When it was announced in 2014 that Stephen Colbert would succeed David Letterman as host of the CBS “Late Show,” reaction was mixed. Letterman, who retired after helming the talk show for 22 years, had a loyal audience. At that point, Colbert was best known for playing a satirical version of himself on Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report.”

The end of the 'Late Show' franchise is a major blow for a once-beloved TV format, which has lost relevance and advertising dollars.

Jimmy Kimmel gave a salute to “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” — and blasted rival network CBS — on Thursday evening, hours after CBS announced that it is canceling Colbert’s series in May 2026 and retiring the “Late Show” brand. “Love you Stephen,” Kimmel wrote on his Instagram story, captioning a clip of Colbert’s …