The late-night TV landscape has seen some changes over the past few years, though there was just a particularly big development involving Stephen Colbert. It was formally announced by CBS that The Late Show had been canceled, and it’s now set to end in 2026 after a 33-year run. So far, celebrities and fans alike have not held back their responses to the aforementioned network’s decision, which is said to have been a “financial” consideration. Now, an industry insider is weighing in on how the long-running talk show’s crew feels.
As reports about The Late Show’s cancellation surfaced late this past week, Stephen Colbert himself confirmed the show’s demise during a broadcast. Per Deadline, audience members noted that Colbert’s wife, Evie, was present during the taping and was visibly emotional at the time. Boos also apparently erupted from the audience as the host shared the news. Apparently, Stephen was informed of the news on Wednesday, and he told his staff before the taping and, now, an insider tells the trade that employees are not pleased:
[They’re] devastated across the board. The Late Show happens to be a very close-knit staff, more so than a lot of other shows, and there’s not an abundance of jobs out there.
David Letterman hosting in the early years and, with him at the helm, the series would eventually become a late-night staple. Letterman’s run eventually ended in May 2015, as he formally retired from the program. Stephen Colbert then took on the hosting reins in September of that same year. In the aftermath of the recent cancellation news, Jimmy Kimmel, Bowen Yang and more spoke out, criticizing CBS’s big brass for its decision. As for fan-favorite host Colbert’s reaction, you can watch it below:
What also makes this move by the Eye Network significant is that it comes only a few years after the end of The Late Late Show, which starred James Corden. 2025 also marked the conclusion of the late-night offering After Midnight, though that program ended due to host Taylor Tomlinson’s desire to shift back to stand-up comedy. As for The Late Show’s demise, insiders and the WGA have speculated as to whether the decision has anything to do with parent company Paramount’s $16 million lawsuit settlement with President Donald Trump.
Nevertheless, the cancellation of The Late Show also comes amid major shifts in the late-night TV landscape, which has seen a decline in recent years. Speculation now persists in regard to what the forthcoming end of Stephen Colbert’s hosting front might mean for the talk show ecosystem as a whole. In the short term, viewers will just want to stay tuned to the 2025 TV schedule as Colbert and co. prepare for their final run. Also, time will tell if insiders share more alleged information about what’s going on behind the scenes.