CONAN O’Brien has issued a stark warning for late night TV after Stephen Colbert’s show was callously axed.
Last month CBS shockingly announced the legendary program, with Stephen Colbert, would be coming to an abrupt end.
Conan O’Brien has issued a stark warning to late night television fans[/caption]
Stephen Colbert’s late night show has been canceled and will no longer air from May 2026[/caption]
Conan spoke about Stephen’s show being axed[/caption]
And now talk show host and comedian Conan O’Brien has issued a warning about the future of late night TV shows.
Over the weekend, Conan, 62, accepted an honor from the Television Academy Hall of Fame.
While up on stage collecting his gong, he used his allotted time for a speech to instead raise a serious issue with the audience.
He touched on how The Late Show With Stephen Colbert will end in 2026 and shared his warning with those in the audience.
“Late-night television, as we have known it since around 1950, is going to disappear,” he said.
“But those voices are not going anywhere.
“People like Stephen Colbert are too talented and too essential to go away,” he said.
Conan added, “Stephen is going to evolve and shine brighter than ever in a new format that he controls completely.”
He then went on to say how there is “a lot of fear” surrounding the future of late night television.
“The life we’ve all known for almost 80 years is undergoing seismic change,” Conan continued.
“This might just be my nature.
“I choose not to mourn what is lost, because I think in the most essential way, what we have is not changing at all.
“Streaming changes the pipeline, but the connection, the talent, the ideas that come into our homes… I think it’s the focus.”
CBS revealed the news just hours before Stephen hosted his show in July.
Current Late-Night Shows
Late-night shows have become a staple on American television, filled with humorous takes on news, interviews with guests, and music performances.
- Jimmy Kimmel Live, ABC
- Late Night with Seth Meyers, NBC
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, NBC
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, CBS
- After Midnight, CBS
- Watch What Happens Live, Bravo
- The Daily Show, Comedy Central
- Real Time with Bill Maher, HBO
The TV titan only learned of the news shortly before the announcement was made public.
In a statement first obtained by Variety, CBS said, “We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire The Late Show franchise in May of 2026.
“We are proud that Stephen called CBS home. He and the broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late night television.”
They added, “This is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night.
“It is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.”
Stephen’s show was announced as being canceled in July[/caption]
