How Stephen Colbert’s ‘Elsbeth’ Episode Was Impacted by ‘Late Show’ Cancellation

Kelli Boyle
5 Comments
Stephen Colbert as Scotty Bristol, Amy Sedaris as Laurel Hammond-Muntz, and Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni in 'Elsbeth' Season 3 Episode 1
Exclusive
Michael Parmelee / CBS

Stephen Colbert plays a parody of a late-night talk show host in the Elsbeth Season 3 premiere, airing on Sunday, October 12, on CBS. Carrie Preston reveals to TV Insider that this episode was filmed one week after The Late Show was abruptly canceled, which raised concerns about whether Colbert would even be allowed to guest star on the CBS procedural.

Colbert’s casting was already locked in when The Late Show was canceled on July 17.

“For months and months, the producers and the writers had been looking to get him on the show,” Preston tells TV Insider. “And then [Jonathan] Tolins, our showrunner, he specifically wrote this episode for Steven Colbert, and then it just happened to be that they announced his show was ending right before he came to do the episode.”

Colbert’s Elsbeth episode was written before The Late Show cancellation, Preston confirms, and no changes were made to the script after. She says that the cancellation was announced one week before Colbert was to start filming.

William Jackson Harper Talks 'Elsbeth' Guest Star Role After First Day of Filming
Related

William Jackson Harper Talks 'Elsbeth' Guest Star Role After First Day of Filming

“The script was ready to go. This happened the week before,” Preston explains. “As a matter of fact, we were worried that he might not be able to come and do the episode at the last minute because he was dealing with a lot of stuff, but he was very true to his word and his commitment, and he showed up and he was incredible.”

Colbert guest stars as the host of a fictional late-night talk show called Way Late With Scotty Bristol in the Elsbeth Season 3 premiere. Amy Sedaris and Andy Richter costar as the married couple who serve as Scotty’s head writer and show sidekick. Get your first look at Colbert, Sedaris, Richter, and more guest stars in the Elsbeth Season 3 trailer here.

Colbert’s final Late Show airs in May 2026. CBS has maintained that the reason for the show’s shocking cancellation was purely financial, but there’s a public consensus that CBS axed the show to capitulate to President Donald Trump, as CBS’s parent company, Paramount Global, was hoping for the FCC to approve its merger with Skydance. The merger was approved on July 28.

Elsbeth, Season 3 Premiere, Sunday, October 12, 9:30/8:30c, Regular Time Period Premiere, Thursday, October 16, 10/9c, CBS

ElsbethThe Late Show With Stephen ColbertAmy SedarisAndy RichterCarrie PrestonStephen Colbert



Conversation5 Comments

Please read the TV Insider Community Guidelines.

Comments are closed on this story.

  1. R

    RedBulb

    I don't watch Elsbeth, but I may tune in to see Colbert... at least until he's killed. (I assume he could well be the murder victim. Or maybe the murderer.) Anyway, I saw another show in which a late-night host was a murder victim.

    2

    1. A

      Arben70

      I think Elsbeth is fun, and maybe the episode will make a regular viewer out of you, but we all have different tastes.

      1. O

        OliveTooth

        I remember the Elsbeth character from The Good Wife, and didn't care for her there. For me, there IS such a thing as too much quirkiness.

  2. R

    RedCloud

    The only episode I won't watch and this is my favorite show.

    1

  3. A

    Arben70

    I still think it's kinda weird for Colbert to play a fictional talk-show host and not himself or another sort of character entirely. He does have acting experience. Although somehow Richter playing his sidekick makes it less weird given that it doubles down on the casting parallel but also helps to separate the characters from the actors' real jobs.