As The Late Show with Stephen Colbert approaches its final episode on May 21, Stephen Colbert says CBS is wasting little time shutting the operation down once the cameras stop rolling. The network won't take long to erase any lasting memories of The Late Show.
During this week's special edition of the Strike Force Five podcast, a reunion with fellow late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver, Colbert revealed just how quickly things will change after his final sign-off from the Ed Sullivan Theater.
“[When] we come back, I’m cleaning out the office,” Colbert explained, referring to returning from his brother’s wedding on May 23. “We gotta get our s*** out of here.”
The host then made clear there will be little transition period for the staff once the finale airs. Colbert revealed that no one has a job after the 21st, meaning his entire staff will be out of work after CBS fires them.
While Colbert suggested the technical crew may get slightly more time to dismantle the production, he said the office staff will effectively be finished immediately after the final episode. The outgoing Late Show host shared that he believes CBS will start tearing apart the studio and clearing out the offices as soon as possible.
The silver lining for Colbert is that he won't have to rush to get out the door. The comedian said he's already packed and ready to go as soon as the final curtain falls. He's spent the past couple of months auctioning off pieces of the Late Show set, and he's presumably boxed up whatever he wants to take with him.
Unfortunately, the move by CBS isn't a new one. The rest of the Strike Force Five crew recalled that David Letterman shared a similar fate when he walked away from The Late Show.
Colbert confirmed the story after Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon brought it up, saying Letterman’s set was reportedly being discarded almost immediately after his departure. Fallon recalled Letterman saying that he saw the Late Show set going into a dumpster as he left CBS studios in New York City.
The conversation served as another stark reminder of how cold CBS has acted in the entire ordeal. It all started with never directly telling Colbert he'd be out of a job, instead going through the late-night host's manager.
And while Colbert has maintained he's grateful for everything CBS did for him and that he wants to stay on good terms with parent company Paramount, the network hasn't always seemed as warm. Of course, television is a fast-paced industry and the studio space will likely house something new as soon as possible.
But for fans, it still stings to see 11 years of late-night TV history erased essentially overnight. Thankfully, Colbert's comedy will last much, much longer.
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