Stephen Colbert hosts "The Late Show" one last time tonight as franchise ends after 33 years
"The Late Show" host Stephen Colbert is marking the end of an iconic late-night franchise on CBS.
www.cbsnews.comHere’s the latest on Stephen Colbert’s final show.
Bottom line
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is scheduled to end in May 2026, with the final episode airing on May 21, 2026. This has been confirmed by multiple outlets and CBS executives in the lead-up to the finale.[4][5]
Key milestones and context
- Colbert announced the finale date in January 2026, and ongoing coverage since then has framed the move as CBS retiring the Late Show franchise for financial reasons, rather than a response to Colbert’s performance or content.[5][4]
- CBS has stated the decision was financial, tied to advertising and production-cost dynamics in late-night TV, as the network restructures the franchise’s future beyond Colbert’s tenure.[4][5]
- After the November 2024 U.S. election cycle and related industry chatter, reporting around the finale has consistently noted that Colbert will depart the CBS late-night landscape in May 2026, with the wider industry watching to see how CBS pivots in late-night programming going forward.[5][4]
What to expect on the finale
- The final episodes are expected to feature retrospectives, high-profile guests, and farewell moments that honor Colbert’s tenure and impact on late-night television.[5]
- Public-facing statements from CBS emphasize a tribute-style finale rather than a launch of a new format or host, aligning with CBS wrapping the franchise rather than rebranding it under a new host.[4][5]
Recent coverage
- Reports from early 2026 pin the finale for May 2026, with specific date confirmations circulating after Colbert’s January announcement.[5]
- News outlets have also covered surrounding discussions about Colbert’s future plans and public responses to the cancellation, though no immediate successor has been announced for a new CBS late-night franchise in the near term.[10][4]
If you’d like, I can pull a concise timeline of confirmed dates and reliable quotes from these outlets, or summarize how this transition compares to other network late-night shifts in recent decades.