Coverage dated May 17, 2026 to May 21, 2026

Stephen Colbert’s Late Show Finale Is His Biggest Weeknight Episode Ever

Headline from Adweek, on the newest of 3 developments

The Late Show averaged 6.7 million viewers, as Colbert took his final bow.

Adweek's own description from its feed. We collect headlines and these descriptions, not full articles; read the original reporting below.

Developments in this update

3 dated developments, oldest first, newest marked. Each is named by one outlet's own headline; open its reports to see every outlet that covered it.

  1. Colbert's last episodes: What happened on 'The Late Show' last night

    Headline from NPR ·

  2. Stephen Colbert Era Wraps Up Thursday As ‘Late Show’ Ends In Controversy

    Headline from Forbes ·

  3. Newest

    Stephen Colbert’s Late Show Finale Is His Biggest Weeknight Episode Ever

    Headline from Adweek ·

1 report not tied to one development ·

Reports & sources

80 articles, oldest first.

  1. CNN

    Colbert heads into his final ‘Late Show’ week with gratitude — and plenty of CBS jokes (opens CNN)

    Published

    CNN's feed description

    Stephen Colbert is going out with a smile, and with many jokes at CBS and its parent company Paramount’s expense.

  2. NPR

    Colbert's last episodes: What happened on 'The Late Show' last night (opens NPR)

    Published

    NPR's feed description

    Stephen Colbert spent Monday's show revisiting material that never made it to air, performing for a studio audience made up entirely of his staff.

  3. NewsBusters

    Stephen Colbert's Worst Moments From His 11 CBS Years (opens NewsBusters)

    Published

    NewsBusters's feed description

    CBS is canceling The Late Show after the conclusion of Thursday’s episode. Since 2015, The Late Show has been hosted by Stephen Colbert, who by the time Thursday comes around will have hosted 1,801 episodes of the show that began under David Letterman in 1993.

  4. The Guardian

    ‘He had a unique ability to be human’: late-night TV says goodbye to Stephen Colbert (opens The Guardian)

    Published

    The Guardian's feed description

    The Late Show, and its much-loved host, will bid farewell this week after a controversial cancellation leaving behind a challenging TV landscape

  5. Crux

    Many Catholics mourning the loss of late-night host Stephen Colbert’s show (opens Crux)

    Published

    Crux's feed description

    On his very first time hosting “The Late Show” back in 2015, Catholic Stephen Colbert ripped into Donald Trump, causing controversy. His last show is on Thursday.

  6. Deadline

    Stephen Colbert Teases 'Late Show' Finale & Reflects On The End: "It's Getting Much Realer" (opens Deadline)

    Published

    Deadline's feed description

    Stephen Colbert is saying goodbye to late-night as The Late Show ends its run on CBS.

  7. CNN

    What’s next for Stephen Colbert after ‘The Late Show’? (opens CNN)

    Published

    CNN's feed description

    Stephen Colbert’s final “Late Show” broadcast on Thursday will close out his run in the storied CBS late-night chair once occupied by David Letterman. What comes next remains an open question for one of television’s most prominent entertainers.

  8. NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

    Stephen Colbert's long goodbye is coming to an end, leaving a late-night void (opens NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth)

    Published

    NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth's feed description

    Stephen Colbert's run on “The Late Show” ends Thursday, marking the conclusion of his on-air feud with President Donald Trump.

  9. NBC10 Philadelphia

    Stephen Colbert hosts 'The Late Show' one last time tonight. How it ends is still a secret. (opens NBC10 Philadelphia)

    Published

    NBC10 Philadelphia's feed description

    What is planned for the finale has not been revealed but “The Late Show” has had months to prepare for the end of the network’s 33-year franchise.

  10. Los Angeles Times

    Commentary: 'The Late Show' is ending, but not Stephen Colbert or late-night TV (opens Los Angeles Times)

    Published

    Los Angeles Times's feed description

    When Stephen Colbert inherited 'The Late Show' in 2015, it was during a golden age of late-night TV, and though it's evolved since, the appetite from viewers remains.

