Thanks for the discussion. It’s an interesting perspective to a 50-something who records Colbert and mostly only watches the monologue. I reluctantly admit to now being part of the older demographic. As an aside, NEVER let Alyssa & JVL do a pod together. We’d all need to pop an antidepressant afterwards. 🤣
I'm sure there are reasons why streamers don't provide a linear feed that mimics TV, but to a complete outsider, this seems like a mistake. TV thrived by just providing an instant accompaniment to the rhythms of the day when people tuned in. Many people are geared to opening a streamer now, and switching to regular TV takes effort if they even have TV. Give people the easy option with ads.
Sure, the business case writes itself: late night is a relic, streaming eats linear for lunch, and the ad dollars are drying up faster than Trump’s credibility in a courtroom. But let’s not pretend the timing was just a coincidence.
This wasn’t just shedding an expensive show. This was clearing the path. Colbert was the last network host still lighting incense at the altar of satire while also setting fire to fascism with a smirk. And that made him dangerous—to advertisers, to new owners, and to any regime that thrives on rage, not ridicule.
Cutting him before the Skydance merger? It’s both spreadsheet and signal. A hat tip to Trump. A soft wink to right-wing influencers. A reminder that in this economy, even truth has a shelf life if it costs too much to produce.
Colbert wasn’t just a host. He was a pressure valve. And now that valve is gone, and the steam is rising.
Maybe he’ll rise with it. Maybe not. But one thing’s for sure—late night didn’t die of natural causes. It was euthanized to make room for the algorithm’s golden calf.
I think you and Kentuckistan missed what I was saying here... it probably wouldn't work out financially but in a perfect world, Colbert's new show would be included in my Bulwark+ subscription. I'm not sure if it's really the right fit though... maybe Crooked? They're usually too far left for me but I'd probably get a subscription if Colbert did a show for them.
It wouldn't be network TV money but maybe he has enough money in the bank to be willing to trade that for 100% creative freedom, he wouldn't be the first person to do that.
Then again I've never actually seen his current show... it's on too late and I'm guessing it's mostly celebrity interview fluff being a "late night" show. I used to love the Colbert Report and his work on The Daily Show though.
I've never heard of "crooked", I found it here (obvious too): https://crooked.com/
My only point is that Colbert is a very sharp person, like Tosh, Jeselnik, Oliver, Stewart, O'Brien et al. So, whether standup, skit or panel, he'll find a place to do his own thing. How much money does he need to do this? I don't know, but these guys seem to be ready and willing to experiment and see what works, such as one-offs, short series or long-term, such as Marin's series. He has a message and I think something like Stewart's and Oliver's shows are more probable.
Sure. And I'm selfishly glad in a way he got fired because I think he's wasted on the late-night format. As for Crooked, I always just assume everyone here would know because of the massive amount of Crooked-Bulwark crossovers. The only reason I even know about The Bulwark is because Tim Miller kept showing up on Pod Save America.
I love Colbert, as I remember it, I noticed him in Strangers with Candy. I also grew with Johnny Carson and Late Night. However, I realized one night that I just had no interest in the show's shilling of the guests' latest movie or whatever. These shows existed to shill, so I'm kind of surprised that they lose money. It would be interesting for you to cover that detail.
That said, I made some discoveries on Late Night with Johnny Carson, such as Johnny Nash singing I can See Clearly Now. That is a great memory of discovering my favorite song by a great singer.
My question regarding your discussion of Stephen Colbert’s cancellation is the timing. Were contracts up right now? Because if the timing was not dependent on “business” then it’s political. My guess is David Ellison did not want to have the cancellation on his tenure because it would look too politically obvious and he did not want the backlash on him.
I have heard other “TV business people” (which I am certainly not) say if it were primarily financial: (1) With a marquee show like The Late Show, the “suits” would first try ways to cut costs rather than cancel entirely; and (2) Colbert is losing $40 million/yr but they just paid $1.3 Billion for South Park. So it’s hard to believe money alone was the issue.
My thought was and still is that it was a two for one. Get rid of a financial drain nd a thorn in the side at the same time. What is somewhat interesting is that nothing in terms of cost cutting was done before this happened.
Talk about missing the lead. Cancelling Colbert may have been a legitimate business decision but the TIMING was absolutely a kiss-ass bend the knee move to Donald Trump and that is the story and it is scary.
Alyssa Rosenberg is a mad mom who never missed an opportunity to shake her finger and scold readers for falling short of her perfection as a moral exemplar & clearsighted arbiter of what is good or degraded in popular culture. Of course, being a WAPO Vichyite, Alyssa Rosenberg's allegiances are pretty starkly defined up front.
VERY dissapointed to see The Bulwark providing a rostrum for cravenoughts like Alyssa Rosenberg, Chris Cillizza, etc. I'm gone from The Bulwark once my one-year membership in this treehouse expires. Go ahead and insult me on my way out.
