The Late Show with Stephen Colbert announces hiatus

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is closing up the Ed Sullivan Theater. But the CBS late-night TV show won't be on hiatus for too long.

2024 marked another milestone year for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. It remains the go-to option for political commentary as fans tune in to hear host Stephen Colbert mix punchlines with an honest reaction to the day's news.

But the holiday season is a time for rest and relaxation, and that's exactly what Colbert and company plan to do. CBS has put The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on hiatus until 2025.

Beginning on Monday, December 23, the network will reair old episodes during the Late Show's typical timeslot. First up is revisiting the December 12 show featuring appearances by Timothée Chalamet and Sabrina Carpenter.

The rest of the week will reair episodes with Mindy Kaling, Saul Trujillo, Nicole Kidman, Bill Skarsgård, Evie McGee Colbert, Brian Cox, Yulia Navalnaya, Anderson Cooper, Andy Cohen, and Doechii.

What's next for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert?

Fans should expect The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to return in 2025 recharged and without showing any signs of post-holiday rust. Exactly when that return will be remains unclear.

However, the most likely return date is January 6. That would give The Late Show time to celebrate the New Year without jumping back in the middle of the week. It also gives Colbert's monologue an easy topic to cover after the hiatus, considering his past thoughts on January 6 have garnered so much attention.

For its part, CBS continues to back Stephen Colbert (even as the leader of the free world labels him an enemy). Last year, the network signed the Late Show host to a contract extension that keeps him on the air through 2026.

Colbert didn't want to spend his 2025 talking about Donald Trump. But that's the world we're in, and that's what's waiting on the other side of the Late Show's hiatus.