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As most people are already aware, Jay Leno recently took a break from joyriding around Los Angeles in vintage death traps and nursing suspicious injuries to weigh in on the state of modern late-night comedy.

The former Tonight Show host made headlines for his suggestion that hosts shouldn’t “alienate one particular group” with their polarizing political comedy. “I don’t think anybody wants to hear a lecture,” he theorized.

The statement was blasted for being wildly hypocritical — not just because Leno’s argument against taking political sides was made during an interview with the literal Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, but also because Leno himself has a long history of “alienating” political comedy.

One person who clearly wasn’t a fan of Leno’s interview was Last Week Tonight host John Oliver, whose undesirable lectures have earned 30 Emmy Awards (so far). “I’m going to take a hard pass on...

There will be no more episodes this month of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert after the episode on August 7. According to TVInsider, the show is taking a summer break and will return only in September. The news of the hiatus comes after the host announced on July 17 that his show will come to an end after its eleventh season in May 2026.

This hiatus is not a direct response to the cancellation news and was planned for weeks. However, Stephen Colbert could definitely use this break after the tough month he had in July. Interestingly, the mini-hiatus comes at a time when the ratings of the show are surging, probably as a show of support for Colbert.

It is usual for the late-night talk shows to take a break in the summer. It is not just Colbert who went on a break. The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon has also gone off the air,...

The new episode of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver dug into the Trump administration's "Immigration Enforcement" while also delivering a heavy dose of Kryptonite to a former Superman. Now, that actor has responded.

Dean Cain, the former Superman actor turned new Ice agent, fired back after Oliver's viral takedown on the latest episode of Last Week Tonight. The thing is, well, it didn't hold much weight.

In the new episode, Oliver shredded Cain in a way that only he can. The Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman actor has not only been outspoken about his support for Ice, but he also joined the agency to support the government's role in immigration enforcement and recently announced the news on social media.

Here's what Oliver said:

“You know, there’s an old saying in Hollywood: ‘If all you can get is Dean Cain, you are f*****. “Now, I...

Dean Cain made headlines last week when he hopped on social media to announce that he was taking a break from his busy Hollywood career to become an Ice agent. “For those who don’t know, I am a sworn law enforcement officer as well as being a filmmaker,” he revealed. “I felt it was important to join with our first responders to help secure the safety of all Americans, not just talk about it. So, I joined up.”

Given Cain’s status as a washed-up TV star, the news was ready-made for late-night monologue fodder, and John Oliver didn’t disappoint on his most recent Last Week Tonight. “There's an old saying in Hollywood,” Oliver began. “If all you can get is Dean Cain, you are fucked.”

Not satisfied after a single punchline, Oliver proceeded to make a meal of the Cain announcement. “I’m not saying that Ice isn’t finding people,...

Adult Swim has given a series order to The Terrors of Jordan Mendoza, a live-action, quarter-hour sketch comedy series created by and starring actor, writer and filmmaker Jordan Mendoza. Production is currently underway.

The Terrors Of Jordan Mendoza follows a very scared man as he navigates a barrage of absurd, terrifying, and hilarious dreamscapes.

Produced for Adult Swim by Avalon, The Terrors of Jordan Mendoza “blends sharp comedy with surreal horror, diving deep into the subconscious of its protagonist to explore fears that are both deeply personal and strikingly universal,” according to the series description.

“Jordan’s voice is fresh, fearless, and completely original,” said Cameron Tang, VP of Development, Adult Swim. “This series is a wild, funny, and sometimes unsettling ride through the mind of a brilliant creator—and exactly the kind of boundary-pushing comedy our audience expects.”

Mendoza directs,...

President Trump has pardoned and actively worked to rehabilitate the image of several convicted criminals, and John Oliver wouldn’t be surprised if convicted sex offender Roman Polanski is next. Well, so long as he’s willing to publicly support Trump.

During Sunday’s episode of “Last Week Tonight,” the HBO host focused his main segment on Trump’s immigration enforcement policies. Among them has been the reallocation of government employees from organizations including the FBI, DEA, IRS, Postal Service and more to Ice for deportation raids.

Oliver then pointed out that even an employee has publicly said how “infuriating” it is that drug cases, human trafficking cases and child exploitation cases have all been deprioritized, which made the host chuckle.

“I’ve got to say, for a guy who pandered so heavily to people convinced pedophile sex offenders and traffickers had infiltrated our government, Trump’s sure making the...

