Conan O’Brien’s Dire Prediction After Colbert Cancellation

“Late night television, as we have known it since around 1950, is going to disappear,” the former late night talk show host said Saturday during his induction speech at the Television Academy Hall of Fame ceremony.

Despite his dire prediction, O’Brien added a message of hope.

“But those voices are not going anywhere. People like Stephen Colbert are too talented ― and too essential ― to go away. It’s not going to happen,” he said.

“He’s not going anywhere,” O’Brien added. “Stephen is going to evolve and shine brighter than ever in a new format that he controls completely.”

CBS said it was canceling “The Late Show” in a shocking announcement last month. The show began in 1993 with host David Letterman, who stayed on until 2015, at which point Colbert took it over. Colbert’s stint as host will officially come to an end in May 2026.

CBS has said the decision was made “purely for financial reasons amid the difficult late-night landscape.”

To fellow TV host Andy Cohen, the idea of canceling the show ― without giving Colbert and his team a chance to make changes to improve its financial situation ― spells the end for CBS.

“Instead they’re turning the lights out completely at 11:30, which says to me, it’s like CBS is just cooked,” Cohen said. “They are saying, ‘We are done.’”