Stephen Colbert fights back at Paramount, while Trump “Late Show”
Stephen Colbert blows up Paramount and President Donald Trump after his “Late Show” cancellation.
Conan O’Brien is not optimistic about the future of late-night television, as we know.
In a speech at the TV Academy Hall of Fame ceremony on Saturday, August 16th, the comedians had predicted that the current late-night television format would disappear, but emphasized that the comics hosting those shows still have a bright future in the industry.
“Late night television goes off, as we know since around 1950,” O’Brien said. “But those voices don’t go anywhere. People like Stephen Colbert are so talented, so essential that they can’t leave.
O’Brien’s comments came about a month after CBS announced a shocking cancellation of “a late show with Stephen Colbert.” The network is described as “a purely financial decision against a challenging late-night background.” The move sparked speculation that Colbert’s fellow late-night hosts could also be on the chopping block, but no other networks have since followed CBS’s lead.
After the cancellation of “Late Show,” some suggested that Colbert was moved to podcasting, referring to O’Brien as a successful example of that pivot. After hosting various late-night shows for almost 30 years, O’Brien left the format at the end of TBS’s “Conan” in 2021, but continues to be the host of the podcast “Conan O’Brien Needs Friends.” He also appeared on the HBO Max Travel Show “Conan O’Brien Must Go,” winning an Academy Award in 2025 and planning to return to the role in 2026.
While inducted into the Hall of Fame, O’Brien joked in his speech. “For those under 40, late-night television was a service designed to distract college students until science completed the internet and online porn.”
Joke aside, the original “Late Night” host shared a positive message in the face of changing television landscapes.
“We’re now in an age where there’s a lot of fear about the future of television and it’s only natural,” he said. “A life where we all know nearly 80 years have experienced earthquake changes. But this may be my nature. I will not lament what is lost because, in the most important way, what we have hasn’t changed at all.”
He said, “Streaming changes the pipeline, but does it change connections, talent, ideas that come to our home? I think it’s still as powerful as ever.”
“Late Night” host Seth Myers recently shared concerns about the future of late night television in an interview with the “Armchair Expert” podcast, which was recorded before Colbert Cancellation.
“I shifted for fear that it wouldn’t be enough, and now my fear becomes strange outside of my control. “I think it’s better than thinking it’s your fault, but it’s odd to not control it.”
