The end is nigh, my friends. We are now exactly ONE WEEK away from the series finale of The Late Show, boo hiss. The last episode airs Thursday, May 21, ushering us into a Memorial Day weekend where we can immediately start memorializing Stephen Colbert’s superlative stewardship of the late night talk show. As they’ve been throughout, CBS is keeping things classy, and have let the show’s staff know that payments stop as soon as May 22 and please have all your things out of the Ed Sullivan Theater yesterday. At least Colbert and his crew have the satisfaction of guests and fans loudly decrying CBS during this final run. And speaking of solidarity, fellow late night host Jimmy Kimmel has announced that he will be paying tribute to Colbert’s last show by not airing a new episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! next Thursday. Aw, what a mensch!
Jimmy Kimmel is making sure Stephen Colbert has the spotlight as CBS’ “The Late Show” wraps.
The late-night comedian will show his respect for Colbert by not airing a new episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on Thursday, May 21, the day of Colbert’s final “Late Show,” USA TODAY has learned.
The news was first reported by LateNighter. Kimmel told the outlet he isn’t going on the air that night out of deference to Colbert. The comic is not otherwise on hiatus from “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” that week, as new episodes are still scheduled for May 18 through May 20 on ABC.
Kimmel made a similar decision in 2015, deciding not to air a new episode opposite David Letterman’s final “Late Show” on CBS. “I have too much respect for Dave to do anything that would distract viewers from watching his final show,” Kimmel told The New York Times. “Plus, I’ll probably be crying all day, which makes it hard to work.”
The same presumably goes for Kimmel now as his friend Colbert prepares to sign off “The Late Show.” CBS canceled the long-running late-night show in July, citing financial pressures.
Kimmel is also scheduled to make an appearance on “The Late Show” on May 11 alongside fellow late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and John Oliver. The comedians all hosted the “Strike Force Five” podcast together in 2023 while their shows were shut down during the writers strike.
…Colbert’s penultimate week on the air will also include a May 14 appearance by Letterman, who hosted “The Late Show” before Colbert took over in 2015. Letterman has been vocally critical of CBS’ decision to cancel the show.
That episode with Strike Force Five did air on Monday and boy was it a hoot! It’s a real motley crew with all five of them together. Colbert even referenced that back when they were doing the podcast in 2023, John Oliver noted that they always seemed just one week away from a fight breaking out among them. As in fisticuffs. I could see that dynamic playing out on the couch! But the love and respect really came through, as well as the utter joy they all clearly have with each other and with comedy. After the show they recorded an “emergency” episode of the Strike Force Five podcast, and that’s where Colbert shared the network’s curt “don’t let the door hit you on the way out!” farewell message. There was also a fun part where they asked Colbert to name a guest that was so beautiful he got distracted. I think his answer took everyone by surprise: Michelle Williams! I hope she returns the favor by stopping by or sending in a video or something next week!
In the meantime, first Late Show host David Letterman will be on tonight. He bluntly called CBS “lying weasels” in the New York Times, so I expect Dave’s appearance on the show will be a real humdinger (complimentary).
