The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

*The Late Show with Stephen Colbert*
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Also known as	The Late Show; A Late Show with Stephen Colbert;
Genre	Late-night talk show; News/political satire;
Created by	David Letterman
Developed by	Stephen Colbert; Jay Katsir; Opus Moreschi;
Written by	Ariel Dumas; Jay Katsir;
Directed by	Jim Hoskinson
Presented by	Stephen Colbert
Announcer	Jen Spyra
Music by	Jon Batiste and Stay Human (2015–2022); Louis Cato and The Late Show Band (2022–present, known as the Great Big Joy Machine since February 16, 2026);
Opening theme	"Everyone (Intro)" (2015–2016); "Humanism" by Stay Human (2016–present);
Ending theme	"I'm from Kenner"; "The Art of the Bumper";
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	11
No. of episodes	1,770 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Stephen Colbert; Jon Stewart; Chris Licht (2016–2022); Tom Purcell; Barry Julien;
Production locations	Ed Sullivan Theater, Manhattan, New York; Colbert's homes in New Jersey and South Carolina;
Camera setup	Multi-camera
Running time	40 minutes
Production companies	Spartina Productions; Busboy Productions; CBS Broadcasting Inc.;
Original release
Network	CBS
Release	September 8, 2015 –; present
Related
	The Colbert Report; Our Cartoon President; Tooning Out the News;
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The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is an American late-night news talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. The show is the second and final iteration of CBS' Late Show franchise. It is taped at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City in the same studio as its predecessor Late Show with David Letterman. It airs new episodes live to tape in most American markets Mondays to Thursdays at 11:35 p.m. ET/PT/10:35 p.m. CT, as with its competitors Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Colbert was announced as the new host in April 2014, after existing host David Letterman announced his intention to retire earlier in the month; Colbert had previously hosted Comedy Central's news satire The Colbert Report, a program where Colbert portrayed a character named Stephen Colbert as a parody of conservative pundits. As such, the series has carried a stronger focus on discussing and satirizing current events, especially within American politics. Some of Colbert's staff moved to The Late Show, along with Jon Stewart – who previously hosted The Colbert Report's parent series The Daily Show – serving as an executive producer.

The Late Show has remained the highest-rated American late-night talk show for nine consecutive seasons as of 2025, marking the longest winning streak in franchise history over its competitors; since 2019, it exceeded The Tonight Show in key demographic viewership. On July 17, 2025, CBS announced that it would be ending The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and will be retiring the Late Show franchise altogether in May 2026 after 33 years (with the first 22 seasons under David Letterman and the following 11 seasons under Colbert) and its timeslot will be given back to affiliates, describing the move as "purely a financial decision". The announcement has drawn controversy due to the show's relative popularity among late-night television, its relation to the merger of Skydance and Paramount, and perceived political motive due to criticisms of the Trump administration by Colbert. The series finale is scheduled for May 21, 2026.