John Oliver found a bright spot amongst the “disgusting” videos the White House keeps posting to tout the number of people they are detaining: a song for the president’s eventual funeral playlist.

The HBO host’s main segment on Sunday’s “Last Week Tonight” focused on immigration enforcement. He immediately called out the administration for gleefully bragging online by posting memes of Trump officials as “South Park” characters (despite saying the show is “irrelevant”) and the “Teletubbies” sun, in addition to videos of detainees being marched away, backed by the song “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye.”

“Look, we all know this, but sometimes, it is worth reiterating: this White House is full of the pettiest little bitches imaginable,” Oliver sniped. “And while that video is obviously disgusting, on the plus side, I now know what song I want played at Trump’s funeral.”

“I know it will be hard to get in,...

John Oliver has some thoughts on former Superman actor Dean Cain joining U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice), saying the recruitment suggests the agency might be in “trouble.” The comedian addressed the situation on Sunday’s (August 10) episode of HBO’s Last Week Tonight as part of an extended segment on Ice’s latest recruitment methods. Oliver said the agency is coming across “more than a little desperate” in its attempts to entice people to join, pointing to their “gross recruitment ads” and removing age limits. Towards the end of the segment, he focused on Cain, best known for portraying the Man of Steel in the 1990s series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, who last week announced he was being “sworn in” as a member of Ice. “I felt it was important to join with our first responders to help secure the safety of all Americans,...

John Oliver slammed former Superman Dean Cain over his announcement last week that he plans to join Ice, saying it shows the agency might be in “trouble.”

Discussing the recent raids taking place all over the U.S. on the latest episode of “Last Week Tonight,” Oliver said that Ice seems “more than a little desperate” to hire new agents, pointing to the fact that they have removed age limits and are putting out “gross recruitment ads.” He then turned his attention to Cain, who said last week during an appearance on Fox News’ “Jesse Watters Primetime” that he “will be sworn in as an Ice agent, Asap.”

“You know, there’s an old saying in Hollywood: if all you can get is Dean Cain, you are fucked,” Oliver quipped.

“I’m not saying that Ice isn’t finding people,” he continued. “I’m just saying, when you are reduced...

John Oliver used his Aug. 10 “Last Week Tonight” to lampoon actor Dean Cain’s decision to join U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, arguing the recruitment push itself signals institutional strain. Oliver riffed that there was “no need” for Cain to wear a mask because the odds of recognition were “zero,” and quipped that if an organization ends up with Cain as its marquee recruit, it “might be in trouble.” He framed the jokes within a segment criticizing Ice’s expanded hiring drive and recent ad tactics.

Cain, 59, has said he will be sworn in as an honorary officer and has promoted Ice’s hiring campaign on television and social media, citing respect for agents and a desire to “stand up” for personnel he says are unfairly vilified. Following Oliver’s segment, Cain responded online with laughter emojis and defended his résumé of family films, while reiterating his support for the agency’s mission.

Last week, former Superman actor Dean Cain announced plans to join Ice. On the latest episode of Last Week Tonight, host John Oliver quipped that Cain won’t need to disguise himself with a mask because the chances of people knowing who he is “are fucking zero.”

“You know, there’s an old saying in Hollywood: ‘If all you can get is Dean Cain, you are fucked,’” Oliver said during the episode, which focused on Donald Trump’s deportation promises. “Now, I’m not saying that Ice isn’t finding people.

John Oliver is comparing President Trump’s recent stroll on the roof of the White House to a signature move by beloved Peanuts character Snoopy.

On Sunday’s Last Week Tonight, the host showed clips of Trump on Tuesday as he suddenly appeared on the roof of the White House flanked by Secret Service agents. Reporters down below, who were caught off guard, started lobbing questions at the president. Asked what he was doing up there, he replied: “Taking a little walk.… It’s good for your health.”

The action was reportedly related to a large ballroom he’s proposed building on the property. The 90,000-square-foot project will reportedly cost $200 million to build.

Saying he was planning to build “something beautiful,” Trump noted: “It’s just another way to spend my money for the country.” When asked to clarify, Trump replied: “Anything I do is financed by me; in other words,...

Updated with Dean Cain’s response: Last Week Tonight‘s John Oliver piled on Dean Cain during his telecast after the actor announced earlier this week he would be joining Ice.

“You know, there’s an old saying in Hollywood: ‘If all you can get is Dean Cain, you are f—ed,'” Oliver said during the program, which largely covered immigration enforcement and president Donald Trump’s mass deportation promise.

