Is The Late Show with Stephen Colbert new tonight, July 17?

A new week started tonight, leading some late-night TV fans to hold out hope for a new episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. So what should audiences expect to see tonight on CBS?

There has certainly been no shortage of news stories that would make Stephen Colbert’s monologue. From the war in Ukraine to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s latest controversial statements, the news continues to provide plenty of material for late-night TV.

Unfortunately, we won’t get to hear what Colbert has to say about any of it on Monday. There will not be a new episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert tonight.

Instead, CBS will reair the October 1, 2021 episode. Fans can tune in to see Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part I star Rebecca Ferguson. She was on with Colbert to discuss her role in the film Dune.

Why isn’t there a new episode of The Late Show tonight?

It’s not exactly a surprise that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert won’t air a new episode tonight. The show has been off the air since the beginning of May.

The Late Show, like other late-night TV shows, went dark following the Writers’ Guild of America strike. That strike is ongoing as writers seek better compensation in the age of streaming services and AI technology.

While the 2007 strike eventually saw late-night TV come back on the air without union writers, we haven’t reached that point in 2023. The recently announced SAG-AFTRA strike also complicates matters as union actors cannot promote any new projects while picketing.

So, don’t expect anything new from The Late Show until the writers’ strike makes progress toward a resolution.