Late-night TV hosts continue to rally in support of Stephen Colbert in the aftermath of CBS canceling The Late Show. John Oliver became the latest to respond, sharing his thoughts about Colbert and his future.
“Obviously, I love Stephen, I love his staff, I love that show; it’s incredibly sad," Oliver said. "I’m partly excited to see what they’re gonna do for the next 10 months,” he added. Colbert could take a page out of Oliver's playbook and spend almost a year going after his corporate bosses on the air.
Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, and Seth Meyers are among those who have made public statements backing Colbert. While Paramount claimed the decision was purely financial, Colbert's supporters in the entertainment industry have had a hard time not seeing the politics behind cancelling The Late Show.
CBS made the announcement on The Late Show's fate just days after Colbert blasted Paramount for agreeing to pay President Donald Trump $16 million to settle a lawsuit regarding a 60 Minutes interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. Colbert called it a "bribe" to appease Trump and facilitate Paramount's sale to Skydance.
But Oliver didn't go there during his comments over the weekend. Instead, he focused on how comedy will suffer without Colbert and The Late Show reaching audiences on a nightly basis.
"It’s terrible, terrible news for the world of comedy,” Oliver said. "Late-night shows mean a lot to me, not just because I work in them, because even growing up in England, I would watch Letterman’s show, which of course was Stephen’s show, and think about what a glamorous world that was.”
It's no surprise to hear Oliver come out in support of Colbert. The two didn't overlap at The Daily Show, but have plenty of shared history. Oliver has been a frequent guest on The Late Show, and the two co-hosted the Strike Force Five podcast during the writers' strike.
The podcast was another example of how the days of late-night TV wars are long gone. Hosts are happy to collaborate rather than feud, so no one in the genre is celebrating the demise of The Late Show despite it meaning less competition.
Colbert will have his first opportunity to react to the outpouring of support when The Late Show returns to the air on Monday, July 21. Expect a gracious Colbert to express gratitude for all the love from his late-night TV colleagues, entertainers, politicians, and fans. Then, John Oliver and everyone else will get the first taste of what The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has in store for the next 10 months.
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