| The Late Show with Stephen Colbert | |
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| Genre | |
| Created by | David Letterman |
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| Written by |
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| Directed by | Jim Hoskinson |
| Presented by | Stephen Colbert |
| Announcer | Jen Spyra |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 11 |
| No. of episodes | 1,724(list of episodes) |
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| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 40 minutes |
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| Original release | |
| Network | CBS |
| Release | September 8, 2015 (2015-09-08) – present |
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The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is an Americanlate-nightnews talk show hosted byStephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. The show is the second and final iteration ofCBS'Late Show franchise. It is taped at theEd Sullivan Theater inNew York City in the same studio as its predecessorLate Show with David Letterman. It airs new episodeslive to tape in most American markets Mondays to Thursdays at 11:35 p.m.ET/PT/10:35 p.m.CT, as with its competitorsJimmy Kimmel Live! andThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Colbert was announced as the new host in April 2014, after existing hostDavid Letterman announced his intention to retire earlier in the month; Colbert had previously hostedComedy Central'snews satireThe Colbert Report, a program where Colbert portrayed a character namedStephen Colbert as a parody ofconservativepundits. As such, the series has carried a stronger focus on discussing and satirizing current events, especially withinAmerican politics. Some of Colbert's staff moved toThe Late Show, along withJon Stewart – who previously hostedThe Colbert Report's parent seriesThe Daily Show – serving as an executive producer.
The Late Show has remained the highest-rated American late-night talk show for nine consecutive seasons as of 2025, marking the longest winning streak in franchise history over its competitors; since 2019, it exceededThe Tonight Show inkey demographic viewership. On July 17, 2025, CBS announced that it would be endingThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert and would be retiringThe Late Show franchise altogether in May 2026 after 33 years (with the first 22 seasons underDavid Letterman and the following 11 seasons under Colbert), describing the move as "purely a financial decision".[1] The announcement has drawn controversy due to the show's relative popularity among late-night television, its relation to themerger of Skydance and Paramount, and perceived political motive due to criticisms of theTrump administration by Colbert.[2][3][4]
Prior to Colbert's assumption of hosting duties,David Letterman had been host ofLate Show for 22 years, dating to his arrival atCBS in 1993.CBS had not had a regular late-night talk show for most of its existence before that point, with only one attempt (the short-livedThe Pat Sajak Show in 1989–1990) between 1972 and Letterman's arrival. Letterman, who joined CBS fromNBC after ending his eleven-year run as host ofLate Night and losing out on beingJohnny Carson's successor onThe Tonight Show toJay Leno, was initially competitive with his show's bitter rival,The Tonight Show with Jay Leno; Letterman'sLate Show slowly experienced a decline in ratings over the course of the 1990s and 2000s, dating back to anaffiliation agreement betweenNew World Communications andFox that resulted in all nine CBS-affiliated stations it owned or recently acquired switching toFox between September and December 1994, relegating the network to lower-rated former Fox affiliates andindependent stations in many major cities.
According toTV by the Numbers, in February 2013, the live-plus-seven-day ratings for Letterman'sLate Show averaged about 3.1 million per show for the 2012–2013 season to date.[5] A year later, average viewership was down to 2.8 million.[6]Late Show also had the oldest audience among the various late-night talk shows, which may have led to CBS' decision to pick a younger replacement for Letterman to compete withThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon andABC'sJimmy Kimmel Live!.[6] In addition, Colbert's previous program did well among college students and young men 18–34, which are prime target audiences for late-night comedy programming.[6]
On April 3, 2014, Letterman announced his retirement, with his final episode as host ofLate Show scheduled for May 20, 2015. On April 10, 2014, CBS announcedStephen Colbert as Letterman's successor, signing him to a five-year agreement.[7] In contrast with Colbert's previous programThe Colbert Report, in which he played afictionalized version of himself, Colbert hosts the show as himself.[8] Colbert's version retains theLate Show name under license from Letterman'sWorldwide Pants, which holds the registered trademark.[9] On April 23, 2014, the character version of Stephen Colbert appeared onThe Daily Show with Jon Stewart to announce that he had clearly "won television" and would be closing downThe Colbert Report because he had met his goal. This came after the announcement the character would not be used after the end ofThe Colbert Report.[10] Thefinal episode ofReport aired on December 18, 2014.