“Now, I’m not saying that Ice isn’t finding people,” he continued. “I’m just saying, when you are reduced to pinning a badge on the 59-year-old star of The Dog Who Saved Christmas, The Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation, The Dog Who Saved the Holidays, The Dog Who Saved Halloween, The Dog Who Saved Easter and The Dog Who Saved Summer, maybe you are in trouble. Although, on the plus side, no need for that guy to...

Stephen Colbert continues to have the best sense of humor about everything going on with his show, whether it's being called out by the president and signing off the air for the summer. As always, the host of The Late Show brought the laughs until the last second when bringing his current season to a close. New episodes aren't on the horizon, but it's not over yet. He will be back!

While signing off of The Late Show and heading into an upcoming stretch of reruns, the late night host, whose show infamously just got the axe from CBS, is still in good spirits. Before signing off the air for the summer, Colbert joked for Netflix to give him a call: "I'm available in June." He's already keeping his options open for when his show goes off the air for good, which isn't now.

Beginning on Friday, Aug. 8, The Late Show...

Jay Leno should have known what he was getting into when he told the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation that today’s comedy has become “just really political.” Comedians who clearly state their positions are alienating half their audiences, he complained. “Why not try to get the whole? I like to bring people into the big picture. I don’t understand why you would alienate one particular group — or just don’t do it at all... Just do what’s funny.”

The blowback was immediate. John Oliver heard the interview and decided, “I’m going to take a hard pass on taking comedic advice from Jay Leno.” And his old Daily Show partner, Jon Stewart, had no patience for Leno’s idea of avoiding “jokes about things you actually think.”

“The whole thing,” Stewart said, “is fucking ridiculous.”

Others, including Cracked, wasted no time reminding Leno that he’d made plenty of alienating,...

On Thursday August 7 2025, CBS broadcasts The Late Show With Stephen Colbert!

Alex Padilla; Louis Cato; John Scofield; Marcus Miller Season 10 Episode 153 Episode Summary

The upcoming episode of “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” promises to be an exciting one. Titled “Alex Padilla; Louis Cato; John Scofield; Marcus Miller,” this episode will air on CBS and features a mix of entertainment and insightful discussions.

One of the highlights will be the segment called “Kids Pitch,” where young guests will present their creative ideas. This segment will include appearances by well-known personalities such as John Oliver, Amanda Seyfried, Judy Greer, Lizzy Caplan, Matthew Rhys, Steve Buscemi, Tituss Burgess, Tramell Tillman, and Walton Goggins. These guests are sure to bring humor and charm to the show, making it a fun experience for everyone involved.

In addition to the entertaining pitches from kids, Senator Alex Padilla from California will join Stephen Colbert for a conversation.

Jordan Klepper, one of the hosts of The Daily Show, is such a fan of late-night that when he started on the Comedy Central series he found himself in an awkward situation.

Making his debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Klepper revealed that on his first day at The Daily Show in 2014, he called host Jon Stewart “Dad.”

Working on a piece about Crimea, which had just been invaded by Russia, Klepper said: “I realize I’m in way over my head, and we have to figure out a way to make this work. Luckily, the people on The Daily Show are some of the smartest folks; they crafted a bit around me being overwhelmed, being put in a place for their first time, like Crimea and their first day on their job. I remember brainstorming with Jon … and nervously throwing out ideas. In my nervousness, I called Jon ‘Dad,...

What’s the greatest joy in directing an Emmy-nominated project? How do directors get the best out of actors? And what’s similar between making a documentary, drama series, and late night variety show? These were some of the topics discussed by four top television directors when they recently joined Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” roundtable. Our guests are Philip Barantini (Adolescence), Paul Pennolino (Last Week Tonight with John Oliver), Amanda Marsalis (The Pitt), and Ian Bonhôte (Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story).

Watch our full group panel above. Click on each name above to view that person's individual interview.

Bonhôte says that the most important thing when directing is that “the story needs to be extremely emotional. We need to have a narrative and emotional arc as strong as possible. That's the base of everything.” Pennolino agrees and says, “You've gotta be able to tap into something inside...

“I've been making my bones in late night comedy for a long, long time now,” reflects Last Week Tonight with John Oliver director Paul Pennolino, who started out as a page working for David Letterman. He adds, “That was before the internet and cell phones and cable news channels. We’re now in the squabble culture.” Watch our full interview above with Pennolino joining our Gold Derby "Meet the Experts" directors panel.

