Briefnow
May 22, 2026

RUNNING LATE Stephen Colbert’s Late Show announces sudden schedule change for celeb-packed finale night

THE final episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is being broadcast a little differently for an epic send-off.

The late-night talk show, hosted by Stephen Colbert, is ending on Thursday after over a decade on the air.

Stephen Colbert on the set of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is getting a considerable schedule change for the finaleCredit: Getty

 

Stephen Colbert in a gray suit, white shirt, and patterned tie, with glasses and a mustache, pointing his right index finger, on the set of The Late Show.

The finale will run longer than the show’s typical hour-long episodesCredit: Getty

As a special farewell, the show has an A-list lineup of guests all week, and other surprises that will run the finale longer than usual.

According to a CBS promo for the week, it’s “all leading up to the extended Late Show series finale.”

It’s unknown how much longer the finale will be compared to the typical hour-long episodes.

When David Letterman, who hosted the show before Stephen, said his farewell in 2015, the finale ran 17 minutes over, though that

The show’s executive producer, Barbara Gaines, revealed that CBS approved the extended episode later in the evening, prompting the staff to rush to finish the final edit before its 11:35 p.m. airtime.

However, this time around seems more strategic, especially given that the network retired the entire franchise and is not just switching hosts.

More eyes will also be on the finale, since other late-night broadcasts like The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and Late Night with Seth Meyers are all going dark.

The final four guests appearing on the show this week are Jon Stewart, Steven Spielberg, David Byrne, and Bruce Springsteen.

The program also strayed from its usual format, with Monday’s episode featuring staff members in a special segment.

It involved Stephen presenting bits that were previously rejected and never made it to air during the series’ 11-season run.

The TV host is also reversing the roles in his fan-favorite “Colbert Questionert,” where he’ll answer rapid-fire questions from his guests rather than the other way around.

Festivities will continue long after taping wraps at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City.

According to Variety, Stephen is hosting a celebrity-packed afterparty at a nearby venue, with a “Fired & Festive” dress code.

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