CBS Boss Says Decision to Cancel Colbert’s ‘Late Show’ Started With Taylor Tomlinson’s ‘After Midnight’ Exit
CBS’s decision to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert remains a major topic of controversy, but aside from the initial statement issued by the network, executives have stayed largely silent about the debacle — until now.
After Skydance’s takeover of Paramount became official on August 7, Paramount Global TV Media Chairman George Cheeks made a statement addressing the end of The Late Show.
“The challenge in late night is that the advertising marketplace is in significant secular decline,” Cheeks stated at a press conference. “We are huge fans of Colbert, we love the show, unfortunately, the economics made it a challenge for us to keep going.” The comment reaffirms the company’s stance from the original announcement that the decision was financial and not based on Stephen Colbert’s criticism of Paramount’s recent settlement with Donald Trump.
He went on to further state that it was Taylor Tomlinson‘s decision not to return to host After Midnight that cemented the network’s resolution to bail on late-night television, as they “couldn’t stay in that daypart.”
Like The Late Show, CBS opted to end the After Midnight franchise rather than continue the show with a new host, despite renewing the show for a third season.
After Midnight was the late-night comedy/pseudo game show that took the spot of The Late Late Show with James Corden. In her final episode of the show, which ran for two years on the network, the comedian made it clear that she did not wish for the show to end and had hoped to be replaced.
“It was my dream to finish off this season and hand it off to a new host. I really wanted CBS to replace me because I just think there are so many amazing comedians who would have done a great job with this show,” she told her late-night audience.
“A lot of people have told me, ‘Oh, you are so good at this job. Who else could have done it?’ I’m not kidding. A lot of people could have done it because this team is so supportive and is so good at preparing people to be on television,” joked Tomlinson. “I’ve never done TV before. I was a comedian. I’m a rat, road dog comedian. I’m a garbage person. And you saw how many people came out to brush me like a horse?!? I didn’t do this. The hair and makeup and wardrobe team alone deserve an award.”
Tomlinson further explained in the monologue that the television format wasn’t sustainable for her lifestyle, as she paid tribute to all her guests and her crew. “I’m a touring standup, and I feel very grateful to have that career that I do, and this opportunity came along at a time in my life where I could take advantage of it, and, while, unfortunately, I couldn’t keep doing the show, it just wasn’t sustainable for me. I can’t believe that I got to do it as long as I did,” she said.
After Midnight was a successor to the @midnight, a late-night panel game show that aired on Comedy Central from 2013 to 2017. Hosted by Chris Hardwick, the show featured comedians competing to deliver the funniest takes on trending internet topics, memes, and pop culture. CBS rebooted the concept as After Midnight in 2024, with Tomlinson as host, following The Late Late Show with James Corden. The spot is now occupied by Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen.
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Weeknights, 11:35/10:35c, CBS
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CBS: We want to renew After Midnight.
Taylor: I’d rather not do it anymore.
CBS: Fine. We’ll also cancel Colbert then.
How does that make sense?
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It doesn't.
It's one of those situations where the more the execs say the more ludicrous it sounds because they're trying to do damage control.
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The Late Late time slot was a production of whomever hosted the Late Show. Letterman got that as part of his deal to come over to CBS. World Wide Pants was his production company. Colbert was given the slot to produce his Late Late offering with Cordon under his company Spartina Industries, which is why Ferguson got screwed.
When Cordon quit they revamped Late Late into After Midnight. Deciding to not keep the slot open for Colbert to produce a show after she quit should have been writing on the wall for him.
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I’m delighted Colbert is gone. He turned into a vengeful and crude person. I’m sick of the late shows being about nothing but politics.
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I couldn't agree with you more Pat. Colbert had nothing but politics. At least Letterman had other information to cover.
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Funny, most people are sick of Trump, including his former cultists.
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They've said repeatedly it was financial. He was losing an insane amount of money. That's business.
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It was financial alright. Trump wouldn't approve their merger, which will increase corporate profits, unless they sacrificed a liberal at the altar.
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And now you believe everything that The Networks say? Because they are such honorable chaps.