There were efforts to lure a new version ofThe Late Show from its long-time home at theEd Sullivan Theater in New York City, with California lawmakers offering tax incentives to bring production to Los Angeles.[11] On July 23, 2014, CBS CEOLes Moonves announced that the program would remain in New York City; CBS would be eligible for $11 million in tax credits over five years to produce the program there, and would also receive grants to fund renovations to the theater.[12]Jon Batiste was announced as the bandleader on June 4, 2015,[13] with hisStay Human band succeeding the CBS Orchestra (which returned to its previous identity as theWorld's Most Dangerous Band shortly thereafter) as thehouse band.[14][15]
In anticipation of the program's premiere, a new online presence was launched forThe Late Show in June 2015, including new social media accounts, apodcast, mobile app, and a monologue-styled video focusing on the beard Colbert had grown since leavingThe Colbert Report.[16] Throughout the remainder of the summer, videos would continue to be released through the show's officialYouTube channel and mobile app. On July 1, 2015, Colbert hosted a special edition of apublic access program inMonroe, Michigan, interviewingEminem.[17][18]
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Colbert has been given near-full control of the show, with little interference from CBS management in regard to format.[19][20] Colbert brought most of his staff fromThe Colbert Report with him toThe Late Show,[19] as well as outsiders such asBrian Stack, who is best known for his work onConan O'Brien's programs,[21] andJon Stewart, former host of Colbert's previous sister programThe Daily Show, who is credited as executive producer. Colbert no longer uses thecharacter he had portrayed onThe Colbert Report, jokingly remarking toJeb Bush that "I used to play a narcissistic conservative pundit – now I'm just a narcissist."[22]
The Ed Sullivan Theater underwent a full restoration to its original 1927 appearance, a process that began following Letterman's final episode, including the uncovering of the theater's ceiling, stained-glass windows and a restoration of a chandelier, due to advances in technology that allow less sound and video equipment to cover up theauditorium's architectural details.[23]
On April 13, 2016, formerCBS This Morning andMorning Joe executive producerChris Licht was namedshowrunner forThe Late Show; CBS had shown concerns that, despite improved ratings in comparison to Letterman's tenure, Colbert had a weak online presence in comparison toThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and Colbert's lead-outThe Late Late Show with James Corden (whose "Carpool Karaoke" segments have been popular asviral videos).The Hollywood Reporter believed that Licht's experience in news programming would be leveraged to complement Colbert's strengths in topical and news-oriented material.[24]
On October 17, 2019, Colbert and CBS announced that they had agreed to renew his contract, which had been set to expire in August 2020, until August 2023.[25] On March 12, 2020, the show suspended production due to theCOVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Beginning March 30, 2020, the show was produced from Colbert's home, billed asA Late Show with Stephen Colbert (orA Late Show with Stephen at Home).[26][27] From August 10, Colbert presented the program from a smaller set within the building's office tower, built as a replica of his own personal office seen onA Late Show with Stephen Colbert, without a studio audience.[28][29] On August 4, 2020, the show's music producer Giovanni Cianci was fired following sexual misconduct allegations.[30]
On May 24, 2021, Colbert announced that the show would resume production inside the theater with an audience fully vaccinated against COVID-19 starting on June 14, 2021. It was also announced that the Ed Sullivan Theater would be back at full capacity, following the lifting of COVID-19 guidelines that restricted the number of people in a crowded, indoor setting. The announcement was significant in that the Ed Sullivan Theater would become the first theater on Broadway to reopen to full capacity. It also madeThe Late Show the first late-night talk show to announce a return to a full audience, thoughThe Tonight Show ultimately returned to full-capacity audiences one week ahead ofThe Late Show on June 7, 2021. With the show's return to the theater, the original name,The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, was also put back in use.[31][32]
