How Colbert's ‘Late Show' rivals have rallied around him following CBS cancellation
Stephen Colbert returned to The Late Show on Monday night for the first time since last week's stunning announcement that CBS would be ending the late-night franchise next year.
'Folks, I'm going to go ahead and say it. Cancel culture has gone too far,' Colbert said at the start of his monologue.
Colbert thanked everyone who had reached out to him over the weekend, including fellow late-night hosts, many of whom appeared in the audience at the Ed Sullivan Theater in a show of solidarity. Among them: Jon Stewart, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, John Oliver and Andy Cohen, along with Anderson Cooper, Adam Sandler and Christopher McDonald.
They took part in a parody mocking the viral video of the apparently married CEO who was caught on the Jumbotron with the head of human resources at a Coldplay concert. Lin-Manuel Miranda and 'Weird Al' Yankovic performed Coldplay's 'Viva La Vida' as the camera panned to late-night 'couples' Stewart and Oliver, Fallon and Meyers, Cohen and Cooper, as well as Adam Sandler and Christopher McDonald, in the crowd. The camera then caught a cartoon version of President Trump and the logo of CBS parent company Paramount canoodling in the audience.
Colbert stopped the song.
"I'm sorry, I just got this note from corporate," Colbert told Miranda and Yankovic. "Your song has been canceled."
'A big fat bribe'
The company's decision to end The Late Show came days after Colbert openly criticized Paramount for agreeing to pay a $16 million settlement over Trump's claims that 60 Minutes unfairly edited an interview with his opponent Kamala Harris during the 2024 campaign.
Paramount is currently seeking approval from the Federal Communications Commission for an $8 billion merger with Skydance Media. On The Late Show early last week, Colbert called the settlement a 'big fat bribe.'
In a statement on Thursday, CBS said that canceling the show was 'purely a financial decision' and 'is not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.'
How Colbert's late-night rivals reacted on TV
Two of Colbert's late-night rivals also reacted to the news of his cancellation on their own shows.
'Everyone is talking about CBS's decision to end The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, and many people are now threatening to boycott the network,' Fallon said on NBC's The Tonight Show Monday. 'CBS could lose millions of viewers, plus tens of hundreds watching on Paramount Plus.'
On The Daily Show Monday, Stewart recalled his long history working with Colbert on Comedy Central, which is also owned by Paramount. He then tore into the company for its decision to pull the plug on The Late Show.
'Now, I acknowledge, losing money, late-night TV is a struggling financial model,' Stewart said. 'We are all basically operating a Blockbuster kiosk inside of a Tower Records. But when your industry is faced with changes, you don't just call it a day. My God! When CDs stopped selling, they didn't just go, 'Oh, well, music, it's been a good run.'
'If you're trying to figure out why Stephen's show is ending, I don't think the answer can be found in some smoking gun email or phone call from Trump to CBS executives or in CBS QuickBooks spreadsheets on the financial health of late-night,' he added. 'I think the answer is in the fear and pre-compliance that is gripping all of America's institutions at this very moment, institutions that have chosen not to fight the vengeful and vindictive actions of our pubic hair-doodling commander in chief.'
Stewart capped the segment by leading a gospel choir in a song aimed at Paramount. Its refrain: 'Go f*** yourself!'
ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live has been in re-runs while the host is on vacation. But last week, Kimmel lashed out at CBS on social media upon learning of Colbert's cancellation.
'Love you, Stephen,' Kimmel wrote on Instagram. 'F*** you and all your Sheldons, CBS.'
Colbert's expletive-laden reaction to Trump
On Friday, Trump celebrated the news in a Truth Social post.
'I absolutely love that Colbert' got fired,' the president wrote. 'His talent was even less than his ratings. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. He has even less talent than Colbert!'
Colbert responded to Trump on Monday's show.
"How dare you, sir,' Colbert said during his monologue. 'Would an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism? Go f*** yourself."
Even Colbert's guest on Monday's show, Sandra Oh, got into the act.
'I am so sorry and properly outraged for the cancellation, not only for you, but for our entire culture and what it means for free speech,' Oh told Colbert.
She then took Colbert's hand while delivering a message to CBS and Paramount: 'A plague on both of your houses.'
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