The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is an American late-night news talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which aired from September 8, 2015, to May 21, 2026. The show is the second and final iteration of CBS' Late Show franchise. It was taped at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City in the same studio as its predecessor Late Show with David Letterman. It aired new episodes live to tape in most American markets Mondays to Thursdays at 11:35 p . ET/PT/10:35 p . CT, as with its competitors Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Colbert was announced as the new host in April 2014, following the exit of host David Letterman, who had announced intentions to retire earlier in the month. Colbert previously hosted Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, a news satire program where Colbert portrayed a character named Stephen Colbert as a parody of conservative pundits. As such, the series carried a stronger focus on discussing and satirizing current events, especially within American politics. Some of Colbert's staff moved to The Late Show, along with Jon Stewart – who previously hosted The Colbert Report's parent series The Daily Show – serving as an executive producer. The Late Show became the highest-rated American late-night talk show, and held that ranking for nine consecutive seasons, marking the longest such streak in franchise history. It had exceeded The Tonight Show in key demographic viewership since 2019. CBS announced in July 2025 that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert would end in May 2026, and that the Late Show franchise would be retired permanently after a 33-year run – 22 seasons under Letterman and 11 seasons under Colbert. CBS described the move as a "purely a financial decision" and claimed The Late Show was losing $40 million per year. The announcement attracted controversy due to the show's relative popularity among late-night television viewers, as well as the close proximity of the timing to the merger of Skydance and Paramount. The show was known for its frequent criticism of the Trump administration. The series finale aired on May 21, 2026, as an extended episode. CBS sold the time slot to Byron Allen's Allen Media Group via a time buy agreement.