Stephen Colbert returned to The Late Show amid its cancellation, joking about the decision while receiving support from fellow hosts. Peers like Jon Stewart criticized the move as politically motivated. Meanwhile, Josh Johnson impressed as guest host on The Daily Show.
Stephen Colbert addressed the cancellation of The Late Show on his July 21 broadcast, reflecting on the news with humor. 'It sunk in that they killed off our show, but they made one mistake,' he said. 'They left me alive.' To lift spirits, Colbert brought Lin-Manuel Miranda and Weird Al Yankovic onstage for a performance of 'Viva La Vida,' nodding to a recent Coldplay concert moment. A spotlight then illuminated a group of late night colleagues in the Ed Sullivan Theater, including Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, John Oliver, Jon Stewart, Andy Cohen, and Anderson Cooper, demonstrating solidarity.
Reactions extended beyond the studio. David Letterman, who founded Late Night, labeled the company's decision 'gutless.' On Comedy Central, Jon Stewart expressed defiance: 'I'm not giving in! I'm not going anywhere!' He added, 'I think?' Stewart accused Paramount, owner of both CBS and Comedy Central, of a political cancellation, likening late night TV's state to 'a Blockbuster kiosk inside of a Tower Records.' He argued that institutional fear should not lead to abandoning the format.
Shifting focus, The Daily Show correspondent Josh Johnson hosted for the first time, drawing strong viewership. He tackled the president's response to the Epstein files and Justice Department talks with Ghislaine Maxwell, quipping, 'Wait, you haven't talked to Ghislaine Maxwell? Epstein's accomplice? The woman he's in the most pictures with?' Johnson's bold humor, including a scenario of Maxwell taking an FBI agent's gun, earned audience laughs and gasps. Nielsen data indicated his episode was the highest-rated non-Stewart show this year, surpassing Stewart in the 18-49 demographic.
The week also featured Robert Klein's 89th appearance on The Tonight Show on July 23, his first dating back to January 19, 1968. Fresh from a Borscht Belt Fest lifetime achievement award, Klein reminisced about early comedy scenes, advising Lorne Michaels to tape Saturday Night Live instead of airing it live.
