Stephen Colbert Announces The Cancellation Of “The Late Show”

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

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Stephen Colbert opens the clip with his trademark mock-solemnity, telling viewers that he has “some difficult news” about The Late Show. He explains that CBS and the show’s producers have decided to cancel the nightly broadcast for the foreseeable future, stressing that the move is precautionary rather than permanent. Colbert immediately deflates the tension with a joke, noting that the show has survived everything from bad ratings to guest mishaps, so “the end of civilization” seemed like the next logical hurdle.

The host pivots to the real reason for the shutdown: public-health concerns surrounding the rapidly spreading coronavirus. He reminds the audience that late-night television relies on large live crowds, tightly packed backstage crews, and guest travel—exactly the sort of high-contact environment doctors were urging people to avoid. By pressing pause, he argues, The Late Show is doing its part to flatten the curve and protect both employees and fans. Colbert also gives a heartfelt shout-out to the union crews, writers, and support staff whose livelihoods depend on the nightly broadcast, promising that the show will resume production as soon as it is safe.

Colbert refuses to let the moment become too heavy, riffing on possible “replacement gigs” he might try while the theater is dark: becoming a hand-washing tutorial influencer, live-blogging his attempts to homeschool his kids, or launching a “Lego Late Show” entirely built on his dining-room table. He jokes that CBS might rebrand him as “America’s Funniest Quarantined Dad,” but quickly pivots back to sincerity, urging viewers to take medical guidance seriously, stay informed through reputable sources, and look out for their neighbors.

In the closing minutes he offers a mini-monologue about how comedy has always thrived under adversity, from wartime radio broadcasts to Jon Stewart after 9/11. The Late Show, he says, will eventually return stronger, armed with an avalanche of new punchlines about cabin fever, subpar home haircuts, and the political fallout of the crisis. He signs off by thanking the studio audience—the last one for a while—for sharing “one final night of laughter” and assures everyone that this isn’t goodbye, just an intermission.

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