  11. Newsweek

    Why the 'The Late Show' with Stephen Colbert' is ending tonight (opens Newsweek)

    Published

    Newsweek's feed description

    Colbert ends his 11‑year ‘Late Show’ run as CBS’ ratings leader amid cancellation fallout.

  12. NPR

    Stephen Colbert exits 'The Late Show' with a mix of defiance and celebration (opens NPR)

    Published

    NPR's feed description

    Colbert has approached the last weeks of his show on his own terms, with A-list guests like Tom Hanks, David Letterman and David Byrne — but the guests for tonight's finale remain a mystery.

  13. Forbes

    Stephen Colbert Era Wraps Up Thursday As ‘Late Show’ Ends In Controversy (opens Forbes)

    Published

    Forbes's feed description

    The last episode of CBS’ “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” airs Thursday, nearly 11 years after famed David Letterman handed Steven Colbert the reins to the late-night institution he started in in 1992.

  14. Los Angeles Times

    As Stephen Colbert exits, the future of late-night TV talk shows dims (opens Los Angeles Times)

    Published

    Los Angeles Times's feed description

    'The Late Show' is ending, leaving one less voice in a genre which may no longer be viable in the era of streaming.

  15. Forbes

    How To Watch ‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ Finale: Start Time And How To Watch (opens Forbes)

    Published

    Forbes's feed description

    After its controversial cancellation in 2025, "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" is closing its doors tonight. Here’s when the finale starts, how to watch and what to expect from the last episode.

  16. Salon

    What we're losing as "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" ends (opens Salon)

    Published

    Salon's feed description

    We'll see Stephen Colbert again, but his broadcast exit closes out David Letterman's absurdist TV legacy

  17. Adweek

    Stephen Colbert’s Late Show Finale Is His Biggest Weeknight Episode Ever (opens Adweek)

    Published

    Adweek's feed description

    The Late Show averaged 6.7 million viewers, as Colbert took his final bow.

  18. Slate Magazine

    Stephen Colbert Closed Out The Late Show by Doing What He Does Best (opens Slate Magazine)

    Published

    Slate Magazine's feed description

    In his final episodes, the late-night host’s greatest asset wasn’t his comedy. It was something else.

  19. Rolling Stone

    Trump Celebrates the End of Colbert's 'Late Show': 'Thank Goodness He's Finally Gone!' (opens Rolling Stone)

    Published

    Rolling Stone's feed description

    Donald Trump celebrated the final 'Late Show' Thursday amid his years-long campaign to cancel late-night shows that are critical of his administration.

  20. Variety

    ‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ Series Finale Was a Letdown: TV Review (opens Variety)

    Published

    Variety's feed description

    The final episode of 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' with Paul McCartney as his last guest, was a letdown.

  21. CNN

    Stephen Colbert’s ‘Late Show’ finale sets a weeknight ratings record (opens CNN)

    Published

    CNN's feed description

    “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” went out on a literal high note.

  22. The Atlantic

    The Goodbye Stephen Colbert Wanted to Say (opens The Atlantic)

    Published

    The Atlantic's feed description

    The late-night host ended his talk show the way he started it—with empathy, and an eye for entertainment.

  23. CBS News

    Stephen Colbert says farewell to (opens CBS News)

    Published

    CBS News's feed description

    Stephen Colbert hosted "The Late Show" for the final time Thursday night as the franchise came to an end after 33 years.

  24. New York Post

    Stephen Colbert’s final ‘Late Show’ wasn’t funny or emotional at all — just like his last 11 years (opens New York Post)

    Published

    New York Post's feed description

    As Stephen Colbert was setting up a bit on his final episode of “The Late Show” Thursday night, he inadvertently explained why his canceled CBS program became so unbelievably off-putting and tedious. “We thought the best way to celebrate what we’ve done over the last 11 years is to do a regular epis…

  25. PBS NewsHour

    What Stephen Colbert's exit means for the future of late-night (opens PBS NewsHour)

    Published

    PBS NewsHour's feed description

    The curtain comes down one final time on Thursday for "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." Colbert has entertained and provoked audiences from the Ed Sullivan Theater stage for the last decade in ways that transformed the comedic landscape.

Showing the first 25 of 62 headlines. ·

Identical headlines usually mean shared wire copy. They are counted as separate articles but are not independent confirmation.

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