Pennolino has worked on the HBO variety series since 2016. In what seems like a precarious time for late night franchises, the director explains, “My job is to execute content and not opine on stuff like that. Although I will say, I think this broadcast is unlike any other. It is really smart and has evolved into a space where we can spend 40 minutes talking about an issue. I think it has a heck of a role. You know,...

Last Week Tonighthost John Oliver is getting candid about the state of late-night talk shows. His comments follow the controversial axing of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Oliver was rather candid about the state of the late-night genre. "It's constantly evolving. What's happened to The Late Show is incredibly sad for comedy and, obviously, for the staff in that building," he said. "It really resonated with me when Stephen said he was hoping to hand this show over to someone else."

"You hope that the franchise lives on partly because there are generations of teenagers watching those shows and deciding, 'Maybe I'd like to be a comedy writer,' and then maybe writing on that show," Oliver continued. "So, just as there are Colbert writers that watched Letterman, there will be future writers that watched Colbert, and you want that to continue. I’m...

Jay Leno was doling out comedy advice to late-night hosts a few weeks ago, counsel that seemed prescient when Stephen Colbert was fired just a few days later for running afoul of the current political administration — er, for not generating enough advertising dollars. President-bashing comedy wouldn’t have happened on Leno’s watch (except when he was telling Clinton blow-job jokes).

“I don’t think anybody wants to hear a lecture,” Leno told the completely nonpartisan and apolitical Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute. “Why shoot for just half an audience? Why not try to get the whole? I like to bring people into the big picture. I don’t understand why you would alienate one particular group — or just don’t do it at all. I’m not saying you have to throw your support. But just do what’s funny.”

But despite a tremendously successful run as Johnny Carson...

Jay Leno didn't invent late-night TV, but his contributions went a long way in defining what the genre could be. However, the former Tonight Show host's style wasn't for everyone ... including some of today's stars. John Oliver took it upon himself to push back against Leno's recent criticism of late-night in 2025.

According to Leno, today's hyper-politicized late-night shows aren't what audiences want to see. “I like to think that people come to a comedy show to kind of get away from the things, you know, the pressures of life,” Leno said in an interview with David Trulio. “I love political humor, don’t get me wrong, but it’s just what happens when people wind up cozying too much to one side or the other. Why shoot for just half an audience all the time?”

John Oliver isn't interested in that take, or any opinion from Leno. "I’m going...

John Oliver has been a staple of late-night television for 20 years. Times have changed since he debuted on The Daily Show, and now as host of Last Week Tonight, but Oliver remains a crucial part of the genre. However, there is one thing that would make Oliver walk away from it all.

Late-night TV doesn't appear to be on stable footing these days. Shows like After Midnight and The Late Late Show have been cancelled, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is next to get the ax. Networks claim financial losses are behind the decision, while others argue that politics has played too big a role in what happens behind the cameras.

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver debuted on HBO in 2014. Since then, the premium television network has been in the hands of multiple different corporate owners. Despite the leadership changes, Oliver hasn't had to deal with the...

John Oliver and Jay Leno have differing opinions when it comes to political comedy on late-night TV. In a recent interview with David Trulio, president and CEO of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, Leno criticized late-night hosts for alienating “half the audience” with their personal political opinions. “It’s funny when … you make fun of their side and they laugh at it. I don’t think anybody wants to hear a lecture,” he said, adding, “I don’t understand why you would alienate one particular group … just do what’s funny.” Oliver, however, told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published on Tuesday, August 5, that he will “take a hard pass on taking comedic advice from Jay Leno.” When asked if late-night shows should appeal more to both sides of the political spectrum, Oliver stated, “Who thinks that way? Executives? Comedy can’t be for everyone. It’s inherently subjective.

Exclusive: One of the more intriguing Emmy battles this year is Beyoncé going head-to-head with Saturday Night Live’s celeb-filled 50th anniversary special.

Netflix’s Beyoncé Bowl and SNL 50: The Anniversary are battling each other in the Outstanding Variety Special (Live) category.

The Television Academy had originally scheduled this award to be handed out during the second night of the Creative Arts Emmys, but Deadline understands that it has now been moved to the main primetime show, which will take place September 14 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles and air on CBS and Paramount+.

A TV Academy spokesman confirmed the move. The motives for the move are not entirely clear, but it’s likely an opportunity to get Beyoncé to the awards. The pop star has never attended the Emmys, despite having been nominated before.

The two shows will also go up against fellow nominees the Apple Music...