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It was explained. Its too expensive for a network to carry a show with dwindling viewership which directly correlates to dwindling advertising revenues. Its cost them $40 million a year. They cut their losses.
Yes, its probably political in a small sense. But not to appease conservatives. Its just that theybare too political and that drives away viewers. Left or Right, you just need a break. Colbert wasn't doing that so he was losing viewership.
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So why this story about Taylor ?
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It does the advertisement income is not enough to cover the cost inc high salaries of Colbert and the rest.
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What a load of nonsense. CBS had renewed After Midnight. If they “couldn’t make the economics work,” they wouldn’t have done it.
Nice try, CBS, but we all see through your BS. And tangentially blaming it on a woman? How manly of you…
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Well I guess you can't spell CBS without the BS 🤣
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That's why it's called SeeBS
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Spin it any way they like, the cancellation is an all too obvious, craven political payoff and seriously damaging to the brand which for MOST of broadcast history was the gold standard of independent, accurate broadcast journalism. Thursday nights may, for the moment, have the lock on the lucrative family comedy market that NBC once had, but actions like this (and similarly craven promises by the new, merged parent to a corrupt administration) WILL impact artists bringing quality projects to a no longer respectable platform in the future.
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you're sadly both correct & incorrect. I mean you're right. The Late Show was cancelled under scrupulous circumstances & suspicious reasoning. I hope one day, someone comes forward with the truth after the NDA expires. until then? the truth is, the show is cancelled. Anything outside of that fact IS AN ASSUMPTION. nothing wrong with that, I just like to call a spade a spade.
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Independent, accurate broadcasting. Are you serious?
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The decision to curtail comedians at a time when the country needs good laughs the most is disappointing to say the least. I mean this for both democrat or republican comedians not based on party lines. I found myself watching democrat leaning comedians more mainly because their jokes did not carry racial undertones or blind devotion. Yes politics was a big source of material but they also had other stuff. After a long day at work I don’t want to hear about how the world is burning. I just want a few moments to live in my bubble that everything is ok before I sleep.
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Maybe If Colbert was actually funny....constantly bashing Trump is not comedy, he has not been funny since his Jon Stewart days in the mid 90's
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So said the REPUBLICAN!
More TRUTH is really said in jest!
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Would love to have heard some good laughs. Unfortunately Colbert couldn’t pull it off and the advertising dollars bailed.
Economics 101
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Sorry you didn't understand comedy ernesto
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What comedian?
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Do you understand the true meaning of delusional? After reading your comment, I do now.
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What comedian???
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Whoever wrote this does not know what the word "precursor" means.
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Was coming here to post this exact comment.
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We see you CBS.
We know why you did what you did
Don’t assume that we are stupid or that you have any shred of credibility left.
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I think it's a bunch of crap canceling two good shows. It's probably all the Trump lovers crying because everyone is picking on Daddy Trump
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Colbert rocks! CBS did him dirty. After Midnight was renewed; they only had to find a replacement host. Colbert's firing was fully political, despite what comes out of their mounths. What Trump doesn't like, he finds a way to rid the country of.
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More people live in my city than watch this show, he killed the show, literally
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Alienating over half you're audience because of half baked political jokes that are nowhere near funny and having to back it up with laugh tracks to make it sound like its even remotely comedic is what you call career suicide. Trump didn't have to lift a finger when Colbert's cancellation was self inflicted. You don't blame the knife if you get a cut.
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It was the highest show in his time slot, so it wasn't alienating the late night crowd. CBS sold out their newsroom and Colbert to make a deal with the devil..
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Did you NOT see Colbert’s hundreds of times comically imitating Biden ?
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When the execs had to evaluate their programming (by considering how to replace Taylor) then the fact that Colbert was losing about $40 million per year with the brilliant strategy of alienating half the population could no longer be ignored.
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Half the population? You do know not even close to the population is trumplican right?
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Correct. 1/3 are left wing, 1/3 are in the middle, and 1/3 are right wing. Legitimate polls have proven this out. So because he only appeals to lefties, he was actually alienating 2/3rds of the audience.
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Half lmao you wish
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You are right! It’s actually more than half!
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It actually doesn't matter which side you part your hair....... not enough of anyone watched to justify the love or hate.
