Stephen Colbert is bidding farewell to late-night as The Late Show ends its run on CBS on Thursday, May 21.
Ahead of its final week on air, the late-night talk show has announced its guest stars, including Jon Stewart, Steven Spielberg, and Bruce Springsteen.
On Monday, May 18, Colbert will stroll down memory lane to remember the “Worst” of the Late Show and make it clear it’s “not a clip show!”
A new episode on Tuesday, May 19, will have The Daily Show host Jon Stewart visit Colbert. Filmmaker Steven Spielberg will also make an appearance, and a special performance by David Byrne alongside Colbert will cap the night off.
Wednesday, May 20, will have Colbert take “The Colbert Questionert,” which will feature special guests throughout the night. Bruce Springsteen is set to perform.
The series finale of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is set for Thursday, May 21.
The cancellation of the late-night show occurred amid Skydance’s acquisition of Paramount and after Colbert called the CBS parent company, settling a lawsuit with Donald Trump, a “big fat bribe.” The merger between Skydance and Paramount Global would close a month after the show was confirmed to be ending.
“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert will end its historic run in May 2026 at the end of the broadcast season,” CBS said in a statement. “We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire The Late Show franchise at that time. We are proud that Stephen called CBS home. He and the broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late night television.”
Comics Unleashed has been airing at 12:35 a.m., following After Midnight with Taylor Tomlinson. It will move to 11:35 p.m. for the 2026-27 season as part of an expanded time-buy agreement taking the spot currently held by The Late Show. The roundtable-style comedy talk show, which is hosted by Allen, has featured comedians including Sebastian Maniscalco, Tiffany Haddish, Gabriel Iglesias, Cedric the Entertainer and Nate Bargatze.
