The final episode of \u201cThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert\u201d airs tonight, Thursday, May 21 at 11:35pm Eastern Time. On CBS.<\/p>\n
The word \u201cLate\u201d has a number of meanings, of course.<\/p>\n
It can refer to a certain time of day. 11:35pm certainly qualifies as \u201cLate\u201d. This meaning has a negative connotation for some folks, but for those of us who suffer from insomnia, a \u201cLate Show\u201d is much appreciated.<\/p>\n
\u201cLate\u201d can also mean something that occurs or arrives later than originally scheduled or expected. Like, \u201cThe incoming flight was late, so I missed my connection.\u201d Again, this might be seen as something unfortunate, unless you met someone really cute and interesting while waiting to get booked on a later flight.<\/p>\n
Finally, \u201cLate\u201d can refer to someone who has died. \u201cMy late grandfather\u2026\u201d for instance.<\/p>\n
That third meaning will be applied appropriately to \u201cThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert\u201d in the coming days.<\/p>\n
In July 2025, CBS announced it would not renew \u201cThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert.\u201d Paramount, the parent company of CBS, told us that canceling \u201cThe Late Show\u201d was \u201cpurely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night\u201d and was \u201cnot related in any way to the show\u2019s performance, content, or other matters happening at Paramount.\u201d The \u201cother matters\u201d include the uncomfortable fact that, in July 2025, Paramount was attempting to merge with Skydance Media and needed the Trump administration to approve the merger.<\/p>\n
The subsequent approval of the merger was in no way related, obviously, the the \u201cLate Show\u201d cancellation. Paramount made that clear.<\/p>\n
So what\u2019s a late night comedic host to do? Well, you could invite the previous host of the \u201cLate Night\u201d show \u2014 David Letterman \u2014 to join you atop the Ed Sullivan Theatre, and throw furniture belonging to CBS off the roof, and try to hit a \u201ctarget\u201d, on the sidewalk below, that looks suspiciously like the CBS logo. The target could be full of brightly colored plastic balls, to make a \u201chit\u201d more exciting.<\/p>\n
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You could also toss a \u2018wedding cake\u2019, celebrating the 33 years of CBS \u201cLate Night\u201d shows, onto the street below.<\/p>\n
To dramatic effect.<\/p>\n
Finally, you could shake hands with Mr. Letterman and ask if he has any words of wisdom to share with the \u201cLate Show\u201d audience.<\/p>\n Mr. Letterman could look into the camera and say: \u201cWell, not necessarily to the audience, but to the folks at CBS\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n He could then address the CBS folks by paraphrasing the words used by a controversial CBS newscaster, the late Edward R. Murrow<\/a>, at the conclusion of each of Murrow\u2019s newscasts.<\/p>\n \u201cGood night and good luck\u2026 motherfuckers.\u201d<\/p>\n You can watch this celebration of destruction in the 5-minute video clip below.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/pagosadailypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/21-Colbert-Destruction-Property-Cake.jpeg\")
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