When David Letterman left NBC in 1993 after being passed over for The Tonight Show, it was a protest against a meddling network. His move to CBS gave him creative freedom in the wake of NBC's decision to make Jay Leno the successor to Johnny Carson. Now, three decades later, The Late Show is ending with another case of network interference, this time by CBS.
Letterman appeared to be Carson's heir apparent as the Tonight Show icon neared retirement in the early '90s. He was already at NBC and had built a solid audience following Carson with Late Night. And although it came out years later, Carson preferred Letterman to be his successor. Instead, NBC went with Leno because the comedian pulled high ratings as Carson's fill-in. Letterman responded by packing up his things and moving to CBS, enduring a drawn-out legal battle with NBC over intellectual property, and finally launching The Late Show.
Stephen Colbert’s run as host will conclude in May 2026, but don’t expect a new host or reboot. In fact, a proper curtain call is likely out of the question, too. CBS is walking away entirely, letting the Late Show legacy fade into broadcast history. And while changing viewing habits and the late-night show’s finances are part of the story, the way this show ends is another example of the friction between networks and hosts.
After a rocky start as Letterman’s successor, Colbert found his footing by turning The Late Show into a politically charged program, leaning hard into anti-Trump commentary. It worked as Colbert became the highest-rated host in late-night and a source of sanity for many during a chaotic political era.
But recently, it became clear that not everyone at CBS or Paramount appreciated the tone. Earlier this month, Colbert openly criticized Paramount for its settlement with Donald Trump over a controversial 60 Minutes interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. It wasn’t the first time he’d gone after his bosses on air, but the politics were different this time around. Paramount wanted to sell to Skydance. To do that, it needed to be in the good graces of the FCC and the Trump administration.
Paramount claims money, but the optics point to the network playing politics. Critics across late-night TV and beyond argue CBS chose to close up The Late Show in order to facilitate Paramount's sale and stay in the White House's good graces. For its part, Paramount opted not to take any measures, no matter how drastic, to save the show.
Letterman began The Late Show as a response to network politics, and now it ends for the same reason. Letterman left NBC because they didn’t trust him with the spotlight. Now Colbert leaves CBS as the network appears no longer interested in his opinionated, political comedy. For both hosts, the network’s discomfort ultimately dictated their jobs.
Colbert’s situation even shares some overlap with Conan O’Brien’s 2010 ousting from The Tonight Show. Conan was promised the franchise by NBC, only for the network to cave to pressure and reinstate Jay Leno just seven months into Conan’s run. O’Brien’s final episodes were chaotic, hilarious, and just may be the scorched-earth blueprint for Colbert to follow. NBC didn’t just mishandle the transition; they undermined their talent for short-term safety.
That same instinct seems to have found its way to CBS despite the Late Show's history. Rather than support Colbert or evolve The Late Show for a new era, the network is ditching the genre entirely. The Late Show joins After Midnight and The Late Late Show in the network’s growing late-night graveyard. CBS is walking away from a show that began as an act of rebellion and reinvention, claiming the top-rated late-night show is a money pit.
Like Letterman and O’Brien at NBC, Colbert won’t get to leave his show on his terms. But like those two late-night icons, he does have a loyal fan base that will follow him to whatever’s next. If Dave and Conan proved anything, it’s that there can be a second (and third) act when politics leads networks to turn off the lights.