When is Stephen Colbert’s last show? What to know about final 'Late Show'

A shakeup to CBS's late-night programming is underway.

Last summer, Stephen Colbert shocked fans with the news that his show would sunset in May 2026. In a statement, Paramount said that the host is "irreplaceable," noting the move was "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night."

In April, the network announced the replacement of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."

Here's what we know about the show's final date and what to expect next.

When will 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' end?

"The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" will end on Thursday, May 21. 

Who will fill Colbert's time slot?

Prominent producer Byron Allen is set to take over Colbert's time slot at 11:35 p.m. ET with back-to-back half-hour episodes of "Comics Unleashed." It will be followed by the comedy game show "Funny You Should Ask" at 12:37 a.m.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published last week, Colbert reacted to the news.

"God bless him. I know Byron. We got to know each other last year, actually. He's fascinating. You know his history with Carson?" Colbert told the outlet, referring to the fact that Allen became the youngest comic to perform on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" when he was 18.

"Anyway, when I found out, I wrote him the next morning and I said, “Hey, congrats. I heard you got the time. Good for you. Wouldn’t it be lovely if you could drop Mr. Carson a note?” Colbert joked. Carson, who hosted "The Tonight Show" from 1962 to 1992, died in 2005.

When Colbert was asked how he felt about "The Late Show" not being replaced by a traditional late-night show, he said simply, "It's none of my business."

Contributing: James Powel, Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY

Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at [email protected].