When CBS made the shocking announcement that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert would end in May, questions immediately arose regarding the motivation. But Stephen Colbert maintains that nothing sinister was ever at play.
A vocal group of supporters concluded that CBS's parent company, Paramount, ended The Late Show in an effort to curry favor with President Donald Trump and his administration. The company needed approval for a merger and had recently settled a lawsuit with the president over the editing in a 60 Minutes interview with Vice President Kamala Harris.
However, Paramount argued it was a strictly financial decision. The numbers reported indicated The Late Show was a costly production that wasn't worth what it took to get on air. That, plus changing viewing habits, convinced Paramount to pull the plug.
“I do not dispute their rationale [that it was for financial reasons],” Colbert said in a new interview with The New York Times, noting that he’s even incorporated the situation into his comedy. “I do make jokes about it.”
“But I also completely understand why people would say (A) that doesn’t make sense to me and (B) that seems fishy to me,” he continued. “Because the network did it to themselves by bending the knee to the Trump administration," he added, referencing the substantial payout for the 60 Minutes lawsuit.
Colbert didn’t offer a definitive alternative explanation, but suggested the reality may be more complicated. “It’s possible that two things can be true,” he said, pointing to broader industry challenges like declining broadcast revenue and competition from platforms like YouTube and streaming services.
According to Colbert, he has no desire to debate Paramount about the accounting. The outgoing Late Show host suggested he accepts that the company can use any business model they please, even if it means squeezing him out of a job.
Still, Colbert admits that "something changed." He revealed that the network wanted him to sign a long-term extension around 2023. So some event or events in the past couple of years changed executives' minds to where they decided it was in their best interest to drop Colbert and effectively get out of the late-night television business.
For Colbert, there's no hard feelings. He's gearing up for his final run of shows that culminate on May 21. Just don't expect him to go full scorched earth and burn bridges before he walks out of the Ed Sullivan Theater.
“I’ve really liked working with CBS. They’ve been great partners. And I’d like to end it that way,” Colbert said. “11 years is a long time to work here." He added that he feels more grateful than angry, echoing a similar sentiment shared by Conan O'Brien first when he prematurely left The Tonight Show and then left late-night TV altogther on his own terms.
Despite Colbert's comments, it's unlikely he can fully convince those who think Paramount caved to political pressure. It's not a perfect ending for an important and influential TV franchise, but there is some silver lining in knowing that Colbert will walk away without regret or remorse.
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