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The final episode of 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' airs tonight, marking the end of an era for CBS's iconic late-night talk show. The show, which began in 1993 with host David Letterman, has been helmed by Stephen Colbert since 2015. CBS announced the cancellation last July, citing financial reasons unrelated to the show's performance or content.
Colbert's tenure has been marked by political satire and humor, and the show recently earned its first Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Talk Series in 2025. Despite averaging 2.7 million viewers and being the most-watched late-night show, the network decided to end the franchise, attributing the decision to financial constraints rather than Colbert's content or ratings, as reported by Yahoo Entertainment.
The show's cancellation follows Colbert's criticism of CBS's parent company, Paramount, over a $16 million settlement related to an edited interview with President Trump during the 2024 campaign. Despite the controversy, CBS maintains that the decision was purely financial.
The network will replace 'The Late Show' with 'Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen,' starting May 22. USA Today reports that the new lineup will include back-to-back episodes of 'Comics Unleashed' and 'Funny You Should Ask.'
Colbert's next venture involves collaborating with his son, screenwriter Peter McGee, on a new 'Lord of the Rings' movie. He expressed excitement about the project, stating that he will now have time to focus on writing the script, as noted by the Democrat and Chronicle.
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