After an 11-season run that has coincided with a divisive, ugly and exhausting era of politics, “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” will air its final episode May 21.
For those who watch and value Colbert’s smart, satirical comedy, it’s a sad moment that raises concerns about the future of free expression and corporate America’s dubious commitment to such freedoms.
In the history of television, this also feels like a watershed moment for late-night programming. With the Eye Network’s decision to cancel “The Late Show” and lease its time slot to syndicated content, the 11:35 p.m. hour no longer feels like a public square for national conversations.
Is Johnny Carson rolling in his grave? Well, he certainly must be commiserating with Jack Paar and Steve Allen somewhere in the great beyond.
To mark what has been a top-rated, award-winning tenure, here is a look back at “The Late Show” through facts, figures and memorable moments. Let’s not say goodbye. For now, let’s just say until we meet Stephen again on a streaming platform, maybe?
Number of “Late Show” episodes: Counting this week, the total is approximately 1,800.
Most frequent guest: John Oliver, a former “Daily Show” correspondent like Colbert and current host of HBO’s “Last Week Tonight,” has made 23 guest appearances (and contributed many other cameos).
Overall ratings performance: “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” has been the top-rated talk show on late-night broadcast TV every season since 2016-17 (and, so far, is No. 1 for 2025-26).
The debut episode: On Sept. 8, 2015, Colbert left behind his arrogant, right-wing persona from Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report” and introduced his real self to the viewing public with the first “Late Show” episode. The guests were George Clooney and then-GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush. The early reviews were mixed. The New York Times called it “overstuffed and messy” yet found the bigness of it “a refreshing goal at a time when late-night shows have been redefined as content creators for your phone.”
The show’s course correction: Colbert eventually found his footing as a network late-night star through the political comedy inspired by the 2016 presidential election. That same year, news veteran Chris Licht, whose previous experience was running MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and “CBS This Morning,” was named executive producer and showrunner of “The Late Show.” Licht helped tighten the show’s format while leaving the crafting of the jokes to Colbert and his team. The result was Colbert taking the lead in the ratings for the 2016-17 season and never letting go.
Colbert finds his “Late Show” voice: In a 2017 New York Times story, Licht cited a pivotal moment when Colbert reacted candidly during a live election night special on Showtime. As the realization sank in that Donald Trump would defeat Hillary Clinton, Colbert said: “Wow. That’s a horrifying prospect. I can’t put a happy face on that, and that’s my job.” With Licht’s encouragement to “stop being funny and go and just be real,” Colbert dumped his prepared conclusion about the importance of moving forward with unity and, as Licht put it, “discussed, bluntly, the searing divides in the country.”
The pandemic shows. When COVID-19 hit in 2020, Colbert began doing an audience-free, stripped-down version of the broadcast that was temporarily renamed “A Late Show” to emphasize this wasn’t things as usual. Working first from his vacation home in South Carolina and then from a set inside the Ed Sullivan Theater designed to look like his office, Colbert won a Peabody Award that year for the way his ”genuine and deeply felt ethical nature” provided “a nightly salve the nation desperately needed.”
He who shall not be named: One of Colbert’s most notable running gags was his months-long ban on uttering Trump’s name on “The Late Show,” a move prompted by his outrage over the president’s false claim that he, not former Vice President Joe Biden, had won the November 2020 presidential election. As a protest, Colbert spent the period using nicknames suggested by his fans, including “The Quarter Flounder,” “Scooby Coup,” “The Fraudfather,” “Girth Vader,” “Hair Farce One” and “Vanity Manatee.”
Colbert’s serious side: Although his comedy can be scathing, Colbert has sensitively explored topics like loss and grief. His appearance on Anderson Cooper’s “All There Is” podcast, which found both men opening up about deaths in their families, was described by the Washington Post as the best thing on TV in 2019. On “The Late Show,” Colbert has conducted moving interviews with actor Andrew Garfield about his mother’s passing and musician Nick Cave on losing two sons.
Best recurring segment: In the “Rescue Dog Rescue” skit, which was done 27 times, Colbert and celebrities would hold adorable puppies from shelters as they told ridiculous lies about them. As Daniel Radcliffe said about one of the pups, “Dakota knows how to use the toilet just like a human. She grabs her phone then disappears for 40 minutes.” Done in collaboration with the North Shore Animal League America, the bit led to every dog featured on the air being adopted.
Most verbose intro to a recurring segment: The roundup of quirky news items called “Meanwhile” was known for its long, metaphor-laden intros that left enough time for a quick bathroom break. At one point, Broadway legend Patti LuPone gave a recitation of a “Meanwhile” intro that treated it like Shakespearean prose.