Following in the steps of Seth Meyers last week, “Last Week Tonight” host John Oliver used his show on Sunday night to call for U.S. aid to Gaza. But first, the HBO host called out Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his “insulting” attempts to “deflect” from the starvation that’s happening.

To kick off the episode, Oliver noted as usual that a lot happened in the week. But, he couldn’t dig into much of it “because, to quote the least horny message you could possibly get on Hinge, we need to talk about Gaza.” More specifically, Oliver wanted to take the time to discuss the lack of food available in the region.

But, despite images and video footage of families struggling to obtain food to survive, Netanyahu has said in recent press briefings that there is “no starvation” in Gaza.

“Yeah, are you sure about that though?...

John Oliver’s jokes were secondary this evening as the host began Last Week Tonight by delivering an impassioned plea to stop the U.S. government’s complicity in Israel’s blockade of the Gaza strip, where roughly 2 million residents face imminent starvation and death.

The late-night host singled out Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu for claiming there is “no starvation” crisis in Gaza despite all evidence to the contrary, saying the leader was doing so with the “skill of a sh—y magician.”

Of note, Oliver added, was that president Donald Trump also recently questioned Netanyahu’s claims.

“Describing starving children as looking ‘very hungry’ is a massive understatement, right up there with: ‘We were just friends,'” Oliver remarked, flashing an image of Trump and Jeffrey Epstein onscreen, adding that it was a “rare moment of Trump expressing something resembling empathy.”

Zeroing in on some figureheads who “pounced on...

The Late Showhost Stephen Colbert is officially headed for primetime in the next season of Elsbeth.

Per Deadline, Colbert recently wrapped filming on his premiere episode of Elsbeth, in which he appears as a guest star. Although Colbert won't be portraying himself in the episode, he will be taking on the role of a late-night talk show host. This comes shortly after the announcement that The Late Show, which Colbert has hosted since 2015, will be airing its final episode next year.

A spinoff of The Good Wife and The Good Fight, the Robert and Michelle King-created series Elsbeth stars Carrie Preston in a reprisal of her role as attorney Elsbeth Tascioni. Elsbeth largely relies on a "howcatchem" format, with almost every single episode of the series focusing on a new murder case to be cracked. Alongside Preston, Elsbeth stars Carra Patterson as NYPD officer Kaya Blanke and Wendell Pierce...

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert is set to deliver another exciting episode on Thursday, August 7, 2025. Season 10, Episode 153 promises a night filled with laughter, music, and engaging conversations. The episode features a special segment called “Kids Pitch,” where some well-known faces will join Stephen for a fun and entertaining experience.

Viewers can look forward to appearances by popular personalities like John Oliver, Amanda Seyfried, Judy Greer, Lizzy Caplan, Matthew Rhys, Steve Buscemi, Tituss Burgess, Tramell Tillman, and Walton Goggins. Each guest brings their unique charm and wit, ensuring a lively atmosphere that fans have come to love. The mix of comedy and creativity in “Kids Pitch” is bound to spark plenty of laughs.

In addition to the star-studded guest lineup, the episode will feature Senator Alex Padilla from California, who will likely share insights on current political issues and engage in light-hearted banter with Stephen. Music lovers will also be...

Broadcast news you can use

Previously on Inside Track, we looked at how Emmy season is impacting HBO Max, Netflix, and Apple TV+ — the top three platforms in terms of overall nomination count with 142, 120, and 79 nods, respectively. But if you bet the house on the parlay that the top five most-nominated outlets would all be streamers … then you’ll have to find a new place to live.

Yes, FX on Hulu claimed the No. 5 spot with 35 nominations, down from 93 nods last cycle when the streamer/cable channel combo was powered by the statuette-winning machine that was Shōgun. But fourth place didn’t go to Peacock, Disney+, Paramount+, or another other streaming service followed by a “+.” Instead, ABC put the broadcast networks on the Emmy board with 37 nominations. While that’s down slightly from its 2024 haul of 38 nominations, ABC still rose from fifth to fourth place in the overall standings compared to last year.

Nearly every legend of late night weighed in on the firing of Stephen Colbert, from John Oliver, to Jimmy Kimmel, to David Letterman (“This is pure cowardice”).

Longtime Tonight Show legend Jay Leno hasn’t commented directly, but in an interview taped just days before the Colbert decision, he repeated his tired mantra about leaving politics out of comedy. “I don’t think anybody wants to hear a lecture,” he lectured. “Why shoot for just half an audience? Why not try to get the whole? I like to bring people into the big picture. I don’t understand why you would alienate one particular group — or just don’t do it at all. I’m not saying you have to throw your support. But just do what’s funny.”