Simply wasn't working. Colbert will go on to host a podcast and likely have more viewers
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Colbert's show is #1. Try again.
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CBS must think its viewers are stupid to believe all their BS. Just like saying it was money that made them film Boston Blue in Canada. I am done with CBS once Stephen Colbert is gone.
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I am thinking the death of Colbert'show can be traced back to the white house. DJT never could take a joke Just ask Obama. Of course it is hard to take a joke when you're a stumbling joke to begin with.
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Trump has never liked Colbert- there- I stated the truth. End of discussion
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I call bullpuckey!
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What a load of crap!
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Bullshit. Trump was behind the whole thing
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They are full of shit. They were changing Taco's poopy diaper. I will refuse to watch CBS, ABC or NBC. They cover up for an overgrown baby. Is it real news or did you hear it on Fox. They are all complicit in this garbage administration of screw ups.
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That excuse to cancel colbert is ridiculous. So Lilly was the cornerstone for late night comedy on cbs ? Load of 💩.
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Economics made it a challenge for CBS to keep going because politics is basically not comedy unless it is evenly spread between the political parties. Colbert choose to dismiss 1/2 of his possible total audience from the get-go which forced the advertising sponsors to pull back. (Advertising 101.)
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Nonsense. Ben Shapiro doesnt cater to the left to keep a bigger audience. The audience for Colbert is plenty big. You do have however the most powerful man in the world consistently threaten any person or entity that doesn't blow him. Colbert is a liability.
Facts 101
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Lol. 2 different platforms. Shapiro and the Dailywire don't have to appease the legacy/corporate machine. Colbert was losing a ton off money. Trump has been attacked endlessly since 2016 by every media outlet and late nite host and they never got touched. But the culture has shifted and the viewers are tired of the leftist BS. Wake up!
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>>After Midnight was a precursor to the @midnight, a late-night panel game show that aired on Comedy Central from 2013 to 2017. Hosted by Chris Hardwick, the show featured comedians competing to deliver the funniest takes on trending internet topics, memes, and pop culture. CBS rebooted the concept as After Midnight in 2024
...then @midnight was a precursor to After Midnight, a precursor comes first. Taylor Tomlinson quitting was a precursor to Colbert getting cancelled.
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The exec is saying that it started there. CBS renewed After Midnight, but when Taylor decided to quit, they decided to cancel rather than spend more money trying to put someone else in there and have to then spend money revamping everything for a new host.
They canceled Colbert because that was also too expensive. The show cost over 100 million dollars a year and lost 40 to 50 million a year for the past several years.
I expect that most of the late night shows will cancel as time goes on. There is significant evidence that the late night shows no longer bring the viewership they once did. Therefore, they dont bring the advertisers and the money. This isn't rocket surgery. How many of you that are flabbergasted that these shows have been canceled watch them live through the commercials, and how many of you dvr and skip commercials or stream and avoid most of the commercials? Where do you think the money for the shows comes from?
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The thing is, nobody is even trying to find a new business model. All they want is to move you to Paramount Plus and pay for the same enshittified advertising. Meanwhile they still post the good stuff on YouTube.
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Right on, Matthew, RIGHT ON!!!
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Spin as you will CBS. YOU STILL SUCK.
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The world is on fire.
CBS needed the arsonist to get their deal done.
Fired the best firefighter that helped us sleep at night.
Hope is fading that good will beat the heat in the long run.
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You can’t compare the two shows. After Midnight was horrible..
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Perfect verbiage…bs.
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So do stations start going off at midnight again?
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We ALL know that Trump had something to do with it. When Colbert ends so does my support for CBS and Paramount. Bye Bye
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Talk is Colbert heading to CNN. If that happen the CBS dirt will be flowing down hill. And the t-Rump abuse will get worse.
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Foxtrot Delta Tango 8647
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Craig Ferguson please CBS
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I think there’s a lot of people that disagree with those bashing Colbert and his writers (myself included). I can only assume they think King Cheeto is funny.
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Trump is the useful idiot for Heritage Foundation, to be quite literal.
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Funny it was the ratings top spot for his time slot.. CBS caved and lost their dignity, I won't watch CBS anymore.
