In the glittering chaos of the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, under the bright lights of the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards on September 14, 2025, Stephen Colbert stepped onto the stage to a thunderous standing ovation that seemed to shake the very foundations of Hollywood’s elite gathering. The host of CBS’s iconic “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” had just been announced as the winner of the Outstanding Talk Series award—a first for the program after a decade of sharp-witted broadcasts that redefined late-night television. But as the applause swelled, there was an undercurrent of melancholy in the air. This wasn’t just a celebration; it was a poignant farewell to a cultural institution on the brink of extinction, thanks to Paramount’s shocking decision earlier that year to pull the plug on the long-running show.
Colbert, ever the master of blending humor with heartfelt sincerity, clutched the gleaming Emmy statuette as if it were a lifeline. Flanked by a contingent of his show’s devoted crew—over 200 professionals who had become like family during endless nights of scripting, rehearsing, and performing—he began his acceptance speech with a nod to the milestone. “Ten years ago, when I started this show, I thought we were making a late-night comedy about love,” he said, his voice steady but laced with emotion. “But as the years went on, I realized we were actually doing a show about loss.” The crowd, a mix of fellow stars, producers, and industry insiders, erupted again, many wiping away tears. It was a moment that encapsulated not only the show’s legacy but the turbulent times that had led to its untimely demise.
The cancellation of “The Late Show” had sent shockwaves through the entertainment world back in July 2025, just days after Colbert had unleashed a fiery monologue criticizing his own network’s parent company, Paramount Global. On the episode aired July 15, Colbert didn’t hold back. He lambasted Paramount for settling a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump against CBS News’ “60 Minutes” program for a staggering $16 million. The suit alleged that the show had deceptively edited an interview with then-candidate Kamala Harris during the heated 2024 presidential campaign. Colbert, known for his unapologetic takedowns of political figures, called the payout “a big fat bribe” aimed at smoothing the path for Paramount’s proposed $8 billion merger with Skydance Media—a deal that required regulatory approval from a Trump administration increasingly hostile to critical media outlets.
“Paramount knows they could have fought it,” Colbert quipped during that fateful broadcast, drawing parallels to the studio’s blockbuster films like “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” which he joked were “completely without merit” yet still succeeded. The timing couldn’t have been more suspicious. Less than 48 hours later, on July 17, CBS executives blindsided the host and his team with the news: “The Late Show” would air its final episode in May 2026, at the end of the broadcast season, coinciding neatly with Colbert’s contract expiration. No replacement host was planned; the entire franchise would be retired after 33 years on air, dating back to David Letterman’s era.
CBS and Paramount were quick to frame the decision as purely financial, citing the challenging landscape of late-night television. The show, despite topping the ratings with an average of 2.42 million viewers in the second quarter of 2025—outpacing rivals like ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”—was reportedly hemorrhaging around $40 million annually. Production costs had ballooned to over $200 million per year, fueled by a massive staff, elaborate sets at the historic Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City, and high-profile guest bookings. In an era of cord-cutting, streaming wars, and shrinking ad revenues, late-night programs were no longer the profit engines they once were. Back in the golden age of Johnny Carson’s “The Tonight Show,” such shows accounted for a quarter of NBC’s profits; now, they were often seen as prestige losses leaders.
But the financial rationale rang hollow to many observers, especially given the political undercurrents. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) issued a scathing statement, accusing Paramount of censorship and calling for investigations by state attorneys general in California and New York into potential wrongdoing. “This is not just about one show,” the WGA declared. “It’s about the relentless attacks on a free press by the Trump administration, through lawsuits, threats, and defunding of public broadcasting.” Celebrities and politicians piled on: Senator Elizabeth Warren demanded transparency, tweeting that America deserved to know if the cancellation was politically motivated. Even rival host Jimmy Kimmel, whose own show had been nominated in the category, threw his support behind Colbert by erecting a billboard in Los Angeles urging Emmy voters to “vote for Stephen.” Kimmel later posted on social media, “Love you Stephen. F— you and all your Sheldons CBS,” a jab at the network’s profitable but less controversial sitcom lineup.
The backlash was immediate and fierce. Protests erupted outside the Ed Sullivan Theater, with fans and industry supporters chanting for the show’s survival. A Change.org petition to save “The Late Show” amassed over 250,000 signatures in days, delivered directly to Paramount’s headquarters. Viewership on the show’s YouTube channel surged, as clips of Colbert’s monologues went viral, turning the cancellation into a rallying cry for free speech. Late-night peers like Jon Stewart, who returned to host “The Daily Show” on Mondays and served as an executive producer on Colbert’s program, lamented the loss as a “casualty of corporate cowardice.” Stewart, a longtime friend and former boss from Colbert’s “The Colbert Report” days, quipped in a post-cancellation episode, “They’re not just ending a show; they’re ending an era where comedy could punch up without fear.”
