CBS’s Self‑Inflicted Late‑Night Decimation: A Tragedy in Three Acts
Act I: Letterman Retires (2015), CBS Chooses Colbert
David Letterman stepped down in 2015 after decades of redefining late-night weirdness. CBS, instead of seeking a bold new voice, handed the slot to Stephen Colbert—betting safe on his fame from The Colbert Report. But Colbert Report Stephen died the moment Late Show Stephen was born. Gone was the parody, the edge, the satire. What replaced it was... political comfort food.
Letterman’s final show was a cultural event. Colbert’s first? A corporate rollout.
Act II: What About Ferguson (and Others)?
Meanwhile, Craig Ferguson had turned the post-Late Show slot into something genuinely different. Robot skeletons. Honest, unscripted interviews. No band, no script, no fakeness.
But when Letterman retired, CBS didn’t even seriously consider him. Why? He was “too weird.” Too niche. Not enough mass appeal. They forgot the weirdos are the ones who change the game.
This Ferguson monologue, on grief and humanity, still gets shared. Because it was real. When was the last time any late-night show felt that way?
Act III: Too Political, Too Safe—and Then Gone
Colbert leaned harder and harder into liberal punditry. And while his ratings peaked under Trump, CBS mistook virality for loyalty. Once the White House drama cooled, so did the show’s relevance.
In 2023, CBS announced they would end original programming for the Late Late Show altogether—killing the slot rather than fixing it.
The final Late Late Show host? James Corden, king of pre-taped karaoke segments and high-budget stunts. Charming, yes. Cultural lightning rod? Not quite.
What Really Happened
Decision Why CBS Says It Happened Why It Feels Wrong Letterman was replaced by Colbert Colbert had name recognition and political heat Colbert brought partisan politics and lost the surreal, odd magic of the old show Ferguson was passed over Ferguson lacked “mainstream appeal” He invented a strange, intimate format viewers actually loved Ended Late Late Show entirely Budget cuts, declining ad revenue CBS killed the one thing they were historically great at: quirky, legacy late-night
Why It Feels Like Idiocy
CBS had the weirdest, most authentic corner of late-night—and nuked it.
They traded innovation for branding. Intimacy for polish. Curiosity for comfort.
They could’ve leaned into legacy... instead, they ran from it.
Market Demand Is Still There
Just look at YouTube. Letterman’s archive channel, Conan TV, and Ferguson clips get millions of views. On Pluto TV and streaming apps, old late-night thrives.
Why? Because people still crave unscripted magic. Conan and Letterman interviews aren’t “viral”—they’re timeless. They’re human. And that’s what CBS buried.
Bottom Line
CBS stopped thinking like artists. They started thinking like advertisers. They forgot that legacy isn’t the problem—it’s the advantage. The one thing they were best at, they abandoned.
Now? Nothing’s left but syndicated reruns and ghost vibes.
What the hell was CBS thinking?
They didn’t just pull the plug on a show—they snuffed out a whole genre they once dominated.
And for what? Cost cuts? Safer bets? A younger demo?
Whatever the logic, it wasn't creativity. It wasn’t curiosity. And it sure wasn’t television.
