The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is going to enjoy these last days of summer by taking a bit of a break. There are no new episodes of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert for the week of August 11-15 on CBS, and that will be the case for a while.

Per a representative from Paramount, The Late Show is taking a summer hiatus for the rest of the month, with The Late Show not returning with a new episode until Tuesday, September 2, after the Labor Day holiday weekend in the US.

Just because The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is not new does not mean the late-night talk show won’t be on. Every night of August 11-15, The Late Show reruns are going to air on CBS at the show’s regular time, 11:35 pm ET/PT. Expect that to be the case while Colbert and company are on hiatus.

Take a look at what previous episodes of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert are going to be shown during the week of August 11-15:

Monday, August 11

• George Clooney
• Alan Ritchson
• Original airdate February 18, 2025

Tuesday, August 12

• David Oyelowo
• Finn Wolfhard
• Performance by OK Go
• Special appearance by Alan Cumming
• Original airdate April 15, 2025

Wednesday, August 13

• Senator Bernie Sanders
• Performance by Pavement
• Original airdate May 15, 2025

Thursday, August 14

• John Oliver
• Performance by The War and Treaty
• Original airdate February 17, 2025

Friday, August 15

• Bad Bunny
• Leanne Morgan
• Original airdate July 22, 2025

You can also stream The Late Show past episodes on demand on Paramount Plus (subscription required).

Colbert typically takes these kinds of extended breaks during the summer, as do many other late-night hosts. Jimmy Kimmel has been off for most of the summer, with guest hosts filling in to host Jimmy Kimmel Live! (this week it’s Nicole Byer).

However, Colbert taking time off is a bit more noteworthy nowadays after it was previously announced that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was cancelled, with the show’s final episodes set to air in May 2026.

Many who criticized the decision believe that it could have been a decision to appease the Trump administration, as Paramount and Skydance looked to finalize a merger (which has since closed), and Colbert has been an ardent critic of the president.

Whether or not that is the case, Colbert has not pulled back his punches post-cancellation. In the most recent new episode on August 7, he included bits that featured a clip where Trump acknowledged that Colbert was the top-rated late-night show on TV while trying to say he (and his fellow late-night hosts) were untalented. Also, Colbert did an impersonation of Vice President JD Vance as a baby because of a story of Vance ordering for water levels of a river to be raised for a boat trip for his birthday. He also joked for Netflix to call him, as he'll be available in June.

Again, in addition to watching reruns of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS, you can stream the show on demand on Paramount Plus until its return with new episodes on September 2.

Even late night TV shows need a break every once and a while, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is in the middle of one right now as CBS’s late night talk show is off for the entire week of June 30-July 4. However, reruns of The Late Show will air in the show's usual 11:35 pm ET/PT time slot on the network every night.

This break is part of an extended summer hiatus for The Late Show, which began on June 26 and will extend into next week, July 7-11, as well. A show rep has confirmed to WTW that The Late Show will return with new episodes on July 14. Colbert and company have taken summer breaks like this in the past around the late June/early July time frame.

But if you make The Late Show as part of your nightly routine, as mentioned you can still watch it at its usual time on CBS (the jokes just won’t be as timely). Here’s a look at episodes and guests that will be featured for June 30-July 4:

Monday, June 30

• Colman Domingo
• Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden, Kristin Scott Thomas and Jonathan Pryce from the cast of Slow Horses
• Original airdate June 11, 2025

Tuesday, July 1

• Mariska Hargitay
• Senator Tammy Duckworth
• Original airdate June 16, 2025

Wednesday, July 2

• John C. Reilly
• Eva Victor
• Original airdate June 12, 2025

Thursday, July 3

• Natalie Portman
• Dawn Staley
• Performance by Wednesday
• Original airdate May 21, 2025

Friday, July 4

• Mark Hamill
• Cristin Milioti
• “Rescue Dog Rescue” with Mark Hamill
• Original airdate June 4, 2025

To watch The Late Show you need access to your local CBS station. That can come via a traditional pay-TV provider, a TV antenna, live TV streaming services (Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV) or a Paramount Plus Premium subscription. Meanwhile, any kind of Paramount Plus subscription lets you watch any past episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on-demand.

Colbert isn’t the only late night host taking some time off. NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon is also airing reruns this week. Jimmy Kimmel, meanwhile, is taking some time off from his ABC late night talk show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, over the summer, though they are continuing with new episodes using guest hosts.

Again, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert returns with new episodes on Monday, July 14.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has wrapped things up for the week, as there is going to be no new episode of CBS’s late night talk show on Thursday, June 26. Instead a rerun is going to air at the show’s usual 11:35 pm ET/PT on CBS. The reason appears to be that Colbert and his crew are heading out on their summer break.

The June 26 episode is the first of what will be 12 straight episodes of reruns for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, from June 26 to July 11. The Late Show typically takes a two-week break during the summer; for example, last year they were off from June 24-July 5. So this is just Colbert and company’s usual summer hiatus; he’s just getting an early start on it heading out a day earlier than usual (the show always airs reruns on Fridays).

As for The Late show rerun that will be shown on June 26, it’s the episode that originally aired on June 10, 2025, and features Nicole Wallace and Cyndi Lauper as guests.

To watch The Late Show you need access to your local CBS station. That can come via a traditional pay-TV provider, a TV antenna, live TV streaming services (Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV) or a Paramount Plus Premium subscription. Meanwhile, any kind of Paramount Plus subscription lets you watch any past episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on-demand.

Colbert isn’t the only late night host that takes breaks during the summer. Jimmy Kimmel is currently taking some time away from his late night show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, though he often has guest hosts fill in rather than airing reruns. This past week Diego Luna has been the man behind Kimmel’s desk, with other upcoming guests hosts for the summer including Anthony Anderson, Nicole Byer, Alan Cumming, Chris Distefano, Fortune Feimster, Kumail Nanjiani and Jelly Roll.

Meanwhile, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon is also slated to take time off next week and air reruns on NBC.

The Late Show will return with new episodes after on Monday, July 14, according to a show rep.

Stephen Colbert is extending the three-day holiday weekend that we all just enjoyed and turning it into a whole week off, as no new episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is airing on CBS from Monday, May 26, to Friday, May 30. However, reruns of the late night talk show are going to be airing in its usual 11:35 pm ET/PT time all week.

The Late Show takes these week-long breaks from time to time, usually around holidays or if there is special CBS programming that would impact the show’s airing. So with Memorial Day weekend marking the unofficial start of summer, Colbert and his team are taking the chance to get some rest and relaxation. There’s no official word on when The Late Show will return with new episodes, but the earliest date would be Monday, June 2.

Still, if you like to end your nights with The Late Show you’ll still be able to this week, the jokes just won’t be as topical. Here’s a look at the The Late Show reruns that will be airing May 26-30:

Monday, May 26

• Will Ferrell takes “The Colbert Questionert”
• Amber Ruffin
• Performance by Jonathan Groff and the company from Just in Time
• Original airdate April 29, 2025

Tuesday, May 27

• Senator Bernie Sanders
• Performance by Pavement
• Original airdate May 15, 2025

Wednesday, May 28

• Ryan Reynolds
• Rep. Jasmine Crockett
• “Rescue Dog Rescue” with Ryan Reynolds
• Original airdate May 12, 2025

Thursday, May 29

• Jen Psaki
• Performance by d4vd
• Original airdate April 30, 2025

Friday, May 30

• Bill Gates
• Standup comedy from Paula Poundstone
• First Drafts with Evie McGee Colbert
• Original airdate May 8, 2025

In order to watch these episodes live you need access to your local CBS station. That can come via a traditional pay-TV provider, a TV antenna, live TV streaming services (Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV) or a Paramount Plus with Showtime subscription. Meanwhile, any kind of Paramount Plus subscription lets you watch any past episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on-demand.

Colbert won’t be the only late show host taking a break. According to TV Guide, fellow CBS late night show After Midnight is not expected to air new episodes next week. Nor are other networks’ late night talk shows like ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! or NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is taking its spring break, as no new episodes of the late night talk show are going to air for the week of April 21-25. Reruns of The Late Show will instead air all week at the show's usual time, 11:35 pm ET/PT on CBS.