Colbert himself handled the news with characteristic grace and humor during the July 17 episode, where he broke the announcement to his live audience. “Before we start the show, I want you to know something that I found out just last night,” he said, his voice cracking slightly. “Next year will be our last season. The network will be ending the Late Show in May.” He thanked the 200-strong team, calling them his “usual gang of idiots,” and vowed to make the final months “the best they’ve ever been.” Guest Senator Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California, used the platform to question the motives: “If Paramount and CBS ended the Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know.” The episode ended on a high note, with Colbert leading the audience in a rousing rendition of “America the Beautiful,” a subtle nod to the patriotism that often underpinned his satirical bites.
As the final season kicked off, “The Late Show” leaned into its swan song status. Episodes featured star-studded tributes, from former presidents like Barack Obama and Bill Clinton reminiscing about past appearances, to musical performances by artists like Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen. Colbert’s monologues grew even bolder, skewering the Paramount-Skydance merger—approved by the FCC just days after the cancellation announcement—and the broader erosion of media independence. One particularly memorable segment had Colbert staging a mock “funeral” for late-night TV, complete with eulogies from puppet versions of network executives. Ratings held strong, proving the show’s cultural relevance even as its financial viability waned.
Fast-forward to the Emmys, and the victory felt like poetic justice. This was the second Emmy for the show that year; the week prior, at the Creative Arts Emmys, director Jim Hoskinson had won for Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series—the program’s first award ever, despite 33 prior nominations. Beating out “The Daily Show” (the two-time defending champion) and “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” the win marked a historic milestone: the first for a broadcast late-night show in the Outstanding Talk Series category since its inception in 2015. The last network late-night victor had been “The Late Show with David Letterman” in 2002. For Colbert, it was his 11th personal Emmy, building on wins from his satirical “The Colbert Report” in 2013 and 2014.
In his speech, Colbert wove in gratitude for his wife, Evelyn McGee-Colbert, and a touching tribute to his late assistant, Amy Cole, who had passed away earlier in the year. “I want to thank CBS for giving us the privilege of being part of the late-night tradition, which I hope continues long after we’re no longer doing this show,” he said, the irony not lost on the audience. Then came the line that would dominate headlines: “Ten years later, in September of 2025, my friends, I have never loved my country more desperately. God bless America. Stay strong, be brave—and if the elevator tries to bring you down, go crazy and punch a higher floor.” It was a metaphor for resilience, drawing from his Catholic faith and love of J.R.R. Tolkien—echoing Gandalf’s wisdom about making the most of the time given us. The speech, clocking in at nearly two minutes, was a masterclass in Colbert’s style: funny, profound, and unflinchingly honest about the “loss” that had defined his tenure.
The win wasn’t without controversy. Some critics pointed out the irony of CBS broadcasting the Emmys while its own show was being honored—and soon axed. Host Nate Bargatze, known for his clean comedy, kept acceptance speeches mercifully short, but Colbert’s moment stretched the format, earning both praise and murmurs. Rival shows like “The Daily Show” had dominated the category recently, but this year, the field shrank to just three nominees due to fewer submissions, highlighting late-night’s declining submissions. Voters, it seemed, rallied around Colbert not just for the show’s quality but as a symbolic stand against corporate overreach.
As the night wore on, with other winners like “The Studio” sweeping comedy awards and “Severance” dominating drama, Colbert’s triumph lingered in the collective consciousness. In interviews post-ceremony, he teased no immediate plans beyond the show’s end. “I’m not thinking about what’s next,” he told E! News. “Right now, it’s about making these last episodes count—for the audience, for the staff, for all of us.” He even made an emotional plea to Hollywood executives to hire his displaced crew, underscoring the human cost of the cancellation.
The saga of “The Late Show’s” end raises bigger questions about the future of late-night comedy in America. In an age of polarized politics, fragmented audiences, and algorithm-driven content, can shows like Colbert’s survive without network backing? The merger between Paramount and Skydance, now greenlit, promises a new era for CBS, but at what cost to creative freedom? Trump’s public glee over the cancellation—tweeting that it was “about time” for Colbert to go—only fueled the fire, reminding everyone of the stakes in a media landscape where satire can be a dangerous game.
Yet, through it all, Stephen Colbert emerged not as a victim, but as a victor. His Emmy win, bittersweet as it was, affirmed that truth-telling and laughter can endure even in the face of adversity. As he signed off his acceptance speech, the standing ovation returned, a chorus of solidarity from an industry mourning one of its brightest lights. In the words of the man himself, in desperate times, we must stay strong, be brave—and punch for that higher floor. The final curtain may be falling on “The Late Show,” but its spirit? That’s just getting started.
