Recent jokes before the lights go out: Thursday night’s finale of “The Late Show” hosted by comedian Stephen Colbert on CBS, a fierce critic of Donald Trump, marks a new chapter in the American president’s crusade against dissenting voices in the media.
The announcement of the end of this 33-year-old late-night show came last summer, after the comedian referred to a $16 million deal with Donald Trump by the parent company Paramount as a “big bribe” for a supposed edit of an interview with his former rival in the presidential race, Kamala Harris.
CBS emphasized that the decision to cancel “The Late Show” – a ratings leader in its time slot – was purely financial and not related to Paramount’s efforts to secure government approval for their $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media.
However, many, including the 62-year-old host, saw the hand of the American president in this decision, as he openly wages war against the media he perceives as hostile.
On multiple occasions, Trump had criticized CBS as “out of control,” calling Stephen Colbert a “pathetic loser” who needed to be “taken off the air.” Since then, a right-wing opinion journalist, Bari Weiss, has been appointed to head CBS News, where she has initiated team restructuring.
Support from Kimmel and Fallon Like his counterparts on other late-night shows, Stephen Colbert is one of the most vocal critics of the American president, openly denouncing him on air.
Leading up to the final show, several prestigious guests appeared on his program, including former President Barack Obama, actor Tom Hanks, and TV host Oprah Winfrey.
The emotional touch of the last week came when his fellow late-night hosts from different networks – Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, John Oliver, and Jimmy Fallon – joined him on the show to pay tribute and show support.
Besides the end of the show, Colbert put up for auction a range of props and costumes used on air, along with set pieces, including a mosaic replica created by French artist Invader on a studio wall. The proceeds were donated to the international humanitarian aid organization World Central Kitchen.
Regarding his future plans, Stephen Colbert hinted at a possible new show but did not provide specific details. A fan of J.R.R. Tolkien’s work, he also announced a collaboration with director Peter Jackson on a new film based on “The Lord of the Rings.”
Last week, Colbert welcomed back former host and creator of the show, David Letterman, to the show. Playfully, the two men climbed onto the roof of the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York to throw furniture from the studio at a large CBS logo on the ground.
“We can take a man off his show, but we can’t take away his voice,” said David Letterman.