As for why The Late Show is not airing new episodes this week, Stephen Colbert offered no specific reasoning on his most recent show on April 16, nor has Paramount/CBS, so this just seems like it’s a scheduled break for the show, ones they take from time to time throughout the year. The last week-long break for The Late Show came back in March, during the first week of the March Madness college basketball tournament where games aired late into the night.

But if you like to end your night with Colbert, as we said, reruns of The Late Show are still going to be shown every night this week on CBS. Here is the schedule of recent episodes that are being shown again this week:

Monday, April 21

• Pierce Brosnan
• Hannah Einbinder
• Original airdate April 2, 2025

Tuesday, April 22

• Senator Cory Booker
• Jalen Brunson
• Special appearance by Keegan-Michael Key
• Original airdate April 7, 2025

Wednesday, April 23

• Noah Wyle
• Jenny Slate
• Original airdate April 3, 2025

Thursday, April 24

• Senator Elizabeth Warren
• Performance by St. Vincent
• “First Drafts” with Evie McGee Colbert
• Original airdate April 16, 2025

Friday, April 25

• Michelle Williams
• Max Thieriot
• Nels Cline sitting in with Louis Cato and the Late Show Band
• Original airdate April 1, 2025

You can watch these The Late Show reruns on CBS if you have a pay-TV provider, TV antenna or live TV streaming service that carries CBS (i.e. Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV). You can also watch these or any previous episode of The Late Show whenever you want if you subscribe to Paramount Plus.

We don’t have confirmation yet if The Late Show will return with new episodes for the week of April 28-May 2, but usually when the show takes a break it’s just for one week.

CBS’s other late night show, After Midnight, is also not airing new episodes this week. Nor are NBC’s late night shows, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers. The only one of the major broadcast late night talk shows airing new episodes this week is Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC.

It’s an abbreviated week for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, as there will be no new episode of the late-night talk show on CBS on Thursday, April 10. Instead, a rerun from a couple of weeks ago is going to air on the network, but even that is going to air at a delayed time for The Late Show. So, why is The Late Show with Stephen Colbert not new?

Because of “a tradition unlike any other,” as Jim Nantz would say, CBS plans to air a special highlights show for the 2025 Masters golf tournament on Thursday, starting at 11:35 pm ET/PT. That is pushing The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to 11:50 pm ET/PT. This is the second sporting event this week to impact The Late Show, as it was delayed on Monday, April 7, because of the NCAA men’s basketball championship game, though they still aired a new episode. This time, Colbert and company apparently opted to end their week early.

So, as far as what episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is airing on Thursday, April 10, it will be the episode that previously aired on March 26 of this year, featuring The Studio star and co-creator Seth Rogen and Thor actor Chris Hemsworth (who was recently confirmed to be reprising the role in Avengers: Doomsday).

The Late Show is also going to be delayed until 11:50 pm ET/PT on Friday, April 11, again for the Masters Highlights program. The Friday show will also be a rerun (as is the show’s usual practice). This one from March 13, and featuring an extended interview with actor Gary Oldman, where he speaks about his most famous roles, including Slow Horses, sharing the secrets to Jackson Lamb’s farts.

While The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is not airing a new episode for April 10, CBS’s other late-night program, After Midnight, is. Also delayed until 12:52 am (technically Friday morning), the Taylor Tomlinson-hosted late-night show is welcoming Esther Povitsky, Randy Sklar and Arden Myrin as guests to comment and poke fun at some of the internet and social media’s most notable news and trends.

You don’t need to worry about this being an extended break for The Late Show, as it is scheduled to return with a new episode and at its usual time on Monday, April 14.

To watch The Late Show with Stephen Colbert live, you need access to your local CBS station. There are a number of ways for that, including a traditional pay-TV provider, a TV antenna, a live TV streaming service (i.e., Fubo, Hulu with Live TV or YouTube TV) or a Paramount Plus with Showtime subscription. All Paramount Plus subscribers can also watch The Late Show on-demand, with the latest episodes available the day after they air and all older episodes available to stream whenever you want.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert kicks off a new week of episodes on Monday, April 7, though depending on where you live, the late-night talk show is going to start a little later than normal.

For those in the Eastern and Central time zones, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is going to be delayed on April 7, scheduled to air at 12:05 am ET (technically Tuesday, April 8) and 11:05 pm CT. However, for everyone else not in the Eastern and Central time zones, The Late Show is slated to air at its normal time.

This shift in the schedule is due to the NCAA March Madness men’s college basketball national championship game, which sees the Houston Cougars take on the Florida Gators starting at 9 pm ET/6 pm PT on CBS. Coverage of the game is scheduled to conclude at 11:30 pm ET/8:30 pm PT. Should the game go into overtime or go long for any reason, that could push back the start of The Late Show by a little bit for Eastern and Central time zones.

When The Late Show does air on Monday, April 7, Colbert will welcome Senator Corey Booker, New York Knicks and former NCAA men’s basketball champion Jalen Brunson as his guest, while a special appearance from Keegan-Michael Key is also expected for the show.

Because The Late Show is going to air late for Eastern and Central time zones, so will After Midnight on CBS. As of right now, the Taylor Tomlinson-hosted late-night show is scheduled for 1:07 am ET and 12:07 am CT. Again, for those outside of Eastern and Central time zones, After Midnight is scheduled to air at its normal time.

This isn’t the only sporting event disrupting CBS’s late-night shows this week. The Masters 2025 is going to impact the Thursday and Friday late-night schedule as well. On Thursday, April 10, and Friday, April 11, CBS will air a Masters Highlights show at 11:35 pm ET/PT covering the daily action from the golf tournament, which will again push back The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and After Midnight. As a result, The Late Show looks like they may also be ending their week early, as there is no info on a new episode for Thursday, April 10 (Fridays, both The Late Show and After Midnight always air reruns).

If you want to watch The Late Show with Stephen Colbert when it airs on CBS this week, you need to have a traditional pay-TV provider, a TV antenna, a live TV streaming service (Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV) or a Paramount Plus with Showtime subscription. You can also watch this week’s (or any previous week’s) episodes on-demand if you have a Paramount Plus subscription.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is going to start even later than usual tonight, March 27, for many viewers, but the CBS talk show is still airing a new episode.

Normally airing at 11:35 pm ET/PT, with CBS broadcasting a pair of March Madness Sweet 16 games in primetime on March 27, The Late Show is being delayed for those in the Eastern and Central time zones. As of right now, the expectation is that The Late Show will air at 12:35 am ET (technically Friday, March 28) and 11:35 pm CT, an hour later than its traditional time. However, depending on how long the Arizona vs Duke game goes, that could be pushed back.

For those not in the Eastern or Central time zones, The Late Show is scheduled to air at its usual time (10:35 pm MT and 11:35 pm PT).

As far as which guests are going to be on the March 27 episode, Colbert is welcoming Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and Michelle Buteau, whose TV show Survival of Thickest season 2 premiered on Netflix today.

With The Late Show being pushed back an hour, the same is happening with CBS’s other late-night show, After Midnight, which is currently scheduled to air at 1:37 am ET/12:37 am CT. However, unlike The Late Show, After Midnight is opting to air a rerun.

The Late Show will get a delayed broadcast again on Friday, March 28, for Eastern and Central time zones, as CBS once again airs Sweet 16 matchups in primetime. However, as per usual, The Late Show will be airing a rerun on Friday.

To watch The Late Show, you need to have access to your local CBS station through a traditional pay-TV provider, a TV antenna or a live TV streaming service (Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV). You can also watch it live on Paramount Plus, as long as you subscribe to the Paramount Plus with Showtime tier; otherwise, the March 27 episode of The Late Show will be available to stream on-demand starting March 28 on Paramount Plus.

TV’s other late-night shows, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, are going to air at their normal times.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is not airing new episodes this week, March 17-21, on CBS, instead showing repeats from recent episodes. As for why the late-night talk show is taking a break, we can sum it up in two words: March Madness.

The annual NCAA men’s college basketball tournament, affectionately known as March Madness, begins this week. While there was no official statement about the tournament prompting The Late Show's hiatus, with games airing on CBS on Thursday and Friday, the network likely opted to give Colbert and his crew the week off instead of doing a partial week.

