Stephen Colbert Ends “The Late Show” as Pressure-Influence Controversy Mounts, Closing 33 Years

Legendary late-night talk show host Stephen Colbert (Stephen Colbert·62) — who helped lead a golden era for America’s late-night programs — has finally put down his microphone amid a sendoff from countless stars. With that, CBS’s flagship franchise “The Late Show” — which ran for 33 years — has disappeared into history.

■ The last lights at the Ed Sullivan Theater… A rousing farewell from Hollywood stars

On the night of the 21st (local time), the final live broadcast of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” got underway as the marquee at New York’s Broadway Ed Sullivan Theater lit up. After roughly 11 years on the job — taking over the microphone in September 2015 following David Letterman — it marked the end of a sweeping journey totaling 1,800 episodes.

In the week leading up to the final broadcast, the theater filled with remembrance and tribute performances by major figures from the entertainment world. Tom Hanks, a leading actor, paid tribute by giving him a typewriter and saying, “I don’t know how the entertainment industry survives without you.” Oprah Winfrey drew the audience to stand and cheer, calling him “the person who kept a place for laughter in our lives.” Other highlights included David Byrne appearing and singing along to a classic Talking Heads track, while legendary rock star Bruce Springsteen delivered an emotional performance. The specific guest lineup for the last day stayed tightly under wraps, adding to the show’s dramatic effect.

■ “Purely financial decision” vs “Outside pressure to take over the broadcast”… mounting allegations

Colbert’s exit and the full shutdown of the “Late Show” brand have sparked a wave of backlash and controversy both inside and outside the broadcasting industry. Last July, CBS and its parent company Paramount SkyDance abruptly announced that they would end the program at the close of this season. The network said it was “a purely financial decision driven by declining advertising revenue for late-night programming,” but media critics and viewers have rejected that explanation outright and raised suspicions of political pressure.

In fact, the decision came just days after Paramount reached a lawsuit settlement with President Donald Trump’s side involving $16 million (about 22 billion won in won terms). For years, Colbert had built his reputation as a fierce “Trump critic,” and right after the settlement aired, he told the broadcast, saying he gave bribes “to obey the president,” launching sharp criticism at his own company’s executives. With Trump also having publicly demanded for years that Colbert step down, the latest cancellation is being viewed with new weight through claims that it was a result of the administration watching during the media group’s sale process — a “Trump shakedown.”

■ Solidarity among fellow hosts to “stop the broadcast,” and the quiet end of late-night entertainment

Competing broadcast hosts also voiced strong support for one another after the puzzling end of a mega-hit that had kept the No. 1 spot in ratings on terrestrial late-night talk shows. ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel and NBC’s Jimmy Fallon canceled recordings of new episodes on the spot to match Colbert’s final broadcast date, scheduling “Rerun” programming instead for the live time slot. It follows the same spirit as the respect Kimmel showed when David Letterman retired in 2015 — a silent protest against the forced ouster of a colleague and a gesture of the highest honor. Earlier, on the 11th, four major late-night comedy figures — including Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver, and Seth Meyers — all turned up at Colbert’s studio to share warm embraces.

In a recent interview with People magazine, Colbert said, “I never took this stage for granted, where I was able to turn the social issues I worry about the most into laughter every day with some of the funniest colleagues.” He added, “Even though I leave the stage, I don’t have any regrets, because I squeezed out even my core and poured my passion into it.” The late-night talk show set where Colbert had stood for more than a decade is set to be donated in its entirety to the Chicago Museum of Broadcast Communications.

Meanwhile, CBS said it will replace the 11:35 p.m. time slot previously occupied by “The Late Show” starting on the 22nd with Byron Allen’s comedy show “Comics Unleashed.” As a giant from an era that once drove the peak of the format closes out bitterly amid a political swirl, the era of major terrestrial network tentpole late-night entertainment effectively comes to an end as well. Colbert plans to take on a new artistic challenge in the future by teaming up with acclaimed director Peter Jackson to serve as a screenwriter for a new “The Lord of the Rings” film, “Shadow of the Past.”