Overview
- The Late Show concluded its farewell week with a final broadcast on Thursday, May 21, following 11 seasons under Stephen Colbert and 33 years for the franchise.
- Colbert closed the run with a string of high‑profile guests and peer tributes from Jon Stewart, David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers and others.
- CBS and parent Paramount say the cancellation was a financial choice tied to high production costs and losses, even as the program remained the late‑night ratings leader.
- Critics including Colbert have linked the timing to Paramount’s $16 million settlement with President Trump and the company’s merger activity, raising concerns about political pressure on programming.
- CBS will fill the 11:35 p.m. slot with Byron Allen’s Comics Unleashed under a time‑buy model that shifts costs and ad sales to a third party while Allen says the program will avoid topical political material.