That being said, reruns of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert are still going to air all week on CBS. Monday through Wednesday the reruns are expected to air at their usual time, 11:35 pm ET/PT, but on Thursday and Friday it is likely that the episodes will air later than normal (TV Guide has the show listed as starting at 12:35 am ET/PT). Here is a look at the schedule for The Late Show reruns this week:

Monday, March 17

• George Clooney
• Alan Ritchson
• Original airdate February 18, 2025

Tuesday, March 18

• John Oliver
• Performance by The War and Treaty
• Original airdate February 17, 2025

Wednesday, March 19

• Drew Barrymore takes “The Colbert Questionert”
• Bong Joon Ho
• Original airdate February 25, 2025

Thursday, March 20

• Jake Tapper
• Performance by Paris Paloma
• Original airdate March 5, 2025

Friday, March 21

• Sterling K. Brown
• Reid Hoffman
• Original airdate March 6, 2025

After Midnight, CBS’s other late-night program that airs immediately after The Late Show, is also going to be taking the week off and showing reruns. The other major broadcast network late-night talk shows, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, are scheduled to air new episodes at their normal times.

If you don’t want to stay up late to watch The Late Show reruns this week but like getting your nightly dose of Colbert, then you can stream the scheduled episodes or other previous episodes of The Late Show on-demand if you have a Paramount Plus subscription. Among the show’s recent highlights was an extended interview with Gary Oldman, where he shared some secrets to his performance of Slow Horses’ character Jackson Lamb.

March Madness games continue on Thursday and Friday next week, but at this time we don’t know if they will impact the CBS schedule where Colbert may be off for a second straight week. We expect that announcement by March 21.

Gary Oldman is one of the most respected and accomplished actors of his age, and he shared a secret to one of the defining aspects to his Emmy-nominated role as Jackson Lamb on Slow Horses — how he delivers those quintessential Jackson Lamb farts.

In a special interview with The Late Show with Stephen Colbert that aired on March 13, the late night talk show host sat down with Oldman as fans await the return of Slow Horses season 5 on Apple TV Plus, where they covered what interested Oldman in doing a TV show, the process of getting ready to play Lamb, but perhaps most importantly, how he delivers those perfectly timed and legendary farts.

“Do you do your own stunts,” Colbert asked Oldman, referring to Lamb’s passing of gas, “Can you fart on command?” No, Oldman admits, those farts we hear from Lamb are not of his doing. “I cock a leg… I indicate,” Oldman explains, which allows for the sound effects team in post-production to work their magic.

With that being the case, Colbert had the fun idea of adding that Jackson Lamb trademark to some other iconic performances from Oldman. He showed Oldman a clip package where farts were added to his performances in movies like Dracula, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Air Force One and even his Oscar-winning role as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. It really tickled Oldman, who was brought to tears laughing.

Moving on from the farting, Oldman explained to Colbert how he came to star in Slow Horses. It turns out he was an admirer of the work that was being done in long-form TV. “I would look sometimes with envy and just admiration at these shows. Best directing, best cinematography, some of the best writing, certainly the best acting, far better than what we’re mostly seeing on the big screen.”

Oldman told his manager and producing partner how he longed for his own show to be part of what he (and others) called “this golden age of television.” But he did have some conditions: it would have to be “very well written,” he didn’t want to wear a wig or prosthetic makeup, he didn’t want elaborate costumes or to have to do an accent and he would love it to be in the spy world.

Sometime later, Oldman was on a plane and noticed that his producing partner was laughing as he read a script. He told Oldman, “I’m reading a character who is just about to become your best friend,” which of course would be Jackson Lamb. “It fell from the sky and ticked all the boxes,” Oldman said.

Some other highlights from Gary Oldman's The Late Show interview:

• He admits that sometimes he doesn’t need to go into the makeup chair to get read to play Jackson Lamb, he can just roll out of bed
• He wishes drama school would have prepared him for more practical challenges in acting, like how to eat a bacon roll without getting grease on your costume
• Some of his favorite movies include Being There, The Conversation (he raved about Gene Hackman’s performance), The Godfather Part 2 and Taxi Driver
• At the height of the pandemic, when among the only people staying at a hotel, he binged Below Deck and Married at First Sight
• Oldman’s iconic delivery of “Bring me everyone” from Leon: The Professional was meant to be an outtake where he wanted to try and make director Luc Besson laugh
• Also during filming The Professional, when shooting an explosion, a bank robbery was going on at the same time across the street
• Oldman says he charges more to play the villain
• He admits that he'll stop and watch JFK if he finds it on the TV
• Oldman's favorite on-screen death was in State of the Grace, saying he likes how he "folds, like a sort of doll."

Find all the clips of Oldman's interview on The Late Show on Paramount Plus or on YouTube.

At this time there is no release date for Slow Horses season 5, but it is expected to come out in 2025.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is taking some time off this week, February 10-14, as no new episodes of the late night talk show are going to be airing on CBS. Instead, reruns of The Late Show are going to be airing at its usual time, 11:35 pm ET/PT. But why is The Late Show with Stephen Colbert not new?

Neither The Late Show nor CBS gave an official reason for the break, and Colbert did not reference the fact the show was going on hiatus on his most recent new episode from February 6. So the best we can say is that this is just a week off for the late night program, which it occasionally takes throughout the year; this is the first time it is taking a full week off in 2025.

CBS’s other late night program, After Midnight hosted by Taylor Tomlinson, is also airing reruns all week. The other marquee late night talk shows, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! and NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, are still airing new episodes this week.

You can catch up with any previous episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Paramount Plus, but if you enjoy tuning in to the show when it airs on CBS each night, here are the previous guests that you can expect to see this week:

Monday, February 10

• Will Ferrell
• Performance by FLO
• Original airdate January 29, 2025

Tuesday, February 11

• John Dickerson
• Performance by Willow Avalon
• Original airdate January 22, 2025

Wednesday, February 12

• Drew Barrymore
• Brandon Scott Jones
• Original airdate January 28, 2025

Thursday, February 13

• Chris Hayes
• Performance by Nicole Scherzinger from Sunset Blvd.
• Original airdate January 27, 2025

Friday, February 14

• Drew Brees
• Morris Chestnut
• Original airdate January 23, 2025

To watch The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS, you need one of these viewing options: a traditional pay-TV provider, a TV antenna, a live TV streaming service that carries CBS (i.e., Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV) or be a subscriber to Paramount Plus with Showtime, which gets you live access to your local CBS station. As we mentioned though, all Paramount Plus subscribers can stream The Late Show on-demand at any time.

There’s no indication at this time when The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will be back with new episodes, but the earliest date would be Monday, February 17; though with that being a federal holiday (President’s Day), the show might delay things an extra day until February 18. It’s all TBD at the moment.

We all know the joy of a long weekend, but Stephen Colbert is opting for a short one as his The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is airing a special live episode on Sunday, January 26, at 11:35 pm ET/8:35 pm PT on CBS. This is all part of a special day of programming for the network around the NFL’s AFC Championship game.

The NFL playoff game between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs, taking place at 6:30 pm ET/3:30 pm PT on January 26 on CBS, is expected to be one of the most watched TV events of the year, and CBS is hoping to keep viewers tuned to their channel with a series of special programs following the game. Immediately following the football coverage, CBS is airing the premiere episode of its anticipated new medical drama Watson, which stars Morris Chestnut as Dr. John Watson (of Sherlock Holmes & Watson) branching out on his own.

After a break for local news in most areas, the live episode of The Late Show will then take place. For this special episode, in addition to his usual humorous commentary on current events, Colbert is welcoming the University of Colorado head coach, NFL Hall of Famer and two-time Super Bowl champion Deion Sanders as a guest. Country star Kane Brown is also set to give a performance during the show.

With the live show airing on Sunday, viewers are going to have five straight nights of The Late Show, as the talk show is planning to air new episodes from Monday, January 27, through Thursday, January 30, as it does during a usual week.

One thing to note with all of this special programming on CBS on January 26, there is not going to be any episode of 60 Minutes this week. The news program is being preempted by the football game and then CBS’s subsequent special programming is going to take up any time that 60 Minutes might have otherwise been squeezed into.

To watch The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s live episode on January 26, you must have access to your local CBS station. That can come via a traditional pay-TV provider, a TV antenna, a live TV streaming service (i.e. Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV) or Paramount Plus with Showtime, which lets you access a live simulcast of your local CBS station. If you don’t have any of these services or you just miss the live show when it’s on, you can stream The Late Show on-demand with any Paramount Plus subscription.

