For Stephen Colbert Final Show May 21 Jimmy Kimmel Will Air a Rerun
variety.com • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Jimmy Kimmel will air a repeat episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on May 21, the same night Stephen Colbert’s final CBS late-night show airs, as a gesture of respect for Colbert’s sendoff.
- Kimmel previously honored David Letterman by airing a rerun during Letterman’s final CBS show in 2015, continuing a tradition of late-night hosts showing solidarity.
- On May 11, Kimmel will appear on Colbert’s final “Late Show” alongside other late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver, reprising their collaboration from the “Strike Force Five” podcast that supported crew members during the 2023 strikes.
- David Letterman will be a guest on Colbert’s final show on May 14, symbolizing the legacy transition from Letterman to Colbert on CBS’s late-night lineup.
- CBS’s decision to cancel “The Late Show” was announced in July 2025 and framed as a financial move, but many viewed it as censorship linked to Paramount Global’s sale approval process amid political tensions involving Donald Trump, who has publicly celebrated the cancellation.