# 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:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**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:** [July 18, 2025, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/61 "2025-07-18T14:37:55Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Oh, I didn’t know that. I thought Fallon did pretty good in the ratings, _because_ his humor is so milquetoast and aimed at the lowest common denominator. Gutfeld: 3 million Colbert: 1.9 million Kimmel: 1.5 million Fallon: 1 million I know this is the Washington Examiner but I’ve seen the same numbers elsewhere so I’m confident it’s correct. > **[‘Gutfeld!’ dominates ratings as CBS retires ‘The Late Show with Stephen...](https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/entertainment/3475239/gutfeld-dominates-ratings-cbs-retires-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert/)** > > Recent ratings showed Fox News’s 'Gutfeld!' averaging three million viewers with 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' drawing an average of 1.9 million viewers. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2025, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/62 "2025-07-18T14:38:20Z")
> [@solost](#): > > He’s been as blistering a critic of trumpism as Colbert, and I think his gags are better than Colbert’s. When Trump left office the first time, [Kimmel put this video together](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZqu8ojifhU) in celebration that is the most brilliant thing I’ve ever seen, and I still watch it from time to time to cheer myself up. ---
**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:** [July 18, 2025, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/63 "2025-07-18T14:49:42Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Or, if the Tonight Show is the last late-night show left, maybe it won’t really matter who’s host, as long as they toe the party line and don’t speak truth to power. I kind of feel like that’s complaining that there is too much dancing at the ballet. _The Tonight Show_ has been on the air for 71 years. Since before most houses had TV. It has always tried to be for a broad audience. The monologue has always touched on the news of the day without going too hard. They still make Trump look silly at times just like Carson did with whoever was president at the time. There is room for shows that aren’t overtly political all the time. I just wish Fallon was better at it. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2025, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/64 "2025-07-18T14:58:39Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I kind of feel like that’s complaining that there is too much dancing at the ballet. Hell, there’s too much _ballet_ at the ballet 😄 But I take your point. ---
**Author:** ![Sylvanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Sylvanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylvanz)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2025, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/65 "2025-07-18T14:58:52Z")
That is awesome. I really wish it had been a permanent goodbye. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2025, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/66 "2025-07-18T15:07:37Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > When Trump left office the first time, [Kimmel put this video together](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZqu8ojifhU) in celebration that is the most brilliant thing I’ve ever seen, and I still watch it from time to time to cheer myself up. > [@Sylvanz](#): > > That is awesome. I really wish it had been a permanent goodbye. That is very, very good. A shame they couldn’t have worked the [Theodore Roosevelt Monument](https://www.nps.gov/places/000/theodore-roosevelt-memorial.htm) into the mix-- that always gets overlooked by the public, and would have made a nice dancing addition. I remember when we took a family trip to D.C. (back in the good old days whan Obama was Pres) and asked our hotel desk clerk how to get to Theodore Roosevelt island-- he said “oh, glad to hear you’re making the trip-- almost no one asks about it!” At least ol’ Teddy got to participate during the Mt. Rushmore scene. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2025, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/67 "2025-07-18T15:16:33Z")
> [@solost](#): > > > [@Loach](#): > > > > I kind of feel like that’s complaining that there is too much dancing at the ballet. > > Hell, there’s too much _ballet_ at the ballet 😄 [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/jxz28K8mvQ4/hqdefault.jpg "A Little Mincing Would Be Nice (The Simpsons)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxz28K8mvQ4) ---
**Author:** ![Steven\_Maven](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steven_maven/32/3272_2.png) [@Steven\_Maven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steven_Maven)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2025, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/68 "2025-07-18T15:30:07Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Fallon’s political humor is pro forma and completely toothless. Thanks to solost & anyone else who mentioned this point. Even tho it’s obvious, it’s worth mentioning. OTOH, Seth Meyers’ regular segment _A Closer Look_ always is a brilliant, detailed, insightful analysis, worthy of any serious news program. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2025, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/69 "2025-07-18T15:36:59Z")
> [@Steven\_Maven](#): > > OTOH, Seth Meyers’ regular segment _A Closer Look_ always is a brilliant, detailed, insightful analysis, worthy of any serious news program. Yes, Seth Meyer’s _A Closer Look_, along with _The Daily Show_, is as much real news and analysis as it is comedy. Jon Stewart’s monologues, in particular, have been pretty amazing lately. He always starts off kind of silly, almost giddy, then his monologue gradually transforms into a searing, bitingly sarcastic indictment of the current political climate. Unfortunately, since it’s also a Paramount property, TDS is likely next on the chopping block. ---