Stephen Colbert must have been really good this year, because he and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert are getting the entire week of Christmas, December 23-27, off. No new episodes of the late-night talk show are going to air during the week. Instead, CBS will have reruns of the show in its usual 11:35 pm ET/PT time slot.

If you didn’t catch the December 19 episode of The Late Show, Colbert announced in his opening monologue that it was going to be their last show of the year. That means not only are there not going to be new episodes this week, but The Late Show will also be off December 30, December 31, and we’d suspect January 1-3 as well (CBS has not released the official schedule for December 30-January 3, but we’d guess more reruns will be shown of the talk show in its time slot). If that's the case, the earliest possible date for a new episode of The Late Show is going to be Monday, January 6.

If The Late Show is part of your nightly viewing habits and you want to know what reruns are going to be airing this week, take a look at the complete schedule directly below, starting with Monday, December 23:

• Timothée Chalamet
• Sabrina Carpenter
• Original airdate December 12, 2024

Tuesday, December 24

• Mindy Kaling
• Stand-up comedy from Saul Trujillo
• Original airdate December 10, 2024

Wednesday, December 25

• Nicole Kidman
• Bill Skarsgård
• Holiday “First Drafts” with Evie McGee Colbert
• Original airdate December 16, 2024

Thursday, December 26

• Brian Cox
• Yulia Navalnaya
• Original airdate October 21, 2024

Friday, December 27

• Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen
• Performance by Doechii
• Original airdate December 4, 2024

You can watch all of these reruns of The Late Show live on CBS if you have a traditional pay-TV subscription, a TV antenna or a live TV streaming service (Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV). You can also watch these episodes, or any previous episode of The Late Show that you want, on-demand whenever you want if you have a Paramount Plus subscription.

Colbert isn’t the only late-night host taking the holidays off. Fellow CBS late-night program After Midnight is airing reruns all week, as are Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Stephen Colbert appears to be getting an early start to the holiday season as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is not airing any new episodes for the week of November 25-29; reruns of the late night talk show will air in its usual 11:35 pm ET/PT time slot on CBS though. In what should probably come as little surprise, it seems pretty clear that Thanksgiving being on Thursday, November 28, is the main reason Colbert and company are taking the week off.

The Late Show has taken week-long breaks around major holidays before, so while there is no official word from CBS as to why the hiatus is happening, it seems pretty straightforward. It’s also not the only CBS show to opt to go with reruns this week. Fellow late night show After Midnight is not new all week, nor is the FBI trio of shows, Matlock, Ghosts season 4, Elsbeth season 2, and Friday’s lineup of Blue Bloods season 14, Fire Country season 3 and S.W.A.T. season 8. However, one special show to note is that Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage is airing its first-ever Thanksgiving episode on the day, November 28, which will feature appearances by Young Sheldon stars Zoe Perry, Raegan Revord, Annie Potts and Craig T. Nelson on the spinoff series.

As we mentioned, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is still going to be airing reruns this week at its usual time. Here’s a look at the schedule:

Monday, November 25

• John Krasinski
• Francis Ford Coppola
• Original airdate November 12, 2024

Tuesday, November 26

• Billy Bob Thornton
• Sharon Horgan
• Original airdate November 14, 2024

Wednesday, November 27

• President Bill Clinton
• Performance by Kacey Musgraves
• Original airdate November 19, 2024

Thursday, November 28

• Paul Bettany
• Mike Birbiglia
• Special appearance by Robert Zemeckis
• Original airdate November 7, 2024

Friday, November 29

• Zoe Saldana
• Ken Burns
• Original airdate November 13, 2024

In addition to watching these episodes live on CBS, you can stream them, or any other past episode of The Late Show, on-demand on Paramount Plus.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is the only one of the other main network talk shows that is taking the whole week off. ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! and NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon are each airing new episodes this week; Kimmel November 25 and 26, while Fallon is airing a usual full slate of shows Monday through Thursday, November 28.

CBS has not released any information about when The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is going to be back with new episodes, but the earliest at this point would be Monday, December 2.

If you’re looking for your usual dose of Emmy-winning jokes and banter from Stephen Colbert via The Late Show With Stephen Colbert tonight, November 5, you’re out of luck. There will be no new episode of the series this evening on CBS, and unless you’re in the Pacific Time zone, there won’t even be a rerun episode airing.

So why the big interruption? Well, it all boils down to it being Election Day in the US, and CBS, along with NBC and ABC, planning to have news coverage of the election results. This of course means that there will also be no new episodes of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on NBC or Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC. Instead of late-night jokes and commentary on pop culture, TV watchers should buckle in for post-election coverage.

This election cycle in the US is hotly contested as the presidential race boils down to Vice President Kamala Harris and Former President Donald Trump. If polls are to be believed, this will be quite the nail-bitter contest. Not only that, but with the US House of Representatives and the US Senate both up for grabs, there’s a lot at stake for Americans as they look to the next four years. Because of the gravity of it all, some late-night viewers may not mind the interruption in regularly scheduled programming.

With all that being said, fans of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert shouldn’t fret about a long break in new episodes as one is scheduled to air on Wednesday, November 6. Colbert will be joined then by special guest George Stephanopoulos and musical guest Lenny Kravitz.

Both Jimmys are also back on November 6, as Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel are set to air new episodes of their respective shows. On The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the comedian will be joined by Whoopi Goldberg, Rosie Perez and musical guest Bailey Zimmerman. Kimmel will host Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Dan Pfeiffer, Tommy Vietor and musical guest Alessia Cara on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Now for those who absolutely need their daily fix of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, previously aired episodes are available to stream on Paramount Plus.

It certainly seems like The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was planning on taking the entire week of October 7-11 off, but a very special guest may have put a wrench into those plans: 2024 Democratic presidential nominee and current Vice President Kamala Harris is going to be a guest on The Late Show on Tuesday, October 8. That will be the only new episode of The Late Show all week, as CBS will air reruns the rest of the week at its usual time of 11:35 pm ET/PT.

Colbert announced Harris would appear on The Late Show on Sunday, October 6, via his social media channels, with Paramount confirming the news in an official press release on October 7. Harris will be the only guest appearing on the October 8 episode. This marks the first late night talk show appearance by Harris since she secured the Democratic nomination for president, but it will be her seventh appearance on The Late Show since her first appearance in 2018 when she was a Senator.

But again, the rest of the week The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is not going to be new, airing reruns instead. There was no official reason given by CBS, so it was likely just a naturally planned break in the late night show's run. 

Here's a full look at The Late Show schedule this week in case you're curious:

Monday, October 7

• Chris Wallace
• Cooking demo by Yotam Ottolenghi
• Special appearance by Justin Hartley
• Original airdate October 3, 2024

Tuesday, October 8

• Vice President Kamala Harris

Wednesday, October 9

• Anderson Cooper
• Performance by Sting
• Original airdate September 19, 2024

Thursday, October 10

• Jeremy Strong
• Dr. Francis Collins
• Original airdate September 17, 2024

Friday, October 11

• Jeff Bridges
• Cooking demo with Stephen Colbert and Evie McGee Colbert
• Original airdate September 12, 2024

In order to watch Harris' appearance on The Late Show live this week, you must have access to CBS. That can be done through either a traditional pay-TV provider, a TV antenna, live TV streaming services (Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV) or Paramount Plus with Showtime. All Paramount Plus subscribers can watch the episode on-demand the next day, as well as The Late Show reruns airing this week (or any past episode of the talk show).

This is actually the second appearance of Vice President Harris on one of CBS's marquee programs. On Monday, October 7, she and her running mate, Governor Tim Walz, are sitting down for exclusive interviews for a 60 Minutes primetime election special.

CBS's other late night show, After Midnight, is also on hiatus and airing reruns this week as host Taylor Tomlinson begins her latest nationwide comedy tour. But as for the rest of late night programming, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Daily Show are all new.

It is unclear at this point when The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is going to return with new episodes.

Fans of Stephen Colbert won't be able to start off their week with the talk show host, as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is not airing a new episode on CBS for Monday, September 16. Instead, a rerun of a previous episode is going to play in The Late Show's usual 11:35 pm ET/PT time slot.

