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'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' replacement announced as talk show gets canceled after 11-year run

CBS will air the last episode of 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' on May 21, 2026

Since CBS announced the cancellation of 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' in 2025, fans have been curious about the updated schedule. The network will air the last episode featuring Stephen Colbert on May 21, 2026. From May 22 onwards, 'Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen' will air at 11:35 p.m., followed by the game show, 'Funny You Should Ask' at 12.35 a.m. Both of these shows are set to fill the late-night time slot on CBS. 

'Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen' consists of 30-minute-long episodes. Hence, viewers will get to enjoy two back-to-back episodes followed by two episodes of 'Funny You Should Ask,' which is created by Allen and hosted by Jon Kelley. Both shows will follow the new schedule after 'The Late Show' releases its final episode on Thursday, May 21, 2026. As per Deadline, after both his shows were picked up for a two-hour timeslot on CBS, Allen Media Group’s founder, Byron Allen, shared, “I truly appreciate CBS’ confidence in me by picking up our two-hour comedy block of COMICS UNLEASHED and FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK, because the world can never have enough laughter.”

On the other hand, after 'The Late Show’s final episode, Colbert will be busy with his new projects. He is currently gearing up to develop the upcoming 'The Lord of the Rings' film. As fans might already know, Colbert has been a long-time fan of fantasy novels. Sharing his excitement regarding the same with director Peter Jackson, on March 25, 2026, he stated: “I’m pretty happy about it. You know what the books mean to me and what your films mean to me.”

Tentatively titled 'The Lord of the Rings: The Shadow of the Past', he added that he would be focusing on adapting chapters from 'The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'. He said, “That could be its own story that could fit into the larger story.” The announcement was revealed via X on March 25, 2026, by the director himself. He was joined by Colbert, and the two discussed partnering up for the upcoming film. However, despite his busy schedule and exciting upcoming projects, he would surely miss 'The Late Show.' After the show’s cancellation was announced, he said during an episode: “I’m grateful to you, the audience, who have joined us. I’m grateful to share the stage with this band, these artists over here every night. And I am extraordinarily, deeply grateful to the 200 people who work here.”