NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� On his very first time hosting 鈥淭he Late Show鈥� back in 2015, ripped into Donald Trump while gorging on Oreos, likening his inability to resist the cookies to his inability to resist going after the then-presidential candidate.
鈥淟ook, you don’t own me. I don’t need to play tape of you to have a successful TV show,鈥� he warned an image of Trump. 鈥淪omeone on television should have a modicum of dignity and it could be me.鈥�
Over the next 11 years, Colbert couldn’t curb his appetite for making Trump barbs, often turning his show into a full-throated rebuke of MAGA policies. Trump would call him a 鈥渄ead man walking.鈥�
The on-air feud between the two men seemingly ends Thursday as goes off the air for the final time, effectively silencing a high-profile White House critic.
鈥淭he legacy of this show needs to be that we remember it as the show that was canceled because a presidential administration wanted it off the air,鈥� says Heather Hendershot, a professor of communication studies and journalism at Northwestern University. 鈥淲e haven鈥檛 connected every single dot on that, but it鈥檚 very clear that this was a political decision. And I think 20, 30, 40 years later, that is going to be strongly remembered about this show 鈥� that this was a moment of authoritarian triumph.鈥�
When comedy and politics collide
When CBS announced last summer that Colbert鈥檚 show , the network said it was for economic reasons but others 鈥� including Colbert 鈥� have expressed skepticism that Trump鈥檚 repeated criticism of the show had nothing to do with it.
The cancellation came after CBS parent company to settle Trump鈥檚 lawsuit over a 鈥�60 Minutes鈥� interview, as Paramount’s sale to Skydance Media awaited the Trump administration鈥檚 approval. Colbert had a 鈥渂ig fat bribe.鈥�
Trump rejoiced over the cancellation in a Truth Social post, writing 鈥淚 absolutely love鈥� that the host 鈥済ot fired.鈥� He followed it with: 鈥淚 hear Jimmy Kimmel is next.鈥� Just two months later, ABC, buckling to pressure from Trump鈥檚 Federal Communications Commission chair and affiliate networks, 鈥� the host of its own late-night show 鈥� following his remarks about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
TV experts said there are not many other examples of a hit show being shuttered due to political pressure. In 1969, CBS abruptly canceled which had aired comedy bits in opposition of the Vietnam War and in support of civil rights.
Colbert, a 鈥淒aily Show鈥� alum, spent nine years playing a buffoonish, conservative commentator on Comedy Central’s 鈥淭he Colbert Report.鈥� He was not universally welcomed to 鈥淭he Late Show鈥� by those he had lampooned, with saying 鈥淐BS has just declared war on the heartland of America.鈥�
Through Democratic and Republican administrations, Colbert and other late-night comedians have offered their take on the day’s events that offered something different from traditional news media.
鈥淚n given moments, like when something big happened, you really do want that perspective that says, 鈥楬ere鈥檚 another way to look at it,鈥欌�� says Dustin Kidd, a professor of sociology at Temple University. 鈥淥r when it feels really overwhelming, you want that reminder that there鈥檚 still some way to laugh at it. And so the more you lose those ways to laugh at it, the more we all decline.鈥�
Colbert put his own spin on late night
鈥淭he Late Show鈥� had celebrities, musical guests and jokes about Arby鈥檚 and Spirit Airlines, like other late-night shows. But Colbert put his own spin on things, like wearing and his adoration of his wife and frequent guest, on his sleeve.
After the monologue, he had oddball segments like 鈥淢eanwhile,鈥� a look at global affairs in 鈥淲hat鈥檚 Going On Over There?,鈥� technology with 鈥淐yborgasm鈥� and youth slang in 鈥淪tephen Colbert Presents: That鈥檚 Yeet. Dabbing on Fleek, Fam!鈥�
鈥淭he Late Show,鈥� which began in 1993 with host won two Emmys under Colbert, as well as a Peabody Award. Come Friday, the 11:35 p.m. time slot goes to 鈥淐omics Unleashed,鈥� a talk show that host Byron Allen has vowed will eschew politics.
鈥淭here鈥檚 just going to be a huge void,鈥� says Lisa Rogak, the author of the 2011 biography 鈥淎nd Nothing But the Truthiness: The Rise (and Further Rise) of Stephen Colbert.鈥� 鈥淎nd I don鈥檛 think anybody鈥檚 going to really want to step up and fill it.鈥�
Among those sorry to see Colbert go is astrophysicist a frequent guest. Johnny Carson used to book scientists, but Tyson notes wryly that not many TV hosts do these days. Colbert even had a segment highlighting new discoveries called 鈥淭he Sound of Science.鈥�
鈥淪cience doesn鈥檛 have many opportunities to access centerline pop culture,鈥� says Tyson.
In a departure from the infighting of decades ago, other late-night hosts have Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver and Seth Meyers 鈥� who hosted the with Colbert during the Hollywood strikes 鈥� visited 鈥淭he Late Show鈥� recently.
NBC’s 鈥淭he Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon鈥� and ABC’s 鈥淛immy Kimmel Live!,鈥� which typically air against 鈥淭he Late Show,鈥� will instead broadcast reruns on Thursday.
Catholics and Tolkien fans mourn, too
Catholics will also mourn the loss of a late-night host who could quote Psalms by heart and who brought up issues of faith with guests and even what happens when we die with 鈥淭he Colbert Questionert.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e losing a very well-known Catholic and someone who shares his religious ideas freely and intellectually, too,鈥� says Stephanie Brehm, author of 鈥淎merica鈥檚 Most Famous Catholic (According to Himself): Stephen Colbert and American Religion in the Twenty-First Century.鈥�
She pointed to poignant moments like Colbert’s about the death of his son, his discussion of grief with Anderson Cooper and his exploration of the relationship between faith and comedy with Dua Lipa.
Brehm saw Colbert make himself into a sort of moral authority and lean into the 鈥淗e is playing up that moral quality by standing up for American moral values like freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and he鈥檚 doing it with a Catholic jargon, with Catholic language.鈥�
Then there are devotees of author J.R.R. Tolkien. Colbert of 鈥淭he Hobbit鈥� and 鈥淟ord of the Rings鈥� and championed Tolkien in skits, references and competitions, memorably smoking James Franco in a few throwdowns.
鈥淚 think if you step back and reflect on his career, everything he鈥檚 done is for the betterment of the community,鈥� says Duane Cronkite, head of live programming for the Fellowship of Fans forum and news site.
Timothy Lenz, part of the leadership committee of The Mythopoeic Society, a group dedicated to the study and appreciation of Tolkien, says Colbert inspired new readers.
鈥淪tephen Colbert is easily the most enthusiastic celebrity fan of Tolkien鈥檚 works,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hat sort of public, unapologetic enthusiasm for stories that in Colbert鈥檚 youth would have been considered like nerdy and uncool, that really helps to encourage fans of all ages to let their geek flag fly.鈥�
Tolkien, fittingly, offers a next step for Colbert after his show goes dark. He’s
鈥淗e鈥檚 living the fan dream right now,鈥� says Lenz.
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