Stephen Colbert fans are begging him to “save PBS” with a new show in a viral online campaign after The Late Show With Stephen Colbert was canceled.
On May 24, three days after the final episode of The Late Show aired, Ashley Rickards took to X with an idea that many fans have latched onto. Rickards — an actor, writer, and director who played Jenna Hamilton in the MTV show Awkward — wrote, “Uhm. Colbert could save PBS. Please have your NEW show on PBS. We will buy all the tote bags. PLEASE.”
As Rickart told Late Nighter, the idea’s views across her social media profiles surpassed 485,000 within 48 hours. She also elaborated on her plan via Instagram, writing, “Last night I posted a silly tweet on my X account about Colbert saving PBS, and apparently the internet agreed. So I did a little math and made a whole presentation about it.”
In the slideshow, she explained that Colbert would air one show per month on PBS, with him and his staff donating their time and PBS covering basic production costs.
“The numbers actually make sense,” she claimed. “A stripped down production costs PBS maybe $150-200K per episode. Even if only half of Colbert’s audience showed up to a pledge drive that same night, PBS raises $1.5-2.5M. In one evening. Twelve times a year. And the time slot writes itself — 8PM Sunday on PBS, right before Masterpiece. Colbert brings his audience in, they stay for the whole evening. PBS wins Sunday night.”
To conclude her pitch, Rickart pointed out, “PBS is under real threat right now. Federal funding cuts, attacks on public media. And there’s a brilliant, newly-free host sitting at home who has spent a decade defending everything PBS stands for. Someone had to say it. @stephentcolbert — 12 days a year. We will buy so many tote bags.”
Reactions to Colbert potentially having a new show on PBS were mixed. Some were fully on board, with one X user writing, “He could do a weekly show like @iamjohnoliver does (and essentially what @jonstewart does). Those three are amazing and could absolutely save PBS and keep it funded for a century. This is a fantastic idea.”
Another X user shared, “I would pay monthly if Colbert was on PBS.”
A different Colbert fan shared via Instagram, “Yes @colbert, please come to @pbs — it’s not owned by billionaires! It’s the only network that still has integrity.”
Others were skeptical, with one X user pointing out, “He literally was losing CBS 40 million a year because nobody watched him, and you think he could save PBS?”
A second echoed, “Now all the people who didn’t watch him on CBS can now not watch him on PBS.”
Someone on Instagram pointed out, “Love the idea, but asking his staff to donate their time is a heavy lift. Those folks need a salary, too.”
Meanwhile, yet another Instagram follower commented, “I worked in public broadcasting for 25+ years. The spirit of this idea is golden, but, no, that’s not how any of this works.”
What do you think of the idea of Colbert “saving” PBS with a new show?
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