# CBS is ending ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ next year (May 21, 2026) **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [July 17, 2025, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000 "2025-07-17T23:57:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/261 "2026-04-07T01:15:23Z")
I think the same people who fired Colbert wouldn’t put anything that ruffled a single feather into that spot. What else is there to think? Other than slandering good people, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/262 "2026-04-07T01:45:47Z")
I think it will be a ratings boon for Kimmel and Fallon as I can’t fathom a single one of Colbert’s viewers sticking with Byron Allen. Inoffensive and bland don’t even begin to describe the snooze inducing nature of _Comics Unleashed_. ETA: I wonder if the affiliates have the ability to opt out of airing this replacement once they see the colossal drop in ratings that is bound to happen. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/263 "2026-04-07T01:46:06Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > I think the same people who fired Colbert wouldn’t put anything that ruffled a single feather into that spot. Exactly. Add in that Byron Allen is happy to _pay CBS_ to air his programs (he also has a game show that’s going to go into the time slot after Colbert), and it is an extreme no-brainer for CBS management. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/264 "2026-04-07T18:21:07Z")
Kudos to Byron Allen for looking barely different than he did when he was on _Real People_ over 40 years ago. Other than that he stinks. I’ve tried to watch Comics Unleashed and it’s awful. It’s almost always the most bland road comics around that are there because they can work clean. We all know that on real talk shows the setups for comics are mostly fake and arranged beforehand. He does those phony setups without any pretense of a conversation. Its so bad and fake that I can’t even watch on those rare occasions that it’s a comic I like. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2026, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/265 "2026-04-08T19:09:52Z")
Byron Allen is literally the youngest performer alive that can make some people nostalgic for 1979. I can’t wait for the _Pink Lady and Jeff_ reboot. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2026, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/266 "2026-05-13T00:40:46Z")
On last night’s episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, his guests were Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver and Seth Meyers. The five of them host a podcast called Strike Force Five and they all seem to like each other. That’s unlike earlier late night hosts, who were more unfriendly with the competition. I think Johnny Carson was _really_ pissed off at Joan Rivers for taking a job at Fox, on a show directly opposite The Tonight Show. And of course Letterman was not happy that Leno got the job of hosting The Tonight Show instead of him. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2026, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/267 "2026-05-13T02:13:28Z")
I watched that. It was kinda cute. I’m glad they’re backing each other up like this. Solidarity is what we need. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2026, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/268 "2026-05-13T02:32:55Z")
I liked how they had a “designated survivor” because all these talk show hosts were in the same location. The remaining host, given the task of giving their eulogies, as well as still making fun of Trump, was Jon Stewart. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2026, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/269 "2026-05-13T11:17:25Z")
I was surprised when Stephen Colbert said that he started hosting his show after all of them started hosting theirs, but it appears to be true. (Some of them started in 2014 while he started in 2015.) And I heard someplace that George Clooney would be the final guest. He was the first guest when this show started.) ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2026, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/270 "2026-05-13T12:06:32Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > The five of them host a podcast called Strike Force Five and they all seem to like each other. I would probably say “hosted” (past tense) since the podcast came out during the writers’ strike. But they are making a new episode, so I guess it’s still alive in the present. The podcast was a lot of fun, although the shtick got a little old towards the end. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2026, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/271 "2026-05-13T12:09:57Z")
So my verb tense usage was not, in fact, incorrect? ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2026, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/272 "2026-05-13T12:12:10Z")
I suppose, in the sense that every podcast series is ongoing until all of the original participants are dead (because they might resurrect it one day). ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2026, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/273 "2026-05-13T12:13:16Z")
Thank you for the very kind and helpful nitpick. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2026, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/274 "2026-05-13T12:44:02Z")
Another suggestion I heard is that Colbert could guest host Kimmel’s show during the summer when Kimmel regularly has guest hosts. ---
**Author:** ![XOldiesJock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ec9cab/32.png) [@XOldiesJock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XOldiesJock)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2026, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/275 "2026-05-13T13:57:00Z")
That’s a great idea. We only watch the monologues on the late night shows anyway and Jimmy’s guest hosts for that loooong vacation he takes are usually pretty lame in the monologue department. I’d welcome having Colbert at least included or even guest hosting for the entire stretch. ---
**Author:** ![Meatwater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meatwater/32/20074_2.png) [@Meatwater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatwater)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2026, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/276 "2026-05-13T17:20:09Z")
It was a good episode seeing those legends and Fallon all being chummy. The only thing that would have made it better is Conan appearing. I cracked up when they voted for Kimmel as most likely to cry. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2026, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/277 "2026-05-13T18:13:37Z")
I had assumed the update was going to be about a bit of news I just heard about: Kimmel and Fallon are both not going to air new shows during Colbert’s last day. > **[Jimmy Fallon to Go Dark on Night of Stephen Colbert’s Final ‘Late Show,’...](https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/jimmy-fallon-rerun-stephen-colbert-final-late-show-1236746180/)** > > Jimmy Fallon is joining Jimmy Kimmel in airing a rerun during the last episode of 'The Late Show,' showing solidarity with Stephen Colbert. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000.md?page=13)