This is the first time that Colbert has taken a night off since the "new season" of the talk show began at the start of September. Why? The official reason hasn't been shared by CBS or Colbert himself, but it's possible that Colbert and his team wanted to give themselves a day as many of them were at the Emmys on Sunday, September 15, in Los Angeles (they film in New York). Also, Colbert and his wife Evie McGee Colbert's new cookbook, Does This Taste Funny? Recipes Our Family Loves, releases on Tuesday, September 17, so Colbert is a busy man.

Even so, the good news is this won't be a week-long break like The Late Show saw multiple times over the summer. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will be back with all new episodes for Tuesday, September 17, through Thursday, September 19, this week (Fridays are always reruns for the talk show). Take a look at the full slate of guests set to appear on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert this week:

Monday, September 16

• Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
• Performance by Mavis Staples and Jeff Tweedy
• Special appearances by Jennifer Hudson and Ian Happ, Nico Hoerner and Jameson Taillon of the Chicago Cubs
• Original airdate August 22, 2024

Tuesday, September 17

• Jeremy Strong
• Dr. Francis Collins

Wednesday, September 18

• Rachel Maddow
• Performance by Shaboozey

Thursday, September 19

• Anderson Cooper
• Performance by Sting

Friday, September 20

• Stephen Curry
• Senator Mark Kelly
• Original airdate September 5, 2024

Other network late night shows Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and The Late Show's follow-up After Midnight are all new tonight. 

Late Night with Seth Meyers and The Daily Show may be following suit with The Late Show as both are not airing new episodes on Monday, September 16. Late Night will air a rerun at its 12:36 am ET/PT time slot, while The Daily Show will not air at all on Comedy Central at 11 pm ET/PT on September 16. Both shows look like they'll be back with new episodes on Tuesday, September 17.

If you want to watch The Late Show with Stephen Colbert when episodes air on CBS, you need one of the following services: a traditional pay-TV provider, a TV antenna that receives local station signals, a live TV streaming service (i.e., Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV) or a Paramount Plus with Showtime subscription. To watch the talk show on-demand, any Paramount Plus subscription works.

Looks like Stephen Colbert is squeezing in one more vacation before summer comes to an end, as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is not airing new episodes for the week of August 26-30. Instead, reruns of the late-night talk show are going to air all week on CBS at 11:35 pm ET/PT.

The Late Show has taken multiple weeks off this summer, with this being its fifth week off since Memorial Day in late May by our count. It's not overly surprising however, considering the show produced four live shows last week, August 19-22, from Chicago in conjunction with the Democratic National Convention and we have the final holiday of the summer, Labor Day, coming up this weekend. 

While it's not confirmed if The Late Show will return with new episodes next week (September 2-6), it would make sense that the show will be on more consistently as the fall TV season gets underway.

Colbert isn't the only late-night staple that has been taking extended time off this summer. His CBS partner Taylor Tomlinson and her show After Midnight has been off for multiple weeks as she is currently promoting a new comedy tour. Jimmy Kimmel Live! has been on and off with new episodes, though Kimmel himself has mostly taken the summer off and guest hosts have been filling in. Then The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers have also had their share of breaks over the summer. 

Even so, here is a look at the The Late Show with Stephen Colbert reruns that are going to be shown this week:

Monday, August 26

• "Community Calendar" with Sean Hayes
• Billie Eilish takes "The Colbert Questionert"
• Hiroyuki Sanada
• Performance by Koe Wetzel with Jessie Murph
• Original airdate August 15, 2024

Tuesday, August 27

• Kaitlin Collins
• Walton Goggins
• Original airdate August 12, 2024

Wednesday, August 28

• Matthew Macfadyen
• Jon M. Chu
• Original airdate July 23, 2024

Thursday, August 29

• Bowen Yang
• Nick Cave
• Original airdate August 13, 2024

Friday, August 30

• Alex Wagner
• Ali Macofsky
• Original airdate August 14, 2024

You can watch these episodes on CBS this week or stream them on-demand on Paramount Plus; the latter also has more previous episodes of The Late Show that you can watch on-demand if you want to see Colbert talk with other celebrity guests. 

Stephen Colbert is on the move this week, as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has picked up shop from New York City and is taking residence in Chicago for the week of August 19-22, where the Democratic National Convention (DNC) is taking place. In addition to the new location, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is going to air live, but will it be live everywhere?

The late-night talk show typically airs at 11:35 pm ET/PT on CBS, though it is taped earlier in the day. But this week at 11:35 pm ET, Colbert and company will be coming to you live from Chicago so that he can comment on the biggest proceedings from each night of the DNC. But if you don't live in the Eastern Time Zone, are you getting to watch Colbert live?

Depends. Central Time Zone? Yep, you'll also be treated to the live version of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert this week. Mountain, Pacific, Alaska and Hawai’i, you’ll be getting a delayed tape version at your regularly scheduled time.

As far as what you'll be watching on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert this week, the late-night host has gathered a number of big names in politics and entertainment as his guests. Check out the full list right here:

Monday, August 19 

• Hillary Rodham Clinton
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Tuesday, August 20 

• Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi
• House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries

Wednesday, August 21 

• United States Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg
• Performance by Chance the Rapper

There is no information at this time on who is going to be appearing on the Thursday show, and CBS was sure to indicate that these guests are subject to change.

One could only assume we're also going to get to see Colbert take in some of the Chicago sites, as The Late Show's Instagram page features Colbert at the iconic Wrigley Field, home to the Chicago Cubs.

Whatever time The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is airing where you live, you need to have access to your local CBS station to watch it live. CBS is available with traditional pay-TV providers or live TV streaming services (i.e. Fubo, Hulu with Live TV or YouTube TV). You can also catch the show on-demand if you subscribe to Paramount Plus.

It's an extended vacation for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, as the CBS late night talk show is not airing new episodes for the week of August 5-9. This is the second straight week that the show has not had a new episode, though reruns continue to air nightly on CBS at 11:35 pm ET/PT.

As we previously wrote in the post detailing the week of July 29-August 2, on the last new The Late Show that aired July 25, Colbert mentioned that he was taking a vacation. Evidently, it is an extended one. As far as why the show was taking the hiatus now, no official reason was given, but you don't have to look too hard to guess: the Olympics.

While the international sporting competition is only airing on NBC in terms of broadcast networks, so much programming has opted not to air new episodes and avoid competing with NBC's primetime broadcasts. That has included late night. In addition to Colbert, his fellow CBS late night host Taylor Tomlinson and her show After Midnight continue to air reruns, as is ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! NBC, meanwhile, has not been airing The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon or Late Night with Seth Meyers at all, as late night Olympics coverage has occupied their time slots.

We're still not sure when The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is going to return with new episodes, but the Olympics wrap up on Sunday, August 11.

In the meantime, here are The Late Show with Stephen Colbert reruns that are going to air this week:

Monday, August 5

• Senator Bernie Sanders
• Performance by OneRepublic
• Original airdate July 18, 2024

Tuesday, August 6

• Melinda French Gates
• Saoirse-Monica Jackson
• Original airdate July 24, 2024

Wednesday, August 7

• The hosts of Pod Save America: Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett and Tommy Vietor
• Performance by Lake Street Dive
• Original airdate June 18, 2024

Thursday, August 8

• Jeremy Allen White
• Ava DuVernay
• Original airdate June 20, 2024

Friday, August 9

• Senator Elizabeth Warren
• Performance by Loudon Wainwright III
• Original airdate July 16, 2024

To watch The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS you need a traditional pay-TV provider, a TV antenna, a live streaming service (ie Fubo, Hulu with Live TV and YouTube TV) or a Paramount Plus with Showtime subscription, which gives you live access to your local CBS station. You can also watch these and other previous episodes of The Late Show on Paramount Plus with any type of subscription. 

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is getting at least one more week off this summer, as the CBS late-night talk show is not going to be airing new episodes for the week of July 29 to August 2. However, if The Late Show is part of your nightly routine, it should be a little comforting to know that reruns are going to air each night in its usual time slot of 11:35 pm ET/PT on the network.