The program's intro originally usedtilt–shift photography featuring scenes of New York City, making the city appear like a miniature model.[33] In September 2021The Late Show introduced a new intro sequence, featuring the use of adrone camera flying around the theater and its backstage areas.[34] On February 26, 2022, Chris Licht, theshowrunner, left the show to become the new chairman and CEO ofCNN.[35] On the August 11, 2022, episode, Colbert announced that bandleader Jon Batiste had decided he would not be returning to the show, in order to "pursue personal and professional interests". Batiste was replaced byLouis Cato.[36] On May 2, 2023,The Late Show, and several other late night talk shows, halted its production due to the2023 Writers Guild of America strike.[37] Colbert showed his support to the writers, saying: "I'm a member of the guild. I supportcollective bargaining. This nation owes so much tounions" and hoped both parts would reach an agreement.[38] It was reported that Colbert continued to pay his staff salary during the strike.[39] In November/December 2023,The Late Show production paused for a few weeks after Colbert had emergency surgery for aruptured appendix.[40][41] Full episodes of the show going back about a month are available onParamount+.[42] Official clips from the show going back to 2015 are available on the show's YouTube channel.[43]
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While most episodes are pre-taped before broadcast, the series has occasionally broadcast live on the evenings of pre-scheduled newsworthy domestic events. These have included live shows during the evenings ofElection Days,presidential nominating conventions,[44][45]United States presidential general election debates,[46]State of the Union speeches and similar presidential speeches tojoint sessions of Congress,[47] and the July 2022 hearings of theJanuary 6 Committee.[48] During the2024 Democratic National Convention, the show filmed a week of live episodes from theAuditorium Theatre inChicago, the host city of the convention.[44] An election night special for the2016 United States presidential election was aired on CBS' sibling channelShowtime.[49]
In2020 and2024, presidential election night specials were broadcast on CBS.[50] Colbert also aired live specials on CBS on the election nights of themidterm elections of2018[51] and2022.[52] On the evening of January 6, 2021 (originally slated for a pre-taped episode), the program broadcast a previously unplanned live episode in order to air Colbert's reaction to theattack on the United States Capitol earlier that day.[53] In addition to political events, live episodes have also been broadcast as the lead-out programming forNFL postseason games, including the2024 AFC Championship Game[54] andSuper Bowls in 2016 and 2024 (being the direct lead-out toSuper Bowl 50 in 2016).[55][56]
Colbert originally started the show with acold open and brief monologue before the opening sequence.[33] Starting with the April 18, 2016, broadcast, the first under new showrunner Chris Licht, the format was modified to replace the cold open monologue with short sketches starring Colbert, his staff, and often featuring that night's guests, followed by the opening sequence and Colbert entering the stage.[57] For the first few weeks of the show, Colbert performed his own voiceovers for the intro.[58] Since then he has used Jen Spyra, former writer for the show, as his off-screen announcer;[59][60] the first femalelate night announcer.
The open was originally followed by an extendednews satire style desk sequence with a run-through of recent headlines, in a manner reminiscent of television newscasts and that ofThe Colbert Report.[61] This has been revised to a traditional stand-up monologue presentation, but still composed of the same extended run-through of news headlines, with a particular focus on politics. Also, the show follows the same basic format as other late-night talk shows including the use ofsketch comedy, guest interviews and musical performances. Colbert's guest list includes more political and government figures than his contemporaries; his first two weeks' guests included visits fromJeb Bush,Joe Biden,Ban Ki-moon,Stephen Breyer,Bernie Sanders,Elizabeth Warren,Donald Trump, andTed Cruz.
