On the surface, CBS canceling seems like a terrible thing for Stephen Colbert. However, it could end up working out for the better for the host. News has broken that CBS has decided to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert when his contract comes to an end in May 2026. This isn't just a cancellation of the series with him as a host, but the end of it completely after 30 years of being on the air.
While it was certainly a shocking and emotional announcement, He has the whole world open to him now, and it means he can be more vocal and supportive of the projects and groups that he wants to. In the end, the only people losing are the CBS executives.
Up until this year, , making it clear that people were tuning in despite late-night television starting to struggle. While ratings did slip this year, so did the rest of late-night TV, and Colbert remained on top. Thus, The Late Show's cancellation is worrying for other late-night shows.
This show started back in August 1993, with David Letterman in the hosting seat. He remained with the series until 2015, when Colbert took over and honored Letterman's legacy while making the series his own.
However, that's not the only bad note for CBS. Since CBS has canceled The Late Show as a whole, it has canceled a legacy series. This show started back in August 1993, with David Letterman in the hosting seat. He remained with the series until 2015, when Colbert took over and honored Letterman’s legacy while making the series his own.
Many people thrive on nostalgia and the feeling of consistency, so . The network has already faced backlash with the decision to cancel the likes of NCIS: Hawaii and FBI: International, and now it’s going to face further retaliation that could lead to additional financial problems.
While Colbert is losing this late-night TV show, it doesn't mean that he is gone for good. In fact, CBS's decision is likely going to end up as the best thing for his future and his career. like Colbert.
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The quickest way he could continue his work is by hosting a podcast, and he'd have plenty of personal contacts whom he could help promote movies and TV shows while also having a loyal following to hear all about it from him. There are also sure to be , potentially creating a show just for him.
However, Colbert is probably going to find success by doing his own thing. With the end of , he'll no longer be beholden to corporate mandates and oversight. He'll be able to work with the people he wants and give voice to the causes that he supports, offering more job satisfaction.
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