As for why Colbert is taking the week off, CBS did not provide an official reason, but the host hinted at one during the monologue of his most recent new episode that aired on Thursday, July 25. While commenting on how Vice President Kamala Harris, now the Democratic front-runner for the presidency, has seen strong support from those 18-34, Colbert said, "We youth love Kamala Harris. Dab on my rizz kings. I am one of you. Or, I will be after this vacation." So it seems like the late-night host is taking time for some R&R before things pick up as we head into fall.

The timing almost certainly has to do with the fact that the Paris Olympics are currently underway. NBC is carrying coverage of the games in both primetime and typically after local news starting just after 11:30 pm. That has bumped The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon from NBC for the next couple of weeks. The other flagship late-night show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, is also taking time off, as are additional late-night shows After Midnight and Late Night with Seth Meyers. It is unclear if this is a one-week absence for Colbert and company, or if shows will take off for the entire two weeks of the Olympic games.

In the meantime, here is the slate of reruns of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert for the week of July 29-August 2:

Monday, July 29

• Seth Meyers
• Performance by Omar Apollo
• Original airdate June 12, 2024

Tuesday, July 30

• Governor Gretchen Whitmer
• Martha Stewart
• Original airdate July 10, 2024

Wednesday, July 31

• Jude Law
• Performance by Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
• Original airdate June 13, 2024

Thursday, August 1

• Glen Powell
• Charlamagne Tha God
• Original airdate July 17, 2024

Friday, August 2

• Keanu Reeves
• Performance by Charles Wesley Godwin
• Original airdate July 22, 2024

This is the third break that Colbert has taken this summer. He first took off May 27-31 (Memorial Day started off that week), and then had two weeks off between June 24 and July 5 (around the Independence Day holiday).

If you want to watch The Late Show reruns on CBS, all you need is access to your local CBS station. But you can also watch these or any other previous episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert if you subscribe to Paramount Plus.

Stephen Colbert and his team are continuing to enjoy some summer vacation, as for the second week in a row The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is not airing new episodes on CBS. Instead, reruns are going to air at 11:35 pm ET/PT on the network from Monday, July 1, through Friday, July 5.

Like with the week off from June 24-28, CBS offered no official reason for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert airing reruns all week, so it just seems that this was a pre-planned break for the late night talk show. With the Fourth of July taking place on Thursday, it makes sense that the show used the holiday to work in an extended hiatus. 

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is going to begin airing new episodes on Monday, July 8. While you wait, here are the reruns for The Late Show that are going to be airing this week:

Monday, July 1

• Chris Hemsworth
• James Dyson
• Original airdate May 23, 2024

Tuesday, July 2

• George Stephanopoulos
• Michelle Buteau
• Original airdate May 15, 2024

Wednesday, July 3

• Jake Gyllenhaal
• Chloe Fineman
• Original airdate June 11, 2024

Thursday, July 4

• Alicia Keys
• Stephen Merchant
• Special appearance by Laura Benanti
• Original airdate June 3, 2024

Friday, July 5

• Interview with and performance by Billie Eilish
• Original airdate May 21, 2024

If the planned reruns don't appeal to you, you can also watch previous episodes of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Paramount Plus.

Once again, Colbert isn't the only late night host taking the week off. His CBS partner Taylor Tomlinson and her show After Midnight are also airing reruns all week. So are the other major talk shows on other networks. NBC's The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers are once again off. On ABC, after Martin Short filled in as a guest host for a week, Jimmy Kimmel Live! is going with reruns for this week. HBO's weekly late night program, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, is also on an extended break. Even Comedy Central's The Daily Show is taking the week off.

Looks like Stephen Colbert is taking some summer vacay time, as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS is not going to be airing new episodes the entire week of June 24-28. Instead, reruns of the late-night show are going to be airing in its usual time slot of 11:35 pm ET/PT. But why is Colbert taking the week off?

CBS has not shared any specific reason for The Late Show's hiatus, which would seem to indicate that this was a planned break for Colbert and his team. He's not alone; his follow-up late-night show After Midnight is off for the week, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon is also not airing new episodes and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver is taking a multiple-week hiatus. The only major late-night show still airing new episodes this week is Jimmy Kimmel Live!, though Kimmel is taking the week off with Martin Short stepping into host with many of his Only Murders in the Building co-stars set to appear, including Steve Martin and Selena Gomez. 

It’ll be a shame that Colbert won't be on hand to offer his critiques of the first presidential debate of 2024 between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump that airs on Thursday, June 27. With a lot of time before the election though, there's still plenty of time for him to offer jokes about the whole process.

As we said, reruns of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert are going to be airing at the show’s usual time. Here is the schedule for the full week:

Monday, June 24

• Seth Meyers
• Performance by Omar Apollo
• Original airdate June 12, 2024

Tuesday, June 25

• David Letterman takes "The Colbert Questionert"
• Claudia Jessie
• Performance by Norah Jones
• Original airdate May 16, 2024

Wednesday, June 26

• Julia Louis-Dreyfus
• Performance by Hozier
• Original airdate June 6, 2024

Thursday, June 27

• Senator Cory Booker
• Performance by Billie Eilish
• Original airdate June 10, 2024

Friday, June 28

• Anya Taylor-Joy
• Second gentleman Douglas Emhoff
• Original airdate May 22, 2024

There's no indication at this time when The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will return with new episodes, though with next Thursday being July 4, there is a chance this could be a multiple-week break. But check our The Late Show with Stephen Colbert guide to keep up with all the latest info on the show. 

Wondering why the monologue on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert seems dated this week? That's because CBS's late-night talk show is not airing new episodes for the week of May 27-31, opting for reruns each night at 11:35 pm ET/PT. But why?

An official reason has not been given by CBS, but the most likely explanation is that Colbert and his staff are taking advantage of Monday, May 27 being the Memorial Day holiday and getting an early week of summer vacation in. The Late Show is not the only late-night program doing this, as The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live and CBS's other late-night program, After Midnight, are all expected to take at least some time off this week. Popular cable late-night show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver also took off on Sunday, May 26, for the holiday weekend. These types of breaks are built into late-night schedules to give hosts and their teams some time off throughout the year. 

But as we said, episodes of The Late Show are still going to air at their usual time of 11:35 pm ET/PT, they'll just be episodes that aired earlier in May. Here is a full look at the schedule of episodes airing from Monday, May 27, to Friday, May 31:

Monday, May 27

• Ryan Gosling takes “The Colbert Questionert”
• Desi Lydic
• Original airdate May 9, 2024

Tuesday, May 28

• Jen Psaki
• Performance by Elyanna
• Original airdate May 8, 2024

Wednesday, May 29

• John Leguizamo
• Laura Coates
• Original airdate May 2, 2024

Thursday, May 30

• Jennifer Hudson
• Marisa Abela
• Original airdate May 14, 2024

Friday, May 31

• Steve Carell
• Performance by Paul Simon
• Original airdate May 13, 2024

If none of those episodes grab your attention, then you can go back and watch other past episodes of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on-demand with a Paramount Plus subscription. There are currently a few options for would-be subscribers interested in the streamer. 

CBS has not released a schedule beyond May 31, so we don't definitively know as of right now when The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is set to return with new episodes. However, the expectation is that the show will be back on Monday, June 3.

Stephen Colbert must be heading to bed early this week, as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is not airing any new episodes from Monday, April 22, through Friday, April 26, on CBS. However, if The Late Show is part of your nightly ritual, it is still going to be on at its usual time of 11:35 pm ET/PT, all episodes this week will just be reruns of recent episodes.

So why is The Late Show with Stephen Colbert taking the week off? Well it's not another sporting event pushing the talk show out of its usual spot like recent instances with March Madness and The Masters. And it's not another medical issue like Colbert had in fall 2023, thankfully. Instead, it just seems that all of late night is tapping out for this week for some time off.

In addition to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel Live! are also airing reruns all week, as is NBC's other late night program, Late Night with Seth Meyers. However, one late night show is still airing new episodes for at least a part of this week, as CBS's After Midnight has shared details for new episodes airing Monday, April 22, through Wednesday, April 24, with guests that include Community alum Gillian Jacobs, Drew Carey, Weird Al Yankovic and Abbott Elementary's Lisa Ann Walter.