Thus far, Colbert has not had any of his staff act as asidekick orstraight man on the show. While Colbert dances and physically interacts with his band leader while the band plays, they only occasionally engage in on-air banter, unlike David Letterman's relationship withPaul Shaffer or the relationship of other late night hosts with their announcers or bandleaders. Occasionally, Colbert has brought out producers of his show, or enlisted the help of audience members, who assume a sidekick-like role for single segments, engaging in light dialogue about a topic. The show has occasionally been broadcast live to provide coverage of the immediate aftermath of major political events, such as candidate debates andparty conventions during election years, theState of the Union address, in the 2018mid-term elections and the2020 United States presidential election.[62][63]
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In the show's series premiere, Colbert welcomed actorGeorge Clooney and politicianJeb Bush, thanked former host David Letterman, and joined singerMavis Staples and numerous other musicians for a rendition ofSly and the Family Stone's "Everyday People".[64] The episode nearly missed its broadcast due to technical difficulties.[65] An early interview with Vice PresidentJoe Biden received particular acclaim.[66][67][68] Following theterrorist attacks in Paris that November, Colbert devoted his program to that city.[69] A special football-themed episode aired as thelead-out program forSuper Bowl 50 in 2016, featuring guests PresidentBarack Obama (in a taped segment),Tina Fey,Margot Robbie,Will Ferrell, andMegyn Kelly.[70]
In February 2016, modelSarah McDaniel appeared for an interview on the show after being featured on the first ever non-nude cover ofPlayboy magazine.[71] A minor wardrobe failure caused McDaniel to have to visibly cover her cleavage.Colbert attempted to joke about the situation to ease the awkwardness, and at one point playfully put a paper towel on her chest, a move McDaniel later criticized in an interview withHasanAbi. She described the entire incident as one of the worst moments of her life. A clip of the interview posted onYouTube has more than 48 million views and is by far the most watched video ever posted to The Late Show YouTube channel, as of 2024.[72][73]
On June 22, 2016, CBS announced thatThe Late Show would broadcast two weeks of live episodes during the 2016Republican andDemocratic conventions. The first of these episodes, on July 18, 2016, opened with a musical number by Colbert that compared the Republican convention to being "Christmas in July", and featured sketches whereJon Stewart (revealed to have been living off-grid in a cabin) is told thatDonald Trump had clinched the Republican nomination for thepresidential election, Colbert'spersona fromThe Colbert Report is revived and delivers an edition ofThe Word on "Trumpiness", and a filmed sketch touring the convention'svenue as hisThe Hunger Games-inspired character Julius Flickerman.[74][75][76] Stewart appeared once more the following Thursday, delivering a segment criticizing theFox News Channel in the wake of the firing of its CEORoger Ailes. Colbert's performances during these episodes were critically praised for their return to an emphasis on news-oriented comedy similar toThe Colbert Report andThe Daily Show.[77][78]
On November 8, 2016, Colbert presented a live, election night special for CBS's sister premium channelShowtime,Stephen Colbert's Live Election Night: Democracy's Series Finale: Who's Going to Clean Up This Shit? The special featured appearances byLaura Benanti (reprising her impersonation ofMelania Trump),Jeff Goldblum,Mark Halperin,Elle King,John Heilemann, andNick Offerman. Due to it being broadcast on a premium channel, the show was billed as being uncensored (which Colbert demonstrated during his monologue by swearing, and announcingMarco Rubio'sSenate re-election result using a nearly-nude model). Critics felt that the special had anticipated aHillary Clinton victory, noting the increasingly "surreal" and "uncomfortable" atmosphere that ensued when Trump emerged as the front-runner. When Halperin informed Colbert that Trump was nearing the required 270 electoral votes, he remarked that he "[couldn't] put a happy face on it, and that's my job." Katy Perry was expected to make a pre-recorded appearance, but her segment was dropped due to the impending victory. During his interview, Jeff Goldblum also acknowledged the situation, and sang a verse from "It Goes Like It Goes". In his closing monologue, Colbert noted that before she died, his mother Lorna (who was born only days after thefirst presidential election where women had theright to vote nationally) remarked that – despite having historically been a Republican – she had wanted to vote for Hillary Clinton. He argued that people may have "overdosed" on the "poison" of politics, but acknowledged that "you can't laugh and be afraid at the same time, and the devil cannot stand mockery."