The world of television continues to react to the stunning cancellation ofThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert, as Jon Oliver weighs in. In a shocking announcement made last week, it was revealed thatThe Late Show with Stephen Colbertwill concludein May 2026. With it, the entireLate Showfranchise will come to an end at CBS.
While attending the first game of the Erie Moon Mammoths, a minor league baseball team which won a contest onLast Week Tonight, Oliver was asked by theAssociated PressaboutThe Late Showgetting cancelled. The formerDaily Showcorrespondent began by reflecting on the fact that he used to watch David Letterman’sLate Showgrowing up.
In the quote below, along with a video of Oliver’s remarks, theLast Week Tonightadmitted thatthe cancellation was “incredibly sad” news. But he also noted that he was excited to see what Colbert does next, in the remaining ten months, and for the next stage of his career:
Oh yeah, it’s very sad. I love—obviously I love Stephen. I love his staff. I love that show. It’s incredibly sad. I’m partly excited to see what they’re going to do over the next ten months, but yeah, it’s terrible news for the world of comedy.
Late night shows mean a lot to me—not just because I work in them, but because even growing up in England, I would watchLetterman, which of course was Stephen’s show, and think about what a glamorous world that was. So to have been onLetterman’s show and on Steven’s show has always been one of the most fun things.
So, it’s very, very sad news. I look forward to seeing what he’s going to do next because that man will not stop.
What Oliver’s Comments Mean For The Late Show’s Legacy
There’s A Lot More That’s Unsaid
There is a lot to unpack about the cancellation of Colbert. On the one hand, it is a sign of theimpending demise of late-night talk shows. But part of the reason thatTheLate Show’s end has drawn so much attention is that it has been announced right as Paramount, the parent company of CBS, is attempting to merge with Skydance.
Paramount will have to get the government’s approval in order for the merger to go through. Getting rid of Colbert at this particular moment, who is a vocal critic of Trump and the Trump administration,has been perceived as one way of currying favor with the U.S. president. In its statement about the end ofLate Show, CBS executives denied that they were motivated by any outside factors.
Oliver alluded to some of the controversy in some of his comments. For the most part, though, the last show host took a brief moment to celebrate the legacy ofTheLate Show. It’s likely a preview of what late night itself will look like in the coming months.
Our Take On Oliver’s Remarks
The Next Ten Months Will Be Fun
If there is a silver lining to a cancellation that’s shrouded in controversy, it’s that Colbert still has many shows left to tell his side of the story if that’s what he and his staff choose to do in the run-up to May 2026. Ironically, it may even result ina ratings win forThe Late Showas it makes an exit.
