The long-running US television staple, CBS's The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, is set to end, marking the slow death of late-night comedy and the troubling cultural influence of Donald Trump, according to commentators.
The cancellation follows a $16m settlement of a frivolous Trump lawsuit against CBS and its newsmagazine 60 Minutes over the editing of a 2024 interview with Kamala Harris. Colbert mocked the payout as a cowardly 'bribe' to appease the Trump administration, which holds sway over the sale of CBS's parent company Paramount to Skydance.
CBS insists the decision is 'purely financial', citing struggles faced by traditional late-night shows. Colbert's programme is not being replaced; the network is surrendering its entire late-night block, reverting to reruns and old movies.
The move underscores the waning cultural significance of late-night programming, with fewer lead-ins from prime time and more audience choices for comedy and talk. Saturday Night Live retains cachet through lower commitment and strong online presence, but the talk show format appears increasingly obsolete for comic talents like Colbert and Conan O'Brien.
