NEW YORK (AP) — When Stephen Colbert first took over hosting duties for ‘The Late Show’ in 2015, he immediately targeted Donald Trump during his debut episode while eating Oreos, comparing his compulsion for the cookies to his compulsion for criticizing the future president.
‘Look, you don’t own me. I don’t need to play tape of you to have a successful TV show,’ he told Trump’s image. ‘Someone on television should have a modicum of dignity and it could be me.’
During the following 11 years, Colbert never lost his taste for Trump jokes, frequently transforming his program into a comprehensive attack on MAGA policies. Trump responded by calling him a ‘dead man walking.’
The public battle between these two figures appears to conclude Thursday night when Colbert’s highest-rated late-night television show broadcasts its last episode, essentially eliminating a prominent voice critical of the White House.
‘The legacy of this show needs to be that we remember it as the show that was canceled because a presidential administration wanted it off the air,’ states Heather Hendershot, a professor of communication studies and journalism at Northwestern University. ‘We haven’t connected every single dot on that, but it’s very clear that this was a political decision. And I think 20, 30, 40 years later, that is going to be strongly remembered about this show — that this was a moment of authoritarian triumph.’
CBS announced last summer that Colbert’s program would conclude in May, citing financial considerations, but many people — including Colbert himself — have questioned whether Trump’s constant attacks on the show played no role in the decision.
The show’s end followed CBS parent company Paramount’s agreement to pay $16 million to resolve Trump’s lawsuit regarding a ’60 Minutes’ interview, while Paramount’s sale to Skydance Media required Trump administration approval. Colbert described the settlement as a ‘big fat bribe.’
Trump celebrated the cancellation on Truth Social, posting ‘I absolutely love’ that the host ‘got fired.’ He added: ‘I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next.’ Two months afterward, ABC temporarily suspended Kimmel — host of its late-night program — after pressure from Trump’s Federal Communications Commission chair and affiliate networks following his comments about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Television analysts noted few instances of successful programs being terminated due to political influence. In 1969, CBS suddenly ended ‘The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,’ which had featured comedy segments opposing the Vietnam War and supporting civil rights.
Colbert, who previously worked on ‘The Daily Show,’ spent nine years portraying a foolish conservative pundit on Comedy Central’s ‘The Colbert Report.’ His transition to ‘The Late Show’ wasn’t universally accepted by those he had mocked, with Rush Limbaugh declaring ‘CBS has just declared war on the heartland of America.’
Throughout both Democratic and Republican presidencies, Colbert and fellow late-night comedians have provided commentary on current events that differed from conventional news coverage.
‘In given moments, like when something big happened, you really do want that perspective that says, ‘Here’s another way to look at it,” explains Dustin Kidd, a professor of sociology at Temple University. ‘Or when it feels really overwhelming, you want that reminder that there’s still some way to laugh at it. And so the more you lose those ways to laugh at it, the more we all decline.’
‘The Late Show’ featured celebrity interviews, musical performances and jokes about Arby’s and Spirit Airlines, similar to other late-night programs. However, Colbert added his personal touch, openly displaying his Catholic beliefs and his love for his wife and regular guest, Evie McGee Colbert.
Following his opening monologue, he presented unique segments including ‘Meanwhile,’ international affairs coverage in ‘What’s Going On Over There?,’ technology discussions with ‘Cyborgasm’ and youth culture explanations in ‘Stephen Colbert Presents: That’s Yeet. Dabbing on Fleek, Fam!’
‘The Late Show,’ which started in 1993 with host David Letterman, earned two Emmys during Colbert’s tenure, plus a Peabody Award. Starting Friday, the 11:35 p.m. slot will feature ‘Comics Unleashed,’ a talk show whose host Byron Allen has promised to avoid political content.
‘There’s just going to be a huge void,’ states Lisa Rogak, author of the 2011 biography ‘And Nothing But the Truthiness: The Rise (and Further Rise) of Stephen Colbert.’ ‘And I don’t think anybody’s going to really want to step up and fill it.’
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, a regular guest, regrets Colbert’s departure. While Johnny Carson previously featured scientists, Tyson observes that few current TV hosts follow that practice. Colbert even created a segment showcasing new discoveries called ‘The Sound of Science.’
‘Science doesn’t have many opportunities to access centerline pop culture,’ Tyson notes.
Unlike past conflicts, other late-night hosts have supported Colbert. Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver and Seth Meyers — who joined Colbert for the ‘Strike Force Five’ podcast during Hollywood strikes — recently appeared on ‘The Late Show.’
NBC’s ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’ and ABC’s ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!,’ which normally compete with ‘The Late Show,’ will show reruns Thursday instead.
Catholic viewers will also miss a late-night host who could recite Psalms from memory and discussed faith with guests, even exploring death through ‘The Colbert Questionert.’
‘We’re losing a very well-known Catholic and someone who shares his religious ideas freely and intellectually, too,’ says Stephanie Brehm, author of ‘America’s Most Famous Catholic (According to Himself): Stephen Colbert and American Religion in the Twenty-First Century.’
She highlighted meaningful moments including Colbert’s conversation with then-Vice President Joe Biden about losing his son, his grief discussion with Anderson Cooper and his examination of faith and comedy with Dua Lipa.
Brehm observed Colbert establishing himself as a moral voice while embracing progressive Catholic social justice values: ‘He is playing up that moral quality by standing up for American moral values like freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and he’s doing it with a Catholic jargon, with Catholic language.’
J.R.R. Tolkien enthusiasts also appreciate Colbert’s contributions. As a devoted fan of ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘Lord of the Rings,’ he promoted Tolkien through sketches, references and contests, notably defeating James Franco in trivia challenges.
‘I think if you step back and reflect on his career, everything he’s done is for the betterment of the community,’ says Duane Cronkite, head of live programming for the Fellowship of Fans forum and news site.
Timothy Lenz, part of The Mythopoeic Society leadership committee, a group focused on Tolkien study and appreciation, credits Colbert with inspiring new readers.
‘Stephen Colbert is easily the most enthusiastic celebrity fan of Tolkien’s works,’ he explains. ‘That sort of public, unapologetic enthusiasm for stories that in Colbert’s youth would have been considered like nerdy and uncool, that really helps to encourage fans of all ages to let their geek flag fly.’
Appropriately, Tolkien provides Colbert’s next project after his show ends. He’s collaborating on a new ‘Lord of the Rings’ film.
‘He’s living the fan dream right now,’ Lenz concludes.