[79][80][81][82][83][84][85] Another abandoned gag from the special was, had Clinton won, Colbert would have brought out nude models with the letters "W-E-'-R-E W-I-T-H H-E-R" printed on their butt cheeks. When it became clear that Trump was going to win, they initially thought of changing the lettering to "W-E-'-R-E S-C-R-E-W-E-D", before it was decided not to use the gag.[86]
On May 1, 2017, Colbert's monologue was devoted to President Trump following his conduct in an interview with CBS'sJohn Dickerson onFace the Nation. Describing Dickerson as a fellow "member of the CBS family", Colbert "read a laundry list of insults on-air to rapturous cheers from the crowd ... reeling off a series of scripted jokes and ending on, 'In fact, the only thing your mouth is good for is being Vladimir Putin's cock holster.'"[87] Colbert's language was considered to be crude andhomophobic by some, and led to a short-lived #FireColbert hashtag on Twitter.[87] Colbert later addressed the controversy on-air, admitting he had used "a few words that were cruder than they needed to be" but that he "would do [the monologue] again".[88] On May 5, theFederal Communications Commission announced that it would go through a comprehensive investigation of Colbert's remarks,[89] and concluded no action was to be taken against Colbert orThe Late Show, reasoning in a public statement released on May 23 that there was "nothing actionable under the FCC's rules" as the offending statement had beenproperly censored.[90][91]
During the COVID-19 pandemic when the show was produced from Colbert's home (March 2020 until June 2021), his wife Evelyn "Evie" McGee-Colbert was a frequent guest appearance on the show. Crucial to maintaining Colbert's energy as a host, Evie stood in for the regular studio audience's reactions and laughter.[92][93] On November 3, 2020, Colbert produced his second Showtime election special,Stephen Colbert's Election Night 2020: Democracy's Last Stand: Building Back America Great Again Better 2020. Ahead of the special, showrunner Chris Licht toldThe Hollywood Reporter'sTV's Top 5 podcast that the show would be prepared for every eventuality.[94] The special featured many of the same guests who had attended the 2016 election night special, notablyCharlemagne tha God; unlike the 2016 show, theprolonged nature of the election projections in 2020 meant that Colbert could not reasonably prognosticate on a winner during the live show – Americans would not knowthe winner until later in the week.[95] The special won the 2021Emmy Award forOutstanding Variety Special (Live).[96]
On September 30, 2025,Jimmy Kimmel appeared as a guest on the show in his first interview since his show'ssuspension. The candid interview included Kimmel discussing his reaction to the suspension as well as to Colbert's cancellation. On the same night, Colbert was a guest onJimmy Kimmel Live which was broadcast fromBrooklyn that week. Colbert filmed his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel's show first and then the two traveled to theEd Sullivan Theater to film Kimmel's interview.[97][98][99]
On June 13, 2023, CBS announced that Colbert had signed a three-year contract extension through 2026.[100] In May 2025, CBS executive George Cheeks said of Colbert's pending contract expiration and possible renewal: "We have another year on [his] deal. We have not had that conversation, but we really like our hand."[101] He also noted at the time that "we have the number one person at 11:30pm for the last nine years" but that "the day part is challenging from an ad sales perspective."[102]