Despite a career in which Leno took plenty of political shots, he continues to tell comics to give their opinions a rest.

Kamala Harris appeared on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” Thursday night just hours after it was announced she is going to release “107 Days,” a memoir about the 2024 presidential election.

In a preview clip from the show, Colbert asked her if the reason she said she wouldn’t run for governor of California is because she is going to run for a different office, and Harris responded, “No. I don’t want to go back in the system. I think it’s broken.”

“I always believed that as fragile as our democracy is our systems would be strong enough to defend our most fundamental principles, and I think right now that they’re not as strong as they need to be,” she said. “I want to travel the country, I want to listen to people, I want to talk with people and I don’t want it to be transactional...

Late-night TV has reacted to the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert with shock, sadness, and anger. Samantha Bee, on the other hand, had a very different response to the news, calling it a "no-brainer."

Bee is a late-night TV veteran, spending years as a Daily Show correspondent before moving to TBS to host Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. With that experience comes years of dealing with network interference, corporate politics, and other factors that have little to do with the art of making comedy.

So Bee wasn't exactly surprised to hear CBS and parent company Paramount axed The Late Show earlier this month. “It definitely was hemorrhaging money," Bee said on the Breaking Bread with Tom Papa podcast. "These legacy shows are hemorrhaging money with no real end to that in sight; people are just not tuning in.”

According to Paramount, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert...

Ever since CBS pulled the plug on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert citing financial reasons, there has been a never-ending news cycle surrounding the show's cancellation and its political implications. Everyone, most especially the current President of the United States, has an opinion on the imminent and unfortunate ending of a late night institution, whether positive or negative.

According to a new study from Parrot Analytics, Stephen Colbert's show wasn't making nearly as much money in streaming revenue as his fellow late night talk show hosts. The site estimates that between Paramount+'s launch in the first quarter of 2021 until the first quarter of 2025, The Late Show brought in about $58 million in streaming subscriber revenue.

That's a much lower figure compared to the other major late night talk show host that are Colbert's direct peers and competition: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver ($184 million), The Tonight Show Starring...

We’ve had nearly two weeks to get used to the idea of Stephen Colbert and The Late Show leaving the airwaves next year. And yet, getting used to it seems to be the last thing anyone plans to do. Comedians are planning to make even more jokes about Donald Trump. Jimmy Kimmel is clapping back at Donald Trump’s gloating about Colbert and threats against Kimmel’s show. Poll respondents believe The Late Show was cancelled for political reasons, and don’t approve. And staffers from inside the late-night world are more determined than ever to keep up the attacks on the administration.

For Vanity Fair, Laura Bradley spoke with Liz Hynes, a Writers Guild of America East council member with knowledge of the genre: She was an executive assistant and writers’ assistant at The Late Show With Stephen Colbert who went on to write on Last Week Tonight...

Jay Leno has denounced fellow TV hosts who have criticized CBS’s decision to axe The Late Show.

On July 17, CBS announced that Stephen Colbert’s show, well-documented to be the network’s most successful, was being canceled due to “purely” financial reasons.

The decision comes in the wake of CBS agreeing to settle a lawsuit by paying millions to President Donald Trump, seemingly to receive the FCC’s approval for a merger with the entertainment company Skydance. Trump first filed the lawsuit after CBS aired a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris, which the president claimed was deceptively edited.

CBS’s choice to bow to Trump’s wishes has been criticized by many news outlets and hosts – including Jon Stewart, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver and Seth Meyers – as a failure to uphold journalistic integrity.

Colbert blasted the decision on The Late Show, and the cancellation of the...

Jay Leno believes that late-night shows such as the recently canceled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert lost their way when they started being too critical and “alienating” in their political humor, as opposed to the welcoming and uncontroversial way he called Monica Lewinsky a slut every night on national television.

Over the last few days, Leno’s recent and extremely poorly timed interview about the state of late night in 2025 has empowered the online right and enraged the left as the former Tonight Show host declared to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation that today’s late-night hosts are struggling because they picked sides in politics, unlike himself. In case the irony and hypocrisy of Leno claiming that partisanship ruins comedy in a conversation with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation wasn’t nauseating enough in a vacuum, there’s also Leno’s long history of picking sides — usually conservative ones...

