One of the longest-running late-night shows in the U.S. is about to be retired after more than 30 years on air on CBS. Previously hosted by talk show icon David Letterman, The Late Show continued with Stephen Colbert following Letterman’s retirement in 2015. Now, Colbert is set to step down as host in May 2026 when his contract comes to an end, and the decision has been made that the show will be retired at that time.
“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert will end its historic run in May 2026 at the end of the broadcast season. We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire The Late Show franchise at that time. We are proud that Stephen called CBS home. He and the broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late-night television,” said George Cheeks, Co-CEO Paramount Global and President and Chief Executive Officer, CBS, Amy Reisenbach, President, CBS Entertainment and David Stapf, President, CBS Studios in a statement.
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The announcement comes in the midst of several complications that seem to have stemmed from Paramount’s merger with Skydance. However, CBS said this was “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night. It is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.”
Colbert made the announcement about his and the show’s future during the taping of the latest episode, and as well as stating his gratitude for being given the chance to host the show for the past decade, he added that he was “not being replaced, this is all just going away.”
The Slow Demise of Late Night Television
The Late Show has been a staple of CBS’ late night programming since 1993, when host David Letterman began what would become a 22-year run at the helm of one of the most successful talk shows on U.S. television. Colbert took over the show in 2015, and made it his own – even having Letterman back as a guest star.
In recent years, though, late night television across all channels has been struggling to find a consistent audience, and has been losing out as viewers have become more interested in binging their favorite streaming show or watching movies rather than tuning into network programs such as The Late Show. Following the cancellation of After Midnight, the show that replaced The Late Late Show, and with many other late night stars having seen their contracts either reduced or hang in the balance before being renewed, the future of late night talk shows has never been more uncertain than it is right now.
Source: Deadline
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