The Colbert discussion was edifying to say the least. I was among those who would have sworn the decision was purely political. After your discussion, I can see now that Skydance Media would not want to include such an expensive show in their aquisition. That having been said, it does nothing to mitigate my perception that Shari is a rapacious hag and that Dave & Jeff are common dicks.
Also, thank you for announcing spoilers ahead of the Eddington review. Every time that warning is given, I feel heard.
While the optics are 100% bad the end of late night has been on the horizon for years. The whole last season of Hacks was about this!
Two things can be true at once.
Also, the late night format is so stale. I recently listen to an interview with James Gunn on Seth Meyers and it was so rushed and performative. In contrast I listened to an hour long convo with Gunn on the Happy Sad Confused podcast with Josh Horowitz and it was so casual, interesting, and entertaining.
This is a real Obi-Wan moment for Colbert. They killed his show but he can be even stronger if he goes the Conan route.
I think Peter Suderman is on to something here....whether or not this was a political decision or not, the timing of CBS's stupid settlement with Trump casts some doubt on CBS's announcement.
The cancellation is also illustrative of the increasing blurring of lines between news and entertainment.
What gives me the most pause is that when news anchors/commentators start/continue being discharged, most people are going to see it as another "Colbert" situation, not making a distinction between firing someone who is an entertainer making jokes about an elected official, and a journalist who is reporting negative, scandalous, or criminal news, presumably vetted by editors. That for me is the most concerning part.
Unfortunately, the constant din of horrors from the Trump Regime makes it hard to react appropriately to any one outrage. For example, there was a very muted and short lived reaction to ABC firing Terry Moran after his post about Stephen Miller being hateful. Objectively, that was an overreaction from ABC to the “infraction” and it followed the White House directly contacting ABC about him. The pattern of control and censorship of the media by Trump is clear. I don’t think Colbert’s cancellation can be viewed in isolation thru a “business lens” against the back drop of Trump’s oppression of Free Speech.
Trump is a baby!! And, of course, that gives babies a bad name, so I am careful not to over use it! He is a spiteful, arrogant and vengeful person! He hates criticism and anyone that criticizes him he says they are dumb and should be put in prison!! What an ass he is!!!
Thanks for the discussion. It’s an interesting perspective to a 50-something who records Colbert and mostly only watches the monologue. I reluctantly admit to now being part of the older demographic. As an aside, NEVER let Alyssa & JVL do a pod together. We’d all need to pop an antidepressant afterwards. 🤣
I'm sure there are reasons why streamers don't provide a linear feed that mimics TV, but to a complete outsider, this seems like a mistake. TV thrived by just providing an instant accompaniment to the rhythms of the day when people tuned in. Many people are geared to opening a streamer now, and switching to regular TV takes effort if they even have TV. Give people the easy option with ads.
Colbert didn’t get canceled. He got sacrificed.
Sure, the business case writes itself: late night is a relic, streaming eats linear for lunch, and the ad dollars are drying up faster than Trump’s credibility in a courtroom. But let’s not pretend the timing was just a coincidence.
This wasn’t just shedding an expensive show. This was clearing the path. Colbert was the last network host still lighting incense at the altar of satire while also setting fire to fascism with a smirk. And that made him dangerous—to advertisers, to new owners, and to any regime that thrives on rage, not ridicule.
Cutting him before the Skydance merger? It’s both spreadsheet and signal. A hat tip to Trump. A soft wink to right-wing influencers. A reminder that in this economy, even truth has a shelf life if it costs too much to produce.
Colbert wasn’t just a host. He was a pressure valve. And now that valve is gone, and the steam is rising.
Maybe he’ll rise with it. Maybe not. But one thing’s for sure—late night didn’t die of natural causes. It was euthanized to make room for the algorithm’s golden calf.
Colbert needs a new job and The Bulwark needs a comedy show...
Colbert is very capable, he is very creative, quick and actually funny, so he will be fine.
I think you and Kentuckistan missed what I was saying here... it probably wouldn't work out financially but in a perfect world, Colbert's new show would be included in my Bulwark+ subscription. I'm not sure if it's really the right fit though... maybe Crooked? They're usually too far left for me but I'd probably get a subscription if Colbert did a show for them.
It wouldn't be network TV money but maybe he has enough money in the bank to be willing to trade that for 100% creative freedom, he wouldn't be the first person to do that.
Then again I've never actually seen his current show... it's on too late and I'm guessing it's mostly celebrity interview fluff being a "late night" show. I used to love the Colbert Report and his work on The Daily Show though.
I've never heard of "crooked", I found it here (obvious too): https://crooked.com/
My only point is that Colbert is a very sharp person, like Tosh, Jeselnik, Oliver, Stewart, O'Brien et al. So, whether standup, skit or panel, he'll find a place to do his own thing. How much money does he need to do this? I don't know, but these guys seem to be ready and willing to experiment and see what works, such as one-offs, short series or long-term, such as Marin's series. He has a message and I think something like Stewart's and Oliver's shows are more probable.
