Democratic Senator Adam Schiff, who was on Colbert’s show the night he announced it would be ending, said: “If Paramount and CBS ended the ‘Late Show’ for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better.”
Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, who has his own late night program “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” for ABC, was among the celebrities that condemned CBS’s decision. “Love you Stephen.”
CBS said in its Thursday statement it was “proud that Stephen called CBS home”, adding: “He and the broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late night television.”
Colbert, one of the most popular American comedians who made use of humor in his incisive political commentatary, succeeded David Letterman as the host of “The Late Show” in 2015.
Before that Colbert was a regular on Comedy Central alongside fellow talk show host and political pundit Jon Stewart.
The late-night television landscape has long been dominated by satirical comedy shows that blend entertainment with political commentary.
For decades, programmes such as “The Late Show”, “The Tonight Show,” and “Late Night” have served as television touchstones, with hosts like Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, David Letterman and more recently Colbert and Jimmy Fallon shaping public discourse through humour and celebrity interviews.