Best sidekick: Colbert had a warm rapport with both of his bandleaders, the original musician in charge, Jon Batiste, and the band member who replaced him, Louis Cato. But his favorite second banana always has been his wife, Evie McGee Colbert. She became a regular partner for his “First Draft” segments about failed first attempts at greeting cards. The gags were funny enough, but their playful banter after more than 30 years of marriage was better.
The reason for the cancellation: When CBS announced the canning of “The Late Show” in July 2025, the statement issued by the network sounded like a glowing letter of recommendation. “We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable. … He and the broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late night television.” The network stated that it was “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night” and stressed that it was “not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.” Anonymous sources spread the word to the media that the show had been losing $40 million a year.
The skepticism over the reason: The cancellation was revealed just days after Colbert took on-air jabs at CBS owner Paramount’s $16 million settlement with Trump over the president’s lawsuit accusing “60 Minutes” of deceptively editing an interview with Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Saying he was offended by the deal, Colbert joked, “I don’t know if anything — anything — will repair my trust in this company. But, just taking a stab at it, I’d say $16 million would help.” Colbert also described the payout as a “big fat bribe.”
The skepticism over the reason, part II: In the midst of all this, Paramount was seeking the Trump administration’s OK for a multibillion-dollar merger with Skydance, a company founded by David Ellison, son of Trump supporter Larry Ellison. The approval was granted by the Federal Communications Commission about a week after Colbert’s cancellation was announced.
Trump’s response: In a post on his Truth Social site after “The Late Show” was canceled, the president sounded ecstatic. “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings. 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,” wrote Trump.
Colbert’s response to Trump’s response: A few days after being axed, Colbert gave CBS fair warning in his monologue of what to expect until he left. “Over the weekend, it sunk in that they’re killing off our show. But they made one mistake: They left me alive. … And now, for the next 10 months, the gloves are off. I can finally speak unvarnished truth to power and say what I really think about Donald Trump, starting right now.” And after reading out loud Trump’s bashing of him on Truth Social, Colbert said, “How dare you, sir. Would an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism? Go f— yourself.”
A timely win: In September 2025, “The Late Show” won its first Emmy for best talk series, prompting a standing ovation from the ceremony’s audience of TV insiders. Colbert graciously thanked CBS and said he hoped that the late-night tradition “continues long after we are no longer doing this show.” He concluded his acceptance speech by dropping a reference to the Prince song “Let’s Go Crazy,” stating: “I have never loved my country more desperately. God bless America. Stay strong, be brave, and if the elevator tries to bring you down, go crazy and punch a higher floor!”
The “Strike Force Five” reunion: Colbert has been reuniting with some of his favorite guests in recent weeks. On May 11, he did an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, John Oliver and Jimmy Fallon, who, along with Colbert, did the “Strike Force Five” podcast during the 2023 Hollywood strikes to raise money for their out-of-work writers. Unlike the bitter competition that existed between past late-night rivals, there is only friendship and mutual admiration among the current hosts. Colbert joked that “Daily Show” host Jon Stewart wasn’t there because he is the “designated survivor.”
The final episode: While the guests and details were being kept secret as of press time, CBS is promoting that it will have an “extended” finale, so expect a longer run time. To show their support for Colbert, both “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” are airing reruns on May 21.
What’s next for Colbert’s hour: CBS is selling “The Late Show” time slot to Byron Allen, a 64-year-old Motor City native, and his Allen Media Group. Starting Friday, May 22, back-to-back episodes of Allen’s series “Comics Unleashed” will air at 11:35 p.m. The series features conversations with stand-up comics that consist largely of lines from their acts (and avoid topical subjects).
What’s next for Colbert: The longtime fan of author J.R.R. Tolkien is cowriting a new “Lord of the Rings” film with the franchise’s script veteran Philippa Boyens and his son, Peter. It is titled “Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past.”
Best epitaph. It comes from David Letterman, the creator of “The Late Show” in 1993 and the man who tormented CBS with his sharp irony until retiring in 2015. Last week, while making his final guest appearance with Colbert, the white-bearded TV icon said this to a post-Colbert CBS, expanding on the classic signoff of legendary CBS journalist Edward R. Murrow: “Good night and good luck, m—–f——.”
Contact Detroit Free Press pop culture critic Julie Hinds at jhinds@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: A look back at Stephen Colbert’s ‘Late Show’ trials and triumphs
Reporting by Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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