The curtains are closing on the “Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
The CBS late-night host’s final week began on May 18 with a small star-studded lineup, and now promises even more special guests for the finale show tonight.
The beloved late-night show ends nearly a year after CBS, which is owned by Paramount Skydance, controversially canceled it in July 2025. Colbert has been the host for over a decade, taking over from David Letterman in September 2015.
When is the last ‘Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ airing?
The last episode of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” will air on tonight, May 21.
How to watch, stream the final Stephen Colbert show
The final episode of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+ beginning at 11:35 p.m. ET.
Watch ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ on Paramount+
Why is the Stephen Colbert show ending?
In July 2025, CBS announced it would not be renewing “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
Paramount, the parent company of CBS, previously said that canceling “The Late Show” was “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night” and was “not related in any way to the show’s performance, content, or other matters happening at Paramount.”
Given Colbert’s consistent comedy critiques of President Donald Trump in his monologue, the decision was widely interpreted as a political move aimed at ensuring the FCC would approve a merger between Skydance and Paramount, according to USA TODAY.
The FCC gave the OK to the $8-billion deal roughly a week after Colbert’s cancellation was revealed.
What will replace ‘Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ on CBS?
The network announced on April 6 that “Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen” will move into the “Last Show” slot at 11:35 p.m.
The comedy talk show, which premiered in syndication in 2006, is hosted by Byron Allen and features a rotating panel of comedians performing their material. It currently airs on CBS immediately after “The Late Show.”
Samantha Neely is a trending reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, covering pop culture, theme parks, breaking news and more. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: When does final Stephen Colbert show air? When, how to watch tonight
Reporting by Samantha Neely, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