**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:** [July 18, 2025, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/70 "2025-07-18T15:47:54Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Gutfeld: 3 million > Colbert: 1.9 million > Kimmel: 1.5 million > Fallon: 1 million > > I know this is the Washington Examiner but I’ve seen the same numbers elsewhere so I’m confident it’s correct. Here’s an article from _not_ the Examiner, with ratings from Q2 2025 (i.e., through June); the numbers are different, but the order’s the same (all numbers are average nightly viewers): - Gutfeld 3.29 million - Colbert 2.42 million - Kimmel 1.71 million - Fallon 1.19 million And, some other late-night shows, for comparison: - The Daily Show 994K - Seth Myers 900K - Nightline 810K - After Midnight 591K The payoff quote (“linear” refers to viewership over cable/over-the-air, versus watching via streaming): > [@](#): > > Excluding _Gutfeld!_, aggregate linear late-night viewership was down -9% year-over-year among total viewers, and -21% in the [age 18-49] demo. _The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon_ sustained the greatest losses compared to Q2 2024, down -16% among total viewers and down -29% among viewers aged 18-49. > **[Here Are Final Late Night Ratings for Q2 2025 - LateNighter](https://latenighter.com/news/ratings/late-night-tv-ratings-q2-2025/)** > > Q2 2025 late-night ratings showed stability at the top—but year-over-year declines for most, with Gutfeld! on Fox Nwes the lone gainer. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2025, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/71 "2025-07-18T17:30:47Z")
I’ve never been a huge fan of Colbert, but my wife likes him. I don’t doubt CBS’ claim that this reflected nothing besides $, but if they wanted to maintain a posture of being anything resembling an independent purveyor of content, this is a bad look. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2025, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/72 "2025-07-18T18:06:55Z")
The thing about Gutless getting 3M+ viewers, it’s all the right-wing viewers. The others on that list are all the left-wing viewers, divided between all of them. Of course there is some overlap, but the show times compete with each other. ---
**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:** [July 18, 2025, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/73 "2025-07-18T18:09:15Z")
> [@Rebo](#): > > The thing about Gutless getting 3M+ viewers, it’s all the right-wing viewers. The others on that list are all the left-wing viewers, divided between all of them. More or less. Gutfeld’s show runs on Fox News, and I’m certain that 100% of his viewers are MAGA nation. It also airs 90 minutes earlier in the evening than the late-night shows on the legacy OTA networks, and that probably helps with his viewership numbers. Colbert, Kimmel, and Fallon are essentially splitting the other 60-ish percent of the late-night viewing audience between them. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2025, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/74 "2025-07-18T18:34:58Z")
Trump replies to the announcement of Colbert’s cancellation with his usual style, dignity, and restraint: > [@](#): > > # Trump Celebrates ‘Late Show’ Cancellation: ‘I Absolutely Love That Colbert Got Fired’ > > The president on Friday openly basked in the news and suggested that Jimmy Kimmel might be “next” in losing his late night job. > > “I absolutely love that Colbert’ got fired,” [Trump wrote Friday on his Truth Social platform](https://trumpstruth.org/statuses/32066). > > “His talent was even less than his ratings,” the president continued. “I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert! Greg Gutfeld is better than all of them combined, including the Moron on NBC who ruined the once great Tonight Show.” > **[Trump Celebrates 'Late Show' Cancelation: 'I Absolutely Love That Colbert Got...](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-celebrates-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-cancelation_n_687a5702e4b02a75a1faa534)** > > The president on Friday openly basked in the news and suggested that Jimmy Kimmel might be "next" in losing his late night job. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2025, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/75 "2025-07-18T18:43:42Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > More or less. Gutfeld’s show runs on Fox News, and I’m certain that 100% of his viewers are MAGA nation. It also airs 90 minutes earlier in the evening than the late-night shows on the legacy OTA networks, and that probably helps with his viewership numbers. I also wonder if Gutfeld’s audience a) skews older, which means b) they’re less likely to abandon “old media” in favor of various online alternatives. ---
**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:** [July 18, 2025, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/76 "2025-07-18T18:50:04Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I also wonder if Gutfeld’s audience a) skews older Probably so. OTOH, that link I shared earlier today, with Q2 2025 ratings for the shows, indicates that Gutfield does have the largest audience of 18-49 year olds of the various shows, though he doesn’t lead by a lot in 18-49, and his overall audience lead is clearly driven by 50+: - Gutfield: 238,000 - Kimmel: 222,000 - Colbert: 219,000 - Fallon: 157,000 ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2025, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/77 "2025-07-18T18:52:12Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > "…the Moron on NBC who ruined the once great Tonight Show.” Fallon: But but but…[I _ **tried** _ to make you appear likeable](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year/1021000/58), and this is the thanks I get?!? ---
**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:** [July 18, 2025, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/78 "2025-07-18T18:52:14Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > > [@kenobi\_65](#): > > > > More or less. Gutfeld’s show runs on Fox News, and I’m certain that 100% of his viewers are MAGA nation. It also airs 90 minutes earlier in the evening than the late-night shows on the legacy OTA networks, and that probably helps with his viewership numbers. > > I also wonder if Gutfeld’s audience a) skews older, which means b) they’re less likely to abandon “old media” in favor of various online alternatives. All the shows skew old. Young people are watching podcasts. ---
**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:** [July 18, 2025, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/79 "2025-07-18T18:53:05Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Young people are watching podcasts. And watching clips from the late-night shows on Youtube or Tik Tok the following day – which, of course, isn’t captured in the linear TV rating numbers. ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2025, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000/80 "2025-07-18T20:23:24Z")
I haven’t watched broadcast television in literal _decades_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year-may-21-2026/1021000.md?page=5)