As for The Late Show, four of the five reruns airing this week are from episodes that aired in April, while the other is from late March. Here is a look at the complete schedule for this week:

Monday, April 22

• Christiane Amanpour
• Wilmer Valderrama
• Special appearance by Tony Hawk
• Original airdate April 10, 2024

Tuesday, April 23

• Matt Damon takes "The Colbert Questionert"
• Hannah Waddingham
• Original airdate April 1, 2024

Wednesday, April 24

• Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
• Performance by Tyla
• Original airdate April 8, 2024

Thursday, April 25

• Carol Burnett
• Performance by Waxahatchee featuring MJ Lenderman
• Original airdate March 26

Friday, April 26

• Steve Buscemi
• Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
• Original airdate April 4, 2024

If you are interested in catching up with those or any other past episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert but don't want to stay up until 11:35 pm to do so, you can stream episodes of the talk show on-demand via Paramount Plus (subscription required).

At this point it has not been confirmed when The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is going to return with new episodes, but CBS usually releases details about the next week's slate of shows on Thursday or Friday, so we'll keep an eye out for that later this week.

After airing new episodes Monday through Wednesday this week, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has wrapped things up a day earlier than usual, as the talk show is not airing a new episode on Thursday, April 11, on CBS. What's more, while a rerun is going to be shown, that is getting a later start than usual, airing at 11:50 pm ET/PT rather than the usual 11:35 pm ET/PT. So why is there no The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on April 11?

Perhaps Colbert is a golf fan, because coverage of the 2024 Masters is behind this schedule shift. Golf's first major of the year teed off on Thursday, April 11, and while live first and second-round coverage is airing on ESPN, CBS is going to have a nightly highlight package airing at 11:35 pm ET/PT, when The Late Show would normally begin.

With the schedule change, The Late Show opted to take the night off, instead airing an episode that previously aired on March 13, featuring Paul Rudd, Cecilia Vega, Jon Hamm and Amy Sedaris. However, for fans of CBS's other late-night program, After Midnight, its Thursday, April 11 new episode is still airing, though also later than usual, 12:52 am ET/PT (technically Friday morning).

CBS is going to keep this little schedule tweak on Friday, April 12, but both The Late Show and After Midnight traditionally air reruns on Friday nights, so it's not replacing a new episode of The Late Show like it is on April 11.

For those interested, CBS is set to take over the live Masters coverage on Saturday, April 13, for the third round and then again on Sunday, April 14, for the final round, continuing — as Jim Nantz reminds us each spring — "a tradition unlike any other." However, if you've cut the cord from traditional live TV providers, you can stream CBS's coverage of The Masters on Paramount Plus, as long as you opt to sign up for the Paramount Plus with Showtime plan.

As of right now, CBS has not shared any details about whether or not The Late Show is going to return with new episodes next week. Usually, details on the upcoming week's slate of shows are released on Fridays.

If 11:50 pm is too late for you to stay up to watch The Late Show tonight, even with it being a rerun, you can watch episodes of The Late Show on-demand any time on Paramount Plus.

If Stephen Colbert's monologues don't seem as timely this week there's a reason for that, as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is not airing new episodes from March 18-22 on CBS. Instead reruns are scheduled to run at the show's usual time, 11:35 pm ET/PT on CBS, Monday through Wednesday, though some viewers may not get any episode of The Late Show on either Thursday or Friday.

To put everyone at ease, there's nothing to indicate this is health related like Colbert's extended absence in November and December of 2023, when the host suffered a ruptured appendix. This looks like a fully planned break for the talk show, likely because of the 2024 March Madness college basketball tournament.

With tournament games airing on CBS starting on Thursday, March 21, the basketball action is likely to eat into when The Late Show would normally air. The last game airing on CBS on both Thursday and Friday is scheduled for 9:40 pm ET/6:40 pm PT (though it’s entirely possible the games could start later). East Coast viewers aren't likely to get The Late Show then at all on Thursday or Friday; those in different time zones should still get reruns barring the games going way longer than expected.

It hasn't been confirmed by CBS at this time, but this could be a multiple week break for The Late Show, as March Madness games will once again take place Thursday and Friday the week of March 25-29 that could impact Colbert from hosting new episodes.

CBS's other late night program, After Midnight, is also going to be airing reruns for the week of March 18-22. Meanwhile, primetime shows on Thursday (Young Sheldon season 7, Ghosts season 3, So Help Me Todd season 2, Elsbeth) and Friday (S.W.A.T. season 7, Fire Country season 2, Blue Bloods season 14) are also not airing new episodes this week.

Should you find yourself up and watching The Late Show this week anyway, here are the guests that are featured on the reruns:

Monday, March 18

• Chris Hayes
• Carrie Preston
• Original airdate February 28

Tuesday, March 19

• John Oliver
• Performance by Killer Mike
• Original airdate February 12

Wednesday, March 20

• Billy Joel
• Performance by Chappell Roan
• Original airdate February 15

Thursday, March 21

• Matt Damon
• Danielle Pinnock
• Original airdate February 13

Friday, March 22

• Rebecca Ferguson
• Denis Villeneuve
• Original airdate February 29

You can also watch other past episodes of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Paramount Plus. 

Apparently the Ghosts cast are big fans of chicken wings. That's according to star Danielle Pinnock, who revealed that one of the ensemble's favorite places to hang out and eat is the famous restaurant chain Hooters, best known for their wings and bar food as well as, a bit more infamously, the outfits their wait staff wears.

Pinnock shared this detail on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Wednesday, February 14, ahead of Ghosts season 3's long-awaited premiere on CBS on Thursday, February 15.

When asked about how tight the cast is, Pinnock said all they do is "hang out and eat." "We go out all the time," she said. "Season 1, if you watch the pilot, we all had like sharp jawlines and collar bones, and by episode 22 we all looked a little fuller."

She explained that Montreal, where the series is filmed, is one of the most delicious food cities in the world. But even though they have a great selection of restaurants to choose from, they have recently found an affinity for the local Hooters restaurant. "I don't know what is in the wing water at Hooters baby, but I'm telling you them lemon pepper wings, the smoky garlic — listen, I need to be the ambassador. I'm ready."

So if you happen to be in Montreal and find yourselves at a Hooters, keep an eye out for Pinnock, Rose McIver, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Brandon Scott Jones, Richie Moriarty, Asher Goodman, Sheila Carrasco, Rebecca Wisocky, Devan Chandler Long and Roman Zaragoza.

In addition to their favorite dining spots, Pinnock told some more fantastic stories during her The Late Show appearance. One included how during college at Temple University in Philadelphia she and her fellow students — including 2024 Oscar nominee from The Holdovers Da'Vine Joy Randolph — would lie to get tickets to Broadway shows when they visited New York. Some of their tactics included donning self-proclaimed bad British accents and claiming to be related to Patti LaBelle.

She also recalled what she said was the "best role of her life" — playing Captain Hook in a high school production of Peter Pan. She said that she wasn't interested in any of the other parts in the show, so she went after Captain Hook, was the only girl to do so and beat out all the other boys in her theater class for the role, which she humorously noted still angers them to this day.

Tune in for Ghosts season 3 premiere on Thursday, February 15, at 8:30 pm ET/PT on CBS. You can also watch Pinnock’s full interview with Colbert directly below.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is going with reruns for a second straight week, as there will be no new episodes of the talk show airing between Monday, December 4, and Friday, December 8. The decision was made so host Stephen Colbert could continue to recover from his recent medical procedure.

On Monday, November 27, Colbert shared a message on Threads that he underwent surgery for a ruptured appendix, which must have occurred sometime after his last show on Wednesday, November 22, wrapped up for the Thanksgiving holiday. Colbert showed he still has his funny bone in the message:

"Sorry to say that I have to cancel our shows this week. I'm sure you're thinking, 'Turkey overdose, Steve? Gravy boat capsize?' Actually, I'm recovering from surgery for a ruptured appendix. I'm grateful to my doctors for their care and to Evie and the kids for putting up with me. Going forward, all emails to my appendix will be handled by my pancreas."

Then on Sunday, December 3, he posted again on Threads saying that he is following the advice of his doctors and "continuing to rest and heal."

While it was previously believed Colbert would be able to return December 4 for new episodes, and guests had been announced, the decision to postpone for his return means that there will be another week of reruns in the talk show's usual time slot of 11:35 pm ET/PT on CBS.

