David Letterman Sowed the Seeds of Late-Night Television's Demise
David Letterman's influence on late-night television has sparked discussions about its current state. The article argues that Letterman's shift towards political commentary paved the way for successors like Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel to adopt similar approaches. This change has contributed to the decline of broad appeal in late-night programming, leading to the cancellation of shows like The Late Show.
- ▪Stephen Colbert's tenure as a political commentator has ended, leading to discussions about the future of late-night television.
- ▪The article suggests that David Letterman's embrace of political commentary influenced later hosts to adopt similar styles.
- ▪Late-night shows are struggling with production costs and a shift away from broad audience appeal.
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David Letterman Sowed the Seeds of Late-Night Television's Demise Stephen Kruiser | 11:26 PM on May 21, 2026 Robert Franklin/South Bend Tribune via AP Stephen Colbert's run as a political rent boy for Democratic politicians has, mercifully for America, come to an end. Because American leftists are clinically insane, fans of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert like to blame President Trump for the host's walking papers. Some of them throw in a dash of garment-rending about CBS and corporate evil, but usually circle back to a Trump tantrum. As I have said on many occasions, President Trump isn't just living rent-free in their heads, he's building condos there.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at PJ Media.
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