'Late Show With Stephen Colbert' sets final episode date
Six months after CBS announced that 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' would be ending, its award-winning host has revealed the final episode date.
ew.comStephen Colbert’s final episode of The Late Show aired on May 21, 2026. The show ended after Paramount CBS decided to retire the franchise for financial reasons, with Colbert acknowledged as irreplaceable by CBS.[1][5][9]
Key points:
- Final date: May 21, 2026, confirmed by multiple outlets after CBS announced the ending last year.[5][1]
- Reason: CBS/Paramount cited financial considerations and the broader challenges of late-night scheduling, not performance or content issues.[9][1]
- Farewell week: The final week included retrospectives, guest moments, and tributes, consistent with a high-profile culmination of Colbert’s run.[4][5]
If you’d like, I can pull a concise timeline of major events leading up to the finale and list notable guests from the final episodes.