Stephen Colbert signs off after 11 years tonight. CBS cites finances, but the Late Show host blames Trump
Stephen Colbert will host The Late Show for the final time tonight, concluding an 11-year tenure at CBS. The network cited financial reasons for the cancellation, but Colbert and others believe it was influenced by President Trump. Following the show's end, CBS will replace it with Comics Unleashed, while Colbert plans to work on a Lord of the Rings film.
- ▪Stephen Colbert's final episode of The Late Show airs tonight after 11 years.
- ▪CBS canceled the show for financial reasons, but Colbert attributes it to pressure from President Trump.
- ▪The network will replace The Late Show with Comics Unleashed starting tomorrow.
5 outlets in our directory ran this story, first to last over 31 hours. Coverage spans 2 points on the political spectrum — 3 lean left, 1 centre.
- ▪ As ‘The Late Show’ Comes to an End, Stephen Colbert’s Sincerity Will Be Missed Most of All — The Hollywood Reporter
- ▪ 'Late Show' host Stephen Colbert bows out after show cancelled — France 24 (EN)
- ▪ Colbert hosts "The Late Show" one last time tonight as franchise ends — CBS News — US
- ▪ ‘Late Show’ no more: Late-night TV’s future uncertain as Colbert bows out — The Hill
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| Original publisher | Fortune |
| Canonical URL | https://fortune.com/2026/05/21/when-is-stephen-colbert-late-show-last-night-cancellation-trump-cbs-paramount/ |
| Publication time | Thu, 21 May 2026 17:07:11 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-21T17:36:35.360Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-21T17:36:35.360Z |
| Headline source | Publisher (no WeSearch rewrite) |
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| Summary source text | contentText |
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| Cluster | 5GJ7HHtx99LS · 5 stories |
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| Ranking reason | Story pages are not engagement-ranked. Hub feeds use recency, with optional source-diversified chronological ordering (cap consecutive stories per source). No personalized ranking. |
| Publisher visit | Yes — open original |
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| Commercial reuse | May the content be reused commercially? | Not permitted |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Lord of the Rings and Neutral Milk Hotel enthusiast Stephen Colbert will host The Late Show for the final time tonight, ending an 11-year run at CBS after the network canceled the show for what it said were “purely financial” reasons. But many—including Colbert—believe the cancellation came at the behest of President Trump, a frequent target of the comedian’s jokes and ridicule.Recommended Video The top-rated late-night show was informed of its fate last summer, shortly after CBS parent company Paramount settled a $20 billion lawsuit with Trump over its editing of a 60 Minutes interview with then-Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Colbert called the settlement a “big fat bribe.” Not long after, the FCC approved the Paramount-Skydance merger.
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