"second quarter of 2025, it continued to lead in total viewers in the 11:35 pm hour, averaging 2.417 million viewers over 41 first-run episodes"
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So why was Trump bragging so much how he was involved in the Colbert situation and how he was going after Kimmel and Falon next?
Left hand not talking to the right?
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They are Lying.🤥 This is to throw people off from why the decided to Cancel the Show when they've just made Billions with this Merger. Colbert called out what Paramount did, allowing themselves to be Bribed by Trump in the form of a So-called Settlement so he could approve the Government Contract and deal.
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Both things are possible in regard to Colbert's show. The question remains, what if anything will replace the show? Will it be a rebroadcast of the local CBS news, say the 6 p.m. edition, a rebroadcast of some afternoon show, some lame half hour "commercial", a rerun of an old 48 hours episode, say, or some other CBS show that has run it's course and is over, say The Equalizer? It's NOT going to be anything original or possibly even any good.
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Hope they cancel CBS period.
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In the article he said that “late night advertising is in severe secular decline” and that they “loved the show” and they are “huge fans of Colbert”.
If that’s the case then why would they not move it to another time slot where the advertising dollars would support it.
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Excuse me? Top rated show loses money. .?? So Fallon and Kimmel be next.
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A very possible scenario.
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I think everyone's opinions here are stupid. Particularly when written.
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Insight-less drivel. Thanks Mr. Colbert.
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The Late Show was reported to have been losing $40 to $50 million each year , which would be a very good reason to cancel a show. Continuing would be bad for the business. If the reports are true, anyone who disagrees does not understand basic economics.
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If he was making them money then he would stay on. That's all corporations care about.
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Colbert's government propaganda isn't watched so who cares other than genocidal DemocRAT cult members? No one.
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CBS isn’t going to get out of this so easily. They got their merger so they should reverse their decision. It really is about the president’s poor baby ego
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I call BS. They canceled Colbert because trump is a whiney baby. Nice try cbs.
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Found the Useful Idiot
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what show are they putting into the 1135 slot that will solve their financial woes?
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Hey, CBS if we need some programming to put on from 1135 until 1:30 in the morning. Why don't you show some of your stupid Paramount+ shows on real TV. You know, there are some of us that don't like the screw with streaming, just show The damn Star Trek shows in the evenings and overnights. Look at that, you actually have programming, you could use and doesn't have to be the latest, just fill it with stuff that otherwise people wouldn't see imagine that, and it cost you absolutely nothing.
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Yet another Trumper who has holds growing hubris for sheer ignorance.
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Number one, I guess that means he had 10 people watching versus the competition having eight people.
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Here we go, blame the woman?
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They were losing millions. They can't sustain a leftist ideology when they don't have an audience to pay for it.
Go woke go broke.
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Of course cbs won't stand up and admit the punked out to trump...they are afraid of any more retribution by him....their lawyers suck that they lost the lawsuit so they take it out of tv host and shows
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Well...that's all BS. So incredibly disappointed in CBS. I will miss their great Primetime shows, but if money is the motivator, I will not give them eyeballs for their sponsors. Time to subscribe to AppleTV.
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Comedy went out the window when, Carson, Letterman, and the likes left television. Now it's about politics, dirt news and low lewd comments. True comedy is gone.
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You're pining for the good old days when men said stupid, sexist crap to women and got laughs for it. You miss lazy comedy. Right-wing comedy doesn't do as well because most of it doesn't make fun of people for who they are - trans, lgbtq, women - but for how they act, their hypocrisy and stupidity.
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CBS = BS!
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No this is another example of another Corporation falling in line with Trump getting on their knees ready to appease him
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When Trump shuttered USAID I guess these anti Trump shows could no longer afford to operate seeing the taxpayers money being funneled to untalented people like Colbert was being shut off.
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A bunch of lying bullshit, obviously they think we are all idiots!!!!
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"Yeeeahhh Right" 🙄. ...Thats Bull💩 And WE ALL know It 🤬. Guess What? We ALL Are NOT Viewing Whatever You Fill With The Timeslot - WE ARE ALL GONNA FOLLOW COBERT! Hes Funny, Entertaining, Most Of All HONEST With Us!
