestly, he’s really been a gentleman and a true friend over the years, going back to The Colbert Report, and I’m sure whatever he does next will be just as brilliant.”
Watch What Happens Live‘s Andy Cohen also weighed in, telling Deadline at the time, “I think it’s a sad day for late-night television. I think it’s a sad day for CBS. I think Stephen Colbert is a singular talent. He’s going to have an incredible next chapter.”
Cohen added: “I can’t believe CBS is turning off the lights at 11:30 after the local news. I’m stunned. He’s one of three late night shows deemed worthy enough for an Emmy nomination. He produces a brilliant show.”
Other public figures expressed their frustration at the decision being announced after Colbert’s recent comment about Paramount, CBS’ parent company, settling what he called “a nuisance lawsuit” brought by President Donald Trump. In his lawsuit, Trump, 79, alleged that 60 Minutes had unfairly edited an interview of Kamala Harris.
“I absolutely love that Colbert got fired,” Trump posted to his Truth Social platform in July. “His talent was even less than his ratings. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert!”
While CBS has not yet publicly addressed the criticism, the WGA called for an investigation into the cancellation of “one of the most successful, beloved and profitable programs on CBS.” In a statement, the organization expressed “significant concerns” about the show’s removal.
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“Given Paramount’s recent capitulation to President Trump in the CBS News lawsuit, the Writers Guild of America has significant concerns that The Late Show’s cancelation is a bribe, sacrificing free speech to curry favor with the Trump Administration as the company looks for merger approval,” the statement continued. “Cancelations are part of the business, but a corporation terminating a show in bad faith due to explicit or implicit political pressure is dangerous and unacceptable in a democratic society.”
The WGA urged lawmakers to take action, writing, “Paramount’s decision comes against a backdrop of relentless attacks on a free press by President Trump, through lawsuits against CBS and ABC, threatened litigation of media organizations with critical coverage, and the unconscionable defunding of PBS and NPR. The Writers Guild of America calls on New York State Attorney General Letitia James, no stranger to prosecuting Trump for illegal business practices, to join California and launch an investigation into potential wrongdoing at Paramount.”
The statement concluded: “We call on our elected leaders to hold those responsible to account, to demand answers about why this beloved program was canceled and to assure the public that Colbert and his writers were not censored due to their views or the whims of the President.”
The Late Show airs Mondays through Thursdays on CBS at 11:35 p.m. ET.