Seth Meyers acknowledged that there is a lot of uncertainty about late-night TV shows following the cancellation of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. During an appearance on the podcast Armchair Expert, Meyers reflected on how the end of his own show, Late Night With Seth Meyers, would impact him.

On the podcast, which was recorded in May, host Dax Shepard asked if Meyers had any fear that Late Night might “end tomorrow.”

“I do,” Meyers admitted. “I mean, only because it is such a time we’re living in,...

John Oliver made up for lost time as Last Week Tonight returned on Sunday, allowing the late-night TV host an opportunity to join his colleagues in covering the Donald Trump-Jeffrey Epstein story. And like the rest of late-night, Last Week Tonight isn't going to let this story go anytime soon.

Oliver was back on the air on July 27 after a month away. The comedian tried to catch up on all the stories he missed, including adding more commentary on Paramount's decision to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. But for Oliver, the biggest story was still President Donald Trump's history with Jeffrey Epstein.

Oliver's monologue highlighted how far Trump has gone to bury the story ... and how eager late-night TV is to keep digging it back up. Last Week Tonight responded to clips of Trump instructing Republicans to ignore any Epstein questions, with Oliver joking,...

John Oliver returned from his summer vacation on Sunday night, and to kick things back into gear, he brought a laundry list of reminders of every time President Donald Trump and convicted sex offender and trafficker Jeffrey Epstein have been linked over the years.

To start his show, the HBO host conceded they’d missed a lot — including the “terrible” cancellation of “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” something Trump has delighted in and threatened other talk shows with — but wanted to carve out time to talk about the ongoing criticisms Trump is facing for the Epstein files.

Oliver noted that “it’s understandable” that Trump can’t even convince his own base to stop talking about the files, let alone anyone else.

“Because to do so, you essentially have to believe everything we’ve learned about Trump over the years is irrelevant or sheer coincidence,” Oliver explained, launching into...

John Oliver’s “Last Week Tonight” returned on Sunday, just in time to join the conversation around President Donald Trump’s switch-up regarding the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.

Despite Trump’s promise to reveal the convicted sex offender’s client list if he won re-election, the FBI and Department of Justice released a statement earlier this month saying the Epstein files actually do not exist. This has sparked a firestorm among Trump’s supporters and many attempts by the president to distract from the backlash.

Trump has also been facing renewed heat over his alleged connections to Epstein. Though he has claimed he was “not a fan” of the former financier, the Wall Street Journal recently published a story alleging that he wrote Epstein a lewd note for his 50th birthday, including a remark that the two have “certain things in common.” Trump asserted the story was false...

Jay Leno, who previously helmed The Tonight Show, criticized late-night hosts whose political jokes only appeal to “half their audience.”

During a recent interview with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, Leno said it’s important to use humor that gets the “whole audience.” He added that hosts risk losing viewers if they are seen “cozying up to one side or the other.”

“To me, I like to think that people come to a comedy show to kind of get away from things, you know, the pressures of life, whatever it might be,...

Back from holiday after a month away, John Oliver wasted no time in getting down to brass tacks, spending the beginning 10 minutes of Last Week Tonight addressing Donald Trump’s desperate attempts to redirect national conversation away from the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.

“We are back! And we missed a lot — from Trump signing his Big Beautiful Bill into law, which was terrible, to Colbert getting canceled, which was terrible, to the Coldplay concert heard around the world, which was honestly kind of fun,” Oliver began as he kicked off the show.

During the segment, Oliver addressed the recent Wall Street Journal article that alleged the Potus sent Epstein a vulgar letter accompanied by a drawing of a naked woman and sentiments that they shared commonalities, along with the line: “Happy Birthday—and may every day be another wonderful secret.” As a result, Trump has filed a defamation...

While Stephen Colbert has received plenty of support from fellow television mainstays and late-night hosts following the unceremonious cancellation of The Late Show, Piers Morgan isn’t among them.

Earlier today, the British media personality took to X to slam Colbert and other longtime late-night hosts, alleging these figures were nothing more than puppets for the Democratic Party.

“This is so damning,” Morgan wrote alongside a cover of New York Post that outlined the political leanings of Colbert’s guests, which skewed toward the left. “Most of America’s biggest late-night hosts have become nothing more than hyper-partisan activist hacks for the Democrats — a party that’s rarely been more unpopular. No wonder Colbert got canned. More will follow.”

Morgan, who has alternately supported and critiqued president Donald Trump and does not consider himself right-wing, continued his commentary in several other tweets, beginning with an endorsement of Jay Leno’s...