Colbert and CBS announced on July 17, 2025, that the show and franchise would end in May 2026, when Colbert's contract expires.[103] CBS stated that the cancellation was "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night" and that it was "not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening atParamount."[104]Ankler Media reported that Colbert's manager was informed at the end of June about the cancellation, but did not tell Colbert until he returned from vacation two weeks later, with Colbert learning the news of the final decision the evening of July 16.[105][106]Puck News reported that "Colbert's team" was first informed around July 4, 2025, that the show, reportedly losing $40 million a year, was in jeopardy before the final decision was made on July 16, with Colbert opting to make the announcement the next day, earlier than CBS had intended.[107] Journalist Rick Ellis later reported that the $40 million figure cited by sources from the network was inflated by at least $10 million.[108] In first public remarks following the closing of themerger of Skydance Media and Paramount Global, Cheeks suggested that the end ofAfter Midnight in March 2025 helped lead to the cancellation decision, though executives declined to confirm the show's exact financial losses.[109][110][111] Incoming Paramount Skydance executiveJeff Shell claimed that 80 percent of the viewership was now onYouTube with lower ad rates.[112]The New York Times reported that Paramount ChairShari Redstone was not consulted about the decision and that the show's financial issues had been discussed in board meetings over the previous year.[113] In September 2025, now former Paramount Chair Redstone stated that late night programming "was financially not viable, it had been that way for a long time."[114] The cancellation was also cited in an investigation of the merger started by House Democrats in August 2025.[115]
The decision was made while Paramount, owner of CBS, was in the process ofclosing a multibillion-dollar merger with the movie studio Skydance, which requires the approval of theFederal Communications Commission (FCC), and days after CBS and Paramount agreed to pay $16 million to settle alawsuit by President Donald Trump, a settlement that Colbert had criticized on the air on July 14, 2025, as "a big fat bribe".[2] As a result, the decision attracted significant controversy and criticism.[116][117] According toThe Hollywood Reporter, the news of the show ending was met "with shock and disgust" from politicians and entertainers.[118] SenatorElizabeth Warren issued a statement saying: "CBS canceled Colbert's show just three days after Colbert called out CBS owner Paramount for its $16 million settlement with Trump — a deal that looks likebribery. America deserves to know if his show was canceled for political reasons."[2] Colbert frequently criticizes Trump on the show. The decision led to questions on whether the cancellation of Colbert, a trenchant and vocal critic of Trump, was related to the government's review of the merger or to the legal settlement with Trump, who had previously called for Colbert's contract to be "terminated".[3] SenatorAdam B. Schiff, who happened to have appeared on the show the day of the announcement, said of the decision: "If Paramount and CBS endedThe Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know" and later submitted a letter to the FCC asking about what role it might have played.[119][120] TheWriters Guild of America also called onAttorney General of New YorkLetitia James to investigate the circumstances of the cancellation.[121] In an official response to a letter from Senator Warren, SenatorBernie Sanders and SenatorRon Wyden,Skydance Media said it was not involved in the decision.[122]
Journalist Bill Carter, a long-time observer of the late-night television industry, acknowledged that advertising revenue for late-night television had diminished over the previous years for all networks, noting that NBC had cut costs by reducing production of theTonight Show to four nights a week and cut the budget ofLate Night, but observed that "CBS did not try any of those cost-saving moves—or any cost-saving moves at all. It simply cut off the franchise at the neck", despite the fact that theLate Show was number one in its time slot. Carter compared the cancellation to CBS' cancellation of the successfulSmothers Brothers Comedy Hour in 1969 due to pressure from theJohnson administration.[3]
Despite being number one in its timeslot,Late Show was reportedly losing the network money due to high costs andaudience fragmentation, digital competition, and falling ad revenue for network and late-night shows generally – ad revenue for network late-night talk shows collectively dropped 50% from $439 million in 2018 to $220 million in 2024. The cancellation was also described as a "casualty of the merger" of Paramount and Skydance, both as companies try to cut costs prior to a merger and the need for regulatory approval from the Trump administration. Skydance CEODavid Ellison is the son of billionaireLarry Ellison, who is a friend and supporter of Donald Trump.[4]Washington Post columnists Emily Yahr and Geoff Edgers elaborated on audience fragmentation, mentioning that due to the social media era, late-night television was no longer appointment viewing for many people, and personalities and celebrities that had made names for themselves via newer media outlets became more influential.[123] Two months after the cancellation, Colbert toldGQ, "I think we’re the first number one show to ever get canceled."[124]