Here is a complete rundown of The Late Show episodes that are going to air as reruns this week:

Monday, December 4

• Kerry Washington
• Rep. Maxwell Frost
• Original air date October 10

Tuesday, December 5

• Sec. Pete Buttigieg
• Willie Nelson
• Original airdate November 2

Wednesday, December 6

• John Oliver
• Performance by boygenius
• Original airdate October 3

Thursday, December 7

• Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez
• Performance by Arlo Parks
• Original airdate October 23

Friday, December 8

• Talking Heads
• Mae Martin
• Original air date October 25

This is the second time that Colbert has had a medical incident forcing him to cancel multiple shows in a week. Back in October, just shortly after returning from the end of the writers strike, he was diagnosed with COVID and had to cancel shows as a result.

The hope now will be that Colbert can return for the week of December 11-15.

In the meantime, you can watch The Late Show with Stephen Colbert reruns nightly at 11:35 pm ET/PT on CBS or stream episodes on-demand on Paramount Plus.

The last time that David Letterman was on The Late Show was May 20, 2015. Exactly eight and a half years later, the long-time late night host returns to the Ed Sullivan Theater for the first time as a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, as he is the main guest for the Monday, November 20, episode that airs at 11:35 pm ET/PT on CBS.

Letterman was the host of The Late Show from August 1993 to May 2015 and became a beloved TV figure, with bits like his top 10 lists and some truly memorable celebrity interactions (Drew Barrymore climbing on top of his desk and Joaquin Phoenix's commitment to his rapper ploy chief among them). 

Since Letterman left The Late Show he has hosted the Netflix show My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, where he does in-depth interviews with some of the biggest names in entertainment and culture, like Barack Obama, Jay-Z, Malala Yousafazi, Will Smith, Billie Eilish and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The latest edition, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction season 4, is available to stream on Netflix right now along with the first three seasons.

It won't just be David Letterman appearing on the November 20 episode of The Late Show though, as the show will also feature a musical performance by the band The National. Apparently, Letterman reached out to The National himself and asked them to appear with him on the show. Letterman's love for the band is on the record, jokingly (in an endearing way) describing them as "your saddest friend's favorite band."

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert knows that Letterman's return is a big deal, as Colbert himself shared the news during the November 16 episode of the late night talk show.

Colbert of course was the one who took over The Late Show directly after Letterman stepped down, so it should be fun to see the two hosts talk about the job they've shared.

Letterman is just the first big name guest to be appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert the week of November 20. On Tuesday, November 21, Bradley Cooper, whose Maestro premieres in movie theaters on November 22, is on the show along with world-famous chef José Andrés, who will be giving a cooking demo ahead of Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 23. Then on Wednesday, November 22, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes star Peter Dinklage and comedian Tig Notaro are set to appear.

Wednesday, November 22, is going to be the last new show of the week for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert because of the holiday.

Anyone with a traditional pay-TV subscription, TV antenna or live TV streaming service that carries CBS (Fubo, Hulu with Live TV or YouTube TV among them), can watch The Late Show with Stephen Colbert live at 11:35 pm ET/PT. Paramount Plus with Showtime subscribers can also watch a livestream of the show, while the streaming service also has all episodes available on-demand the day after they air.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is CBS's entry in the late night talk show field, with the former host of The Colbert Report bringing his satire and comedy to audiences at the end of their day. That's in addition to featuring guests from the world of entertainment, politics, business and more.

Colbert took over The Late Show from the retiring David Letterman in 2015. Over his run to date the show has been nominated for 33 Emmys, including Outstanding Variety Talk Series/Outstanding Talk Series every year since 2017.

Keep up with when the next episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is and who is going to show up as a guest right here, as well as what else you need to know about it.

When is the next The Late Show with Stephen Colbert episode?

No, there is no new episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Monday, August 11, at 11:35 pm ET/PT on CBS. Instead, a rerun from February 18, 2025, will air featuring George Clooney and Alan Ritchson.

The late night talk show is actually in the midst of a summer hiatus, so there will be no new episodes at all this week.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert guests: August 11-15

Here is the slate of guests for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert this week, August 11-15:

Monday, August 11

• George Clooney
• Alan Ritchson
• Original airdate February 18, 2025

Tuesday, August 12

• David Oyelowo
• Finn Wolfhard
• Performance by OK Go
• Special appearance by Alan Cumming
• Original airdate April 15, 2025

Wednesday, August 13

• Senator Bernie Sanders
• Performance by Pavement
• Original airdate May 15, 2025

Thursday, August 14

• John Oliver
• Performance by The War and Treaty
• Original airdate February 17, 2025

Friday, August 15

• Bad Bunny
• Leanne Morgan
• Original airdate July 22, 2025

Is The Late Show with Stephen Colbert cancelled?

After multiple reports shared that CBS was cancelling The Late Show on July 17, Colbert addressed the news on his show. Watch the clip here:

As Colbert says, he is not being replaced, rather CBS is ending its late night franchise all together. Colbert's exit is not immediate either, as the show will continue airing new episodes through May 2026.

CBS recently also cancelled its other late night program, After Midnight, though that decision was based more on host Taylor Tomlinson, who cited a desire to return full time to stand-up.

The Late Show has been on CBS since 1993 when David Letterman was brought on to bring late night to the network. Colbert replaced Letterman in 2015.

About Stephen Colbert

Before taking over the tonight show, Stephen Colbert was a comedian best known for his time on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and then hosting his own spinoff news satire, The Colbert Report.

On The Colbert Report, Colbert played a character with an overly-enthusiastic sense of patriotism commenting on the daily news. The show won seven Emmys and a Peabody Award, which honors "excellence in storytelling that reflects the social issues and the emerging voices of our day."

Outside of The Colbert Report and The Late Show, Colbert has some other acting credits, including Strangers with Candy, Monsters vs Aliens, The Mindy Project, Rick and Morty, Our Cartoon President and Girls5eva.

Colbert is also a massive fan of Lord of the Rings, which he will often incorporate into his show when he has the chance.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert band

Leading The Late Show band is Grammy-nominated multi-instrumentalist Louis Cato. Throughout Cato's career, he has worked with the likes of Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, John Legend, Talib Kweli, Snarky Puppy, David Sanborn, George Duke, Bobby McFerrin, Marcus Miller, John Scofield and A Tribe Called Quest. He also has his own solo record, Starting Now, and another record, Reflections, expected to come out later in 2023.

How to watch The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

To tune into The Late Show with Stephen Colbert live, you need access to your local CBS channel. That can be done with a traditional pay-TV cable package, a TV antenna that receives local broadcast feeds or a live TV streaming service that carries CBS, like Fubo, Hulu with Live TV and YouTube TV.

Cordcutters also have the ability to tune in live if they sign up for Paramount Plus with Showtime, which gives them access to their local CBS channel's feed. If you subscribe to the base Paramount Plus plan, then you can watch The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on-demand.

YouTube also offers clips from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert the day after each episode. But if you want to see the full episodes, you need to have one of the above options.

Prepare yourself to stay up late on Monday night, folks. The Late Show With Stephen Colbert is returning to its in-person form on Monday, June 14. And its first in-studio guest will be none other than Jon Stewart.

The reunion is special, of course. Colbert and Stewart worked together on The Daily Show from 1999 until Colbert's departure in 2005 to start The Colbert Report, also on Comedy Central. (Colbert actually was on The Daily Show a couple years before Stewart took over from Craig Kilborn.) 

The two also hosted competing political rallies in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 30, 20210. Stewart's was the "Rally to Restore Sanity," while Colbert and his righty persona hosted the "March to Keep Fear Live." The events eventually merged into the "Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear."

In other words, this is gonna be good.

CBS Entertainment announced that the return to the studio on June 14 will feature a fully vaccinated audience. The musical guest will be H.E.R., and there will be a special appearance by comedian, actor and writer Dana Carvey.

The Late Show has been doing things remotely as A Late Show since March 16, 2000, in the early weeks of the global pandemic. Colbert was the first late-nite host to get back on the air by broadcasting from home, first delivering his monologue from his bathtub. In all, some 211 episodes were produced remotely, with 15 of them live.

Stewart also will be returning to television this fall when The Trouble With Jon Stewart premieres on Apple TV+.