Sure. And I'm selfishly glad in a way he got fired because I think he's wasted on the late-night format. As for Crooked, I always just assume everyone here would know because of the massive amount of Crooked-Bulwark crossovers. The only reason I even know about The Bulwark is because Tim Miller kept showing up on Pod Save America.
trump needs a rub down and a tongue bath....get to it Senator
Colbert 2028!
I love Colbert, as I remember it, I noticed him in Strangers with Candy. I also grew with Johnny Carson and Late Night. However, I realized one night that I just had no interest in the show's shilling of the guests' latest movie or whatever. These shows existed to shill, so I'm kind of surprised that they lose money. It would be interesting for you to cover that detail.
That said, I made some discoveries on Late Night with Johnny Carson, such as Johnny Nash singing I can See Clearly Now. That is a great memory of discovering my favorite song by a great singer.
My question regarding your discussion of Stephen Colbert’s cancellation is the timing. Were contracts up right now? Because if the timing was not dependent on “business” then it’s political. My guess is David Ellison did not want to have the cancellation on his tenure because it would look too politically obvious and he did not want the backlash on him.
Reporting so far suggests this was done without his knowledge, though I doubt he minds losing a declining asset like this before the handover.
I have heard other “TV business people” (which I am certainly not) say if it were primarily financial: (1) With a marquee show like The Late Show, the “suits” would first try ways to cut costs rather than cancel entirely; and (2) Colbert is losing $40 million/yr but they just paid $1.3 Billion for South Park. So it’s hard to believe money alone was the issue.
My thought was and still is that it was a two for one. Get rid of a financial drain nd a thorn in the side at the same time. What is somewhat interesting is that nothing in terms of cost cutting was done before this happened.
Talk about missing the lead. Cancelling Colbert may have been a legitimate business decision but the TIMING was absolutely a kiss-ass bend the knee move to Donald Trump and that is the story and it is scary.
💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯!
Alyssa Rosenberg is a mad mom who never missed an opportunity to shake her finger and scold readers for falling short of her perfection as a moral exemplar & clearsighted arbiter of what is good or degraded in popular culture. Of course, being a WAPO Vichyite, Alyssa Rosenberg's allegiances are pretty starkly defined up front.
VERY dissapointed to see The Bulwark providing a rostrum for cravenoughts like Alyssa Rosenberg, Chris Cillizza, etc. I'm gone from The Bulwark once my one-year membership in this treehouse expires. Go ahead and insult me on my way out.
I would never, we’ll miss you! But you have to make the call that’s best for you.
The Colbert discussion was edifying to say the least. I was among those who would have sworn the decision was purely political. After your discussion, I can see now that Skydance Media would not want to include such an expensive show in their aquisition. That having been said, it does nothing to mitigate my perception that Shari is a rapacious hag and that Dave & Jeff are common dicks.
Also, thank you for announcing spoilers ahead of the Eddington review. Every time that warning is given, I feel heard.
While the optics are 100% bad the end of late night has been on the horizon for years. The whole last season of Hacks was about this!
Two things can be true at once.
Also, the late night format is so stale. I recently listen to an interview with James Gunn on Seth Meyers and it was so rushed and performative. In contrast I listened to an hour long convo with Gunn on the Happy Sad Confused podcast with Josh Horowitz and it was so casual, interesting, and entertaining.
This is a real Obi-Wan moment for Colbert. They killed his show but he can be even stronger if he goes the Conan route.
I think Peter Suderman is on to something here....whether or not this was a political decision or not, the timing of CBS's stupid settlement with Trump casts some doubt on CBS's announcement.
The cancellation is also illustrative of the increasing blurring of lines between news and entertainment.
What gives me the most pause is that when news anchors/commentators start/continue being discharged, most people are going to see it as another "Colbert" situation, not making a distinction between firing someone who is an entertainer making jokes about an elected official, and a journalist who is reporting negative, scandalous, or criminal news, presumably vetted by editors. That for me is the most concerning part.
Unfortunately, the constant din of horrors from the Trump Regime makes it hard to react appropriately to any one outrage. For example, there was a very muted and short lived reaction to ABC firing Terry Moran after his post about Stephen Miller being hateful. Objectively, that was an overreaction from ABC to the “infraction” and it followed the White House directly contacting ABC about him. The pattern of control and censorship of the media by Trump is clear. I don’t think Colbert’s cancellation can be viewed in isolation thru a “business lens” against the back drop of Trump’s oppression of Free Speech.
Trump is a baby!! And, of course, that gives babies a bad name, so I am careful not to over use it! He is a spiteful, arrogant and vengeful person! He hates criticism and anyone that criticizes him he says they are dumb and should be put in prison!! What an ass he is!!!
I'm sure there's a worse human being somewhere on the planet. I just have yet to find him.
Capitalism. Not business vs politics, it’s capitalism against people.
It’s absolutely politics. No question about it.