Donald Trump reacted to the cancellation by posting "I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings," adding, "I hearJimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert!"; Kimmel himself would besuspended by ABC following controversial remarks made about theassassination ofCharlie Kirk.[125][126] Kimmel had posted in support of Colbert, criticizing CBS for their decision, saying "Love you, Stephen. Fuck you andall yourSheldons, CBS."[127][d] Many fans and critics have also criticized CBS for cancellingThe Late Show, with petitions being set up to urge CBS to reverse their decision.[128][129] In August 2025, aFor Your Consideration billboard in California forJimmy Kimmel Live! targeted at the voters in the upcoming77th Primetime Emmy Awards had the message "I'm voting for Stephen," with both shows nominated in the same category.[130] Kimmel later said that the idea that the show was losing $40 million was "beyond nonsensical" because it only accounted for advertising revenue, and not affiliate fees.[131][132]
As the news of the cancellation was released in the hours before the announcement aired, the July 17 episode was the highest rated episode of the calendar year with 3.079 million in total viewers, in addition to over 5 million viewers of the announcement onYouTube, and also prompted ratings increases in the following week and for other late-night shows.[133][134][135] His monologue for the Monday episode following the cancellation announcement received over ten million views on YouTube.[136][137] In his first week after the cancellation announcement, he had the highest raw ratings in over two years with an average of 3 million viewers and the highest viewership share of its entire run, with viewership hitting a four-year high for airings in the month of July.[138][139] In theSouth Parkseason 27 episode "Sermon on the 'Mount", when warning the townspeople aboutcancellation, Jesus Christ mentions Colbert in reference to the cancellation ofThe Late Show.[140][141]
The Late Show debuted to 8.26 million viewers (with Live+7) according toNielsen, beating out all late-night competition.[142] The show's highest ratings to date – and highest for theLate Show franchise – were achieved by a live episode that ran after Super Bowl 50 in 2016, which averaged 21.1 million viewers.[70] Despite this, the show's initial ratings trailed its competitors.[143][144] The show began to shift its focus onto politics,[145] and in 2017,The Late Show began to see major ratings gains, aided by the program's satire of the incomingDonald Trump administration. AfterTrump's inauguration, Colbert narrowly beat Fallon for the first time in average weekly viewership,[146] and it continued to see ratings gains over the ensuing months.[147] It ended up becoming the highest-rated late-night talk show for the 2016–2017 season, averaging more than 3.2 million nightly viewers.[148] The show continued to see improvement throughout the 2010s; in the 2018–2019 season,The Late Show beatThe Tonight Show as the top program among thekey demographic of adults 18–49, marking its first win in Colbert's tenure, and only the second in franchise history, since the 1994–1995 season.[149]The Late Show was the highest-rated American late-night talk show for nine consecutive seasons up until its cancellation in 2025, making it the longest winning streak in franchise history over its competitors.[150]
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has garnered mostly positive reviews.[151]The Guardian's Brian Moylan praised the show's humor: "This opener was by no means a perfect show, but there were enough really inventive jokes to make Colbert already seem like an innovator."[152] Robert Lloyd of theLos Angeles Times deemed it a "strong start",[153] whileVariety's Brian Lowry felt it a "mostly terrific" debut, commenting, "Colbert looks like he has the skill set to settle in and make this job his own, night in and night out."[154] Many critics considered the show's more political segments as reminiscent ofThe Colbert Report.[153][155] The show's post-Super Bowl episode in 2016 proved polarizing. "Sunday's live episode felt mostly like a wasted opportunity – one that probably won't win many converts among those football fans sober enough to stick around," said Brian Lowry atVariety.[156] Daniel D'Addario ofTime dubbed his performance "stiff and uncomfortable", writing, "Colbert might have been better advised not to bother trying with football at all and just put forward a program of pure entertainment."[157]