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I rather watch After Midnight than comics unleashed. Are they pulling in more ad dollars
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NBC should cancel it's late show. Once they start putting on Gutfield trash, it's only down hill from here
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People aren't watching network TV anymore. It's not that deep.
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What the heck is a "daypart"?
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Colbert? Never once watched his show. Nor the other shows on TV. This Colbert guy and the rest of them are nothing but overpaid and untalented people who aren't qualified to do anything else.
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More guest little more music making fun is OK criticizing is not
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"Criticizing is not?" First of all, he's a comedian. It's what they do. They make.fun of people in power. SNL, Colbert, Jon Stewart, Kimmel - they all made fun of Biden. He's just not a total piece of sht and it gets old calling him old, making fun of his aviator glasses and the way he talks.
So, why is "The Five" on TV? All they did was complain about Biden & Kamala and they aren't a late night show.
I know yall are begging for a fascist regime, but you don't have to be so blatant about it.
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It couldn't have done that well, cause I have never heard of it until now. never seen a clip on YouTube or insta. let's face it, the 'Late Night' game seems to have ended with Conan
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Why are you hiding Silverado man's comment truth must be hurting
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Face it CBS Colbert S U C K S!!!!! Nothing but a left wing radical hack!! Your ratings are in the toilet ONLY because of this reason. Colbert hasn’t been funny since he started and only gotten worse as time went on!!
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Radical? Lol He's barely on the left. He's a fkn comedian. You don't have to find him funny.
He's been doing political comedy since the 90's. This is nothing new, y'all just hate how good he is at calling out your authoritarian daddy, Trump.
I thought your side was against "cancel.culture"?
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Colbert was never anything more than a puppet to me. Never laughed or gave any appreciation to his “wit”
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Delighted to see Colbert go! Taylor to late for me
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He deserves being cancelled everytime I tried to watch his show he was bashing the President and he never had anyone on that didn’t believe in his negative view of Trump! By the way I’m an Independent!
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Tomlinson has a nice Rack
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Colbert is about as funny as a car load of dead babies
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In regard to audience numbers, Taylor could only hope to pull at the best, 1/4 to 1/8 of Colbert's poor audience numbers. It does not sound like the makings for a successful gig to me and most likely to the possible advertisers either.
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I started watching CBS as a kid in Chicago…thru College, Grad School and my career I continued watching CBS NEWS. I’m done with CBS. I have move to CNN and You Tube. They like Trump.
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I would rather watch commercials than watch Colbert. He never was funny.
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Hated Colbert and his bully attitude. His Trump hatred was putrid TV. When you aim your what you think is funny hatred towards people you’ll lose a LOT of viewership. The Left STILL hasn’t learned anything.
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Boomers ruin everything and I say good riddance to their entire legacy which is trash now. Only boomers watch CBS and traditional sleepy time TV. Let it die just like them. The sooner they are gone from this world the better.
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And how old are you?
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Colbert show loses money, it's not that complicated. If he would take less money he probably could keep the show but you know he's not going to do that.
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1) does it lose money? Or are they assigning all expenses for maintaining the Ed Sullivan Theater to the show to make that claim? CBS will still have those expenses without the Late Show.
2) All reports are that there were no negotiations or requests for cost reductions. If I can't afford to renew a service I ask for a discount or look for a coupon before cancelling - don't you?
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I think SkyDance is putting up for sale the Sullivan theatre along with other real estate properties.
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Colbert is a hack. You watch the show to laugh and be entertained. Take you away from the real world for a minute or two. If it wasn't for Trump he wouldn't have any material.
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Colbert needs to address his mental health issues without the pressure of hosting an unprofitable political rant .
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Stephen Colbert and his writing team played the major role in getting the show canceled. His absolute obsession with Trump destroyed his numbers. The After Midnight show was not funny. ....
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"Destroyed his numbers" = best rated show in late night.
Sure.
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Best rated, but down almost 40% from its peak ratings in 2017 (eyeballs drive revenue). The late night genre needs a complete overhaul to stay feasible financially.
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