CBS is officially scheduled to serve up another repeat episode of their hit news show 60 Minutes tonight, July 27, 2025, and it will feature segments about death flights and comedian John Oliver. According to CBS' press release information, this episode will feature a total of two segments that previously aired on different episodes. The first repeat segment is titled, "Death Flights." CBS' official description for it reads like this, "60 Minutes reports on how the flight logs found in a plane in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., uncovered Argentina’s notorious death flights during its dictatorship in the mid-1970s – serving as key evidence of the country’s lethal scheme that “disappeared” thousands of innocent citizens whom they viewed as a threat. Correspondent Jon Wertheim revisits this dark and traumatic period in Argentine history, meeting the pair of investigators who discovered the plane, and families of the victims who were thrown to their deaths.

Jay Leno believes late-night TV comedians have become too politicized — and that they risk losing half the viewing audience by “cozying up to one side or the other.”

“To me, I like to think that people come to a comedy show to kind of get away from things, you know, the pressures of life, whatever it might be,” Leno said in a recent interview with David Trulio, president and CEO of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute. “Now you have to be content with half the audience because you have to give your opinion.”

Leno didn’t name names. But the current roster of late-night hosts — Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, Jon Stewart, John Oliver, Seth Meyers and more — has routinely mocked President Trump and the Maga movement. To be fair, they have also opportunistically lampooned Democrats.

Leno’s impression is that late-night TV these days skews toward specific political viewpoints.

This Sunday at 7:00 Pm, CBS will air a new episode of “60 Minutes,” a long-standing newsmagazine known for its in-depth reporting and compelling storytelling. Viewers can expect a thoughtful exploration of significant events and the people who shape the news. Each segment is designed to peel back the layers of current events, revealing the stories that often lie behind the headlines.

Death Flights – 60 Minutes reports on how the flight logs found in a plane in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., uncovered Argentina’s notorious death flights during its dictatorship in the mid-1970s – serving as key evidence of the country’s lethal scheme that “disappeared” thousands of innocent citizens whom they viewed as a threat. Correspondent Jon Wertheim revisits this dark and traumatic period in Argentine history, meeting the pair of investigators who discovered the plane, and families of the victims who were thrown to their deaths. This is a double-length segment.

This Sunday night, 60 Minutes airs a gripping and insightful double-header, beginning with a deeply disturbing look into Argentina’s dark past, followed by a profile of one of comedy’s sharpest voices.

Death Flights

The first segment, Death Flights, delves into a chilling chapter of Argentina’s history during the mid-1970s. A plane crash in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, became the unlikely focal point for uncovering the country’s brutal dictatorship, which carried out a horrific scheme of “disappearing” thousands of innocent citizens deemed a threat. Correspondent Jon Wertheim revisits the disturbing events, tracing the flight logs that helped reveal the atrocities of Argentina’s “death flights.”

Wertheim meets the investigators who unearthed the damning evidence, offering a rare glimpse into the complex process of piecing together this lost history. Families of the victims, who were thrown to their deaths from planes into the sea, share their emotional testimonies,...

“We’re all basically operating a Blockbuster kiosk inside a Tower Records.”

That’s how Jon Stewart described the state of late night shows and network television in Monday’s episode of “The Daily Show” — like two once-powerful, now totally irrelevant brands. That harsh reality lies beneath the drama over the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s “The Late Show,” which has stirred a virulent backlash and accusations of political bribery and corporate intrigue.

But the economics of late night no longer work, and Stewart — like his colleagues — knows it.

Six years ago, the average viewership for Colbert’s “The Late Show” was 3.81 million, according to Nielsen. By the second quarter of 2025, it was 2.4 million. During that same period, average viewership has dropped 13% for “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and 51% for “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”

And it’s not just viewership that’s down. Ad revenue for “The Late Show” dropped...

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has never won an Emmy, and depending on who you ask, that’s well deserved. The program has been nominated for 33 awards since 2015, but again, it’s never actually taken one home. That losing streak is probably coming to an end. Colbert has become an overnight symbol of Liberal resistance after his show was canceled by CBS under dubious circumstances. Jon Stewart categorized the decision as the “path of least resistance,” a way to ease Paramount’s financial burdens and gain favor with Donald Trump under the new merger deal with Skydance.

There’s been no shortage of outrage over the end of Colbert, which is scheduled to go off the air when his contract ends with the network in 2026. I mean, for his Monday night taping, Colbert assembled every white comedian over the age of 40 to rally around him. It was a who...