The Late Show has received positive reviews following the inauguration of Donald Trump as president. "Colbert may not be the sarcastic, irony-laden character he once played for Comedy Central, but as Trump has dominated the news every day since taking office,The Late Show has become the home for reasoned, but incisive, discussion, on the perceived overreaches of the White House," said David Sims ofThe Atlantic.[158]James Poniewozik ofThe New York Times commented, "Mr. Colbert's comedy hasn't become radically different, but it has been more frank and caustic ... The network-TV Mr. Colbert is more cheery than his cable character. But it's as if the Trump administration had solved the problem of reconciling his new comedy with his old by makingtruthiness America's official language."[159] In a profile made byThe Wall Street Journal on Colbert, actorAndrew Garfield said: "The openness and ownership that he has with seemingly culturally taboo subjects, such as grief, allows his guests permission to be in contact and reveal those aspects of their own selves and experiences. In turn, the audience gets to have a genuine, deep, and connected experience. So the show feels like an act of service to people. I think Stephen would have made a great priest."[160]
Others suggested that Colbert's transition to mainstream broadcast dulled his wit. Jason Zinoman, eulogizing the show post-cancellation forthe New York Times, praised Colbert for his strong interviewing skills but suggested that one "[gets] the sense thatthe Late Show wasn’t always the perfect showcase for his myriad talents. His quick, improv-honed wit and intellectual depth could feel hamstrung by the show’s short segments."[161] InThe Guardian, Jesse Hassenger argued that he Colbert "did his strongest political satire [in the past]," referencing the Comedy Central days, but also complimented his growth onLate Show: "his warmth and sometimes-sharp humor made him a good host."[162]
The show was a recipient for thePeabody Award and earnedPrimetime Emmy Award nominations including six times forOutstanding Variety Talk Series, as of the75th Primetime Emmy Awards.[163][164][165] The show won thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Talk Series at the77th Primetime Emmy Awards.[166][167] Colbert received a standing ovation as a presenter at the beginning of the awards show.[168][169]
 | This section needs to beupdated. The reason given is: The show may have already switched broadcasters or no longer broadcast in some countries. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(April 2023) |
In Canada,The Late Show with Stephen Colbert airs onGlobal, previously airing in simulcast with CBS in most regions.[170][171]NTV, another Canadian station, also simulcastsGlobal's broadcast toNewfoundland as well asThe Bahamas andSaint Pierre and Miquelon. Since September 2023, the show airs at 12:05am or following Global's late evening newscast. In Australia,The Late Show with Stephen Colbert airs onNetwork 10 (a sister Paramount network).[172]
In Southeast Asia,The Late Show with Stephen Colbert aired onRTL CBS Entertainment weeknights at 10:50 pm (UTC+08:00) starting September 10, 2015, precedingThe Late Late Show with James Corden.[173] InIndia andSri Lanka,The Late Show with Stephen Colbert airs onSTAR World Premiere HD.[174] InPortugal,The Late Show with Stephen Colbert airs onSIC Radical.[175] InGermany,The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has aired since January 2020 onSat.1 Emotions.[176] InSouth Africa the show airs at 11:00 pm Monday–Thursday, and Friday nights at midnight, on free-to-aire.tv, since October 2019.[177] TheAmerican Forces Network satellite radio and television service broadcasts the show commercial free toUnited States military personnel stationed overseas on Prime Atlantic for viewers in Europe and on Prime Pacific for viewers in Asia.
Season-to-date figures are averages of "live plus seven day" data except for the two most recent weeks, which are "live plus same day" ... SEASON TO DATE/TOTAL VIEWERS ... 11:35 pm to 12:35 amET NBC "Tonight", 3.6 million viewers, CBS "Late Show", 3.1 million viewers, ABC "Kimmel", 2.8 million viewers**
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