'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' aired its final episode on May 21, concluding an 11-season run after CBS announced the cancellation last year. According to multiple reports, CBS cited financial reasons as the primary factor for ending the program despite it being the top-rated late-night talk show and having high ratings for nine years running.
Key Takeaways
'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' aired its final episode on May 21 after CBS announced cancellation citing financial reasons. The show concluded an 11-season run despite being top-rated in late-night TV for nine years running.
- 'Late Show' finale featured star-studded appearances including Hugh Jackman, Bette Midler, and John Lithgow
- Other late-night hosts honored Colbert's farewell with special appearances and skipping new episodes
- CBS chose Byron Allen's 'Comics Unleashed' to replace 'The Late Show'
- David Letterman joined Colbert for a classic bit hurling objects off the roof of Ed Sullivan Theater
- Family members of Colbert’s crew claimed they were escorted out during taping
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▼Source Claims Check
3 Differences FoundAll 67 publishers report consistent facts across 2 key claims. 3 points of difference noted.
| Claim | Status | Reason | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reason For Cancellation | 1 Difference | 'The Late Show' was canceled due to financial challenges. | ▼ |
| Colbert's Performance | 1 Difference | 'Late Show' was operating at a $40 million loss under Colbert's tenure, with jokes targeting conservatives 87% of the time in final years. | ▼ |
| Trump's Reaction To Colbert's Cancellation | 1 Difference | 'Stephen Colbert’s firing from CBS was the beginning of the end for untalented, nasty, highly overpaid, not funny, and very poorly rated Late Night Television Hosts.' Trump wrote on Truth Social. | ▼ |
| Family Members' Treatment During Final Show | Broad Agreement | 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' aired its final episode on May 21, concluding an 11-season run… | |
| Colbert's Final Episode | Broad Agreement | 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' aired its final episode on May 21, concluding an 11-season run… |
Reason For Cancellation
▼'The Late Show' was canceled due to financial challenges.
Colbert's Performance
▼'Late Show' was operating at a $40 million loss under Colbert's tenure, with jokes targeting conservatives 87% of the time in final years.
Trump's Reaction To Colbert's Cancellation
▼'Stephen Colbert’s firing from CBS was the beginning of the end for untalented, nasty, highly overpaid, not funny, and very poorly rated Late Night Television Hosts.' Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Family Members' Treatment During Final Show
Broad Agreement'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' aired its final episode on May 21, concluding an 11-season run after CBS announced the cancellation last year. According to multiple reports, CBS cited financial …
Colbert's Final Episode
Broad Agreement'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' aired its final episode on May 21, concluding an 11-season run after CBS announced the cancellation last year. According to multiple reports, CBS cited financial …
This analysis is AI-generated and may not perfectly represent each source's reporting. Always read the original articles for full context.
In a show of solidarity, other late-night hosts honored Colbert's farewell with special appearances and skipping new episodes. Jimmy Kimmel announced that 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' would not air new episodes on May 21 to honor Colbert's sendoff. Similarly, 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon' and 'Late Night with Seth Meyers' skipped new episodes on Monday, May 20, joining Kimmel and John Oliver for a 'Strike Force Five' reunion on Colbert's show.
During a special episode of the 'Strike Force Five' podcast with fellow late-night hosts Seth Meyers, John Oliver, Jimmy Kimmel, and Jimmy Fallon, Colbert revealed what he'll miss most about his show: working with young talent. He shared that one of his producers started working for him when they were 21 years old. According to HuffPost, Colbert said 'I think one of the things I’m going to miss most is young people who are good at their jobs.'
CBS has chosen Byron Allen's 'Comics Unleashed' to replace 'The Late Show' in the 11:35 p.m. time slot. Stephen Colbert expressed support for his replacement, stating 'God bless him' and noting they had met before. According to CBS News, Allen offered to put 'Comics Unleashed' on CBS at no cost, as the network was already tossing to affiliates that his company owns during the nighttime hours.
In a defiant final appearance on May 15, David Letterman joined Colbert for a classic bit from Letterman’s era, throwing objects off the roof of the Ed Sullivan Theater. Aiming at the CBS logo below, they hurled guests’ chairs and watermelons. According to Fox News, Letterman said 'Well, not necessarily to the audience but to the folks at CBS, in the words of the great Ed Murrow: good night and good luck motherfuckers.'
Prominent guests including Hugh Jackman, Bette Midler, and John Lithgow appeared during Colbert's farewell episodes. According to The Guardian, Jackman sang a parody of Neil Diamond’s 'Sweet Caroline', while Midler performed a satirical rewrite of 'Wind Beneath My Wings' in honor of Stephen Colbert's final shows. Lithgow wrote and recited a poem entitled 'The Mighty Colbert' for the late-night host.
Stephen Colbert has been described as offering a modern vision of active and informed faith while being culturally grounded and politically fearless. He used profanity-laced language in a May 2017 monologue to criticize President Donald Trump, calling him 'Presidunce,' 'Prick-tator,' and referencing his presidency as 'Disgrace the Nation.' According to Fox News, Colbert's comments about Trump drew outrage among Trump supporters with #FireColbert dominating Twitter at the time.
In the days counting down to the franchise finale, a stream of prominent guests and fellow late-night hosts took their place in the seat beside Colbert to share stories, laughs, and some emotional moments. Actor Tom Hanks gifted him a typewriter. 'The Daily Show' host Jon Stewart brought something to help him relax: two massage chairs and a surprise serenade from Andra Day.
Colbert and David Letterman, the show's host when it debuted in 1993, hurled furniture from the set off the roof of the theater — a nod to one of Letterman's classic stunts, accompanied by some choice words for the corporate bosses. According to CBS News, Letterman said on the show last week 'You folks wouldn't be in the theatre if it weren't for me, and Stephen wouldn't be here if it weren't for me, and we rebuilt this theatre, and then Stephen came in and look at this, it's like the Bellagio.'
David Byrne joined the show on Tuesday and he and Colbert, in matching blue suits, performed the Talking Heads classic 'Burning Down the House.' Bruce Springsteen, in the midst of his 'Land of Hope and Dreams' tour, made a guest appearance on Wednesday. The guests for Thursday's finale were not revealed in advance.
How this summary was created
This summary synthesizes reporting from 67 independent publishers using AI. All sources are cited and linked below. NewsBalance is a news aggregator and media literacy tool, not a news publisher. AI-generated content may contain errors or inaccuracies — always verify important information with the original sources.