Samantha Bee Weighs In on the Cancellation of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”

Former late-night host Samantha Bee recently shared her perspective on CBS’s decision to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, offering insights into what she believes were the underlying factors behind the move.

Appearing on the Breaking Bread with Tom Papa podcast, Bee suggested that while CBS’s reasoning of a “financial decision” was likely true, there was also a political angle tied to the merger between Paramount, CBS’s parent company, and Skydance.

A Financial and Political Move

Bee, known for her candid approach, described the decision as a financial necessity, given the declining viewership of legacy late-night programs like The Late Show.

“These legacy shows are hemorrhaging money with no real end to that… in sight,” Bee explained, pointing out that people are increasingly tuning into their phones for news, making a recap of the day’s events redundant.

She also speculated that CBS may have had political motivations in play, particularly in light of the Paramount-Skydance merger. Bee hinted that the cancellation was a way to “curry favor with the president,” acknowledging that such decisions often come with corporate maneuvering behind them.

“I think both things are true,” Bee said. “It definitely was hemorrhaging money. These legacy shows are hemorrhaging money with no real end to that…in sight, people are just not tuning in.”

Bee’s Experience and the “No-Brainer” Decision

Drawing from her own experience hosting Full Frontal on TBS from 2016 to 2022, Bee highlighted how network mergers tend to be a source of constant conversation and tension.

She reflected on how it became a “no-brainer” for CBS to cut Colbert’s show loose as part of the merger process.

“It’s so much easier for them to cut it loose with this merger coming down the pike,” Bee said. “It makes the decision such a no-brainer, and probably the most agonizing decisions they were having were about how do we float this? How do we not get a lot of blowback?”

She continued, suggesting that the cancellation, though sudden to the public, had likely been in the works for quite some time.

“I’m sure they knew it was happening a long time ago.”

A Personal Loss for Colbert

Despite her pragmatic view of the cancellation’s causes, Bee expressed sympathy for Colbert and the abrupt end of his show.

She described it as “awful” and shared her personal admiration for him.

“I love Stephen,” Bee said. “I consider him to be a friend. I think he’s amazing. I’m shocked, not surprised.”

Bee’s candid take adds another layer to the conversation around late-night television’s shifting landscape and the influence of corporate decisions on the creative industries. While the cancellation of The Late Show may have been a strategic move, it’s clear that for those involved, it remains a deeply personal and professionally challenging moment.