Colbert opens Emmys as CBS to end The Late Show in 2026

Stephen Colbert opened the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday with a standing ovation and chants of his name, a dramatic early moment that underscored the attention on his late-night program after CBS announced it would end The Late Show With Stephen Colbert next spring. Colbert presented the first award of the night at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles and used the spotlight to make light of the show's impending end, joking about job prospects for his staff and slipping a vintage headshot and resume to Harrison Ford.

The Late Show, which Colbert has hosted since 2015 after succeeding David Letterman, is scheduled to conclude in May 2026. CBS announced the cancellation in July and said the decision was purely financial, reflecting what the network called a challenging landscape for late-night programming. The timing of the announcement, however, has fueled controversy. The cancellation came days after Colbert criticized a $16 million settlement between Paramount Global, CBS's parent company, and former President Donald Trump, and two U.S. senators publicly questioned whether the timing was coincidental. Trump celebrated the cancellation on his social media platform, saying...