When CBS abruptly pulled the plug on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the move shocked fans and baffled industry insiders. For nearly a decade, Colbert had been the network’s flagship voice in late-night, a witty counterweight to conservative politics and one of the sharpest satirists of his generation. His monologues, often laced with biting critiques of Donald Trump and the Republican Party, were appointment viewing for millions of progressive-leaning Americans.
The cancellation left many wondering: had Colbert simply become too divisive for CBS? Was the network tired of nightly politics? Or was it, as executives claimed, a reflection of “shifting audience patterns” in an era where TikTok clips routinely outpace traditional ratings?
Whatever the reason, the industry assumed Colbert would retreat quietly — perhaps enjoy a sabbatical, then reemerge with a podcast, streaming deal, or guest lectures at Ivy League campuses. Instead, he has returned in a way no one predicted: co-hosting a raw, unscripted program with Texas congresswoman Jasmine Crockett.
The show, bluntly titled Colbert & Crockett, is already rattling the foundations of late-night television.
Breaking the Format
Unlike the polished sheen of The Late Show, where scripted monologues and carefully prepped interviews were the rule, Colbert & Crockett begins without ceremony. No flashy opening theme, no celebrity cameos, no scripted desk jokes. Instead, each episode launches straight into conversation — sharp, messy, unfiltered.
The premiere captured the tone perfectly: Colbert and Crockett sat across from each other at a bare round table, unpacking the state of American politics after a particularly chaotic week in Washington. Within minutes, Crockett was calling out what she described as “media bias in real time,” while Colbert ribbed himself and his industry with self-deprecating humor.
The chemistry was electric. Part odd couple, part intellectual sparring partners, the duo kept viewers guessing: was this a debate, a roast, a policy seminar, or a comedy routine? In truth, it was all of the above — and that unpredictability may be the show’s greatest asset.
A producer close to the project explained:
“There’s no teleprompter dictating the flow. We wanted the conversations to be alive, not rehearsed. You can’t fake the kind of tension and spontaneity they create together.”
Viewers noticed. Clips went viral within hours, with fans declaring that, for the first time in years, late-night felt dangerous again.
Why Colbert Needed to Change
To understand the magnitude of this pivot, it helps to remember where Colbert came from.
At Comedy Central, The Colbert Report (2005–2014) established him as one of America’s most incisive satirists. Playing a bombastic parody of conservative pundits, Colbert skewered politics with biting irony. When he moved to CBS in 2015 to take over The Late Show, he shed the character and embraced his authentic voice: still witty, but more earnest, more politically grounded.
For several years, it worked. Colbert dethroned Jimmy Fallon as the most-watched late-night host, riding a wave of anti-Trump sentiment. His nightly monologues became viral hits, shared across Twitter and YouTube as catharsis for liberals during turbulent political times.
But by 2022, cracks were showing. Younger audiences were abandoning late-night en masse. Ratings sagged, attention fragmented, and CBS grew increasingly cautious about Colbert’s political edge. Insiders whispered of creative clashes between Colbert and executives who wanted a “lighter,” more advertiser-friendly tone.
In 2025, CBS finally pulled the trigger. On paper, it was a business decision. In reality, it may prove to be one of the biggest miscalculations in recent network history.
Jasmine Crockett: The X-Factor
If Colbert’s reinvention feels shocking, the choice of Jasmine Crockett as co-host is even more so.
Crockett, a Democratic congresswoman from Texas, rose to national prominence for her sharp questioning in congressional hearings. She became a viral star for her blunt takedowns of political opponents, delivered with a mix of legal acumen and streetwise candor. Unlike polished career politicians, Crockett refuses to temper her language — a trait that made her both admired and attacked online.
On paper, she is the antithesis of late-night: a sitting politician, not a comedian, with no background in entertainment. And yet, paired with Colbert, she brings a credibility and confrontational energy rarely seen in the genre.
“We want to create a space where politics isn’t sanitized,” Crockett said in an interview. “I’m not here to be polite — I’m here to be real. And Stephen thrives on that kind of honesty.”
Together, they create a dynamic few late-night duos have ever achieved: Colbert, the seasoned satirist with impeccable timing; Crockett, the truth-teller unafraid of breaking decorum.
Industry Regret at CBS
Inside CBS, the mood is complicated.
Officially, executives insist the network is “moving in exciting new directions.” But off the record, some staffers admit to second-guessing. The premiere of Colbert & Crockett drew ratings that surpassed internal projections — not just for niche audiences, but across key demographics advertisers covet.
One former producer put it bluntly:
“If CBS had known this is what he’d do next, they never would have let him walk.”
The optics sting even more: CBS replaced Colbert with safer programming that has barely registered in cultural conversation. Meanwhile, Colbert is making headlines, pulling younger, politically engaged viewers into the fold. Every viral clip feels like salt in the wound.
Risks and Rewards
Not everyone is convinced Colbert & Crockett can survive.
The very elements that make it thrilling — unscripted tension, political volatility, the lack of a safety net — also make it risky. Advertisers are notoriously skittish around controversy. “One bad comment, one messy exchange, and sponsors flee,” warned a veteran network consultant.
Colbert seems unfazed. In an early interview promoting the show, he said:
“Late-night’s gotten too safe. I’d rather we burn bright and short than dim and forever.”
It’s a gamble, but one that resonates with audiences increasingly distrustful of corporate polish.
Late-Night at a Crossroads
The timing of Colbert & Crockett couldn’t be more significant. Late-night TV is in crisis. Ratings have plummeted across the board. Streaming platforms and social media have siphoned off younger audiences. The old formula — monologue, sketches, celebrity interview, musical guest — feels increasingly stale.
By blowing up that format, Colbert and Crockett are forcing the industry to ask uncomfortable questions:
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Do viewers still want scripted jokes, or do they crave raw conversation?
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Is there room for politics and comedy to coexist authentically?
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What happens when late-night feels more like civic discourse than escapism?
NBC, ABC, and streaming platforms are reportedly watching closely. “We’d love to bottle whatever energy they’ve captured,” admitted one NBC insider. Whether they can replicate it remains doubtful — chemistry like Colbert and Crockett’s is lightning in a bottle.
Cultural Stakes
Beyond television, the cultural stakes are high.
In an era of polarization, where trust in media is at historic lows, Colbert & Crockett represents a new hybrid: part entertainment, part journalism, part therapy. For some, it’s proof that comedy and politics can coexist without dumbing each other down. For others, it’s a dangerous blurring of lines, where satire becomes advocacy and politicians become entertainers.
But perhaps that tension is the point. As Colbert put it in a recent segment:
“The news is absurd. Politics is theater. Why pretend otherwise? We might as well embrace the chaos.”
Looking Ahead
Will Colbert & Crockett endure? History is littered with bold television experiments that flared brightly before fizzling out. Yet even if the show flames out, its impact may be lasting: a reminder that late-night can still evolve, still surprise, still matter.
For Colbert, it’s a career-defining reinvention. For Crockett, it’s a leap into uncharted territory — a politician stepping into entertainment without apology. For CBS, it’s a cautionary tale: sometimes playing it safe is the riskiest move of all.
For now, fans are tuning in not just to be entertained, but to see what happens when two people with nothing to lose — and everything to say — sit down under the bright lights. Somewhere in the halls of CBS, a few executives are probably wishing they could turn back the clock.