Amid all the hand-wringing, finger-pointing, and high and low dudgeon over the Stephen Colbert saga at CBS, something has gone completely overlooked:
September 8th will mark Colbert’s tenth anniversary as host of The Late Show.
Yes, it will also be his last anniversary as host—and the last anniversary of any kind for the franchise—since CBS has decided to junk the whole enterprise.
But still.
Would people not celebrate Joe Superstar’s 20th season with the home team because he’s already announced it’s his last hurrah patrolling center field? Would that ever happen, even if Joe didn’t announce it but the team did instead, taking public note of his expiring multi-million-dollar contract, his diminishing stats, his creaky range in the outfield, and the dropping attendance figures affecting the bottom line?
No. There would still be “Joe Superstar Day” at the ballpark, where the fans could pay tribute to his great achievements, and the team could present him with a lovely, state-of-the-art, high-speed riding mower and a commemorative plaque to be hung on the wall outside the executive dining room on the loge level.
With just two weeks to go, network insiders say there are no plans for a “Colbert Day” at CBS, at least not in the way networks have traditionally feted their longtime late-night stars: with prime-time anniversary special.
You may recall that Jimmy Fallon, NBC’s current top late-night star, did get a prime-time special—two hours’ worth, no less—in May last year.
It was filled with highlights of sketches, musical bits, and memorable moments with guests—like Nicole Kidman needling Fallon about his missing her interest in dating him when they were both single, and Taylor Swift’s mother contributing a video of her iconic star daughter being goofy on painkillers after Lasik surgery.
Johnny Carson‘s anniversary specials were so baked into public consciousness that a pre-Larry Sanders Garry Shandling produced a pitch perfect parody of one in 1986, complete with a cameo from Carson himself.
David Letterman also got the big anniversary treatment at NBC, even after the network dissed him by selecting Jay Leno as the heir to Carson. That anniversary special coincidentally marked Letterman’s tenth year hosting Late Night on NBC—and it wound up having bizarre impact in the denouement to the drama of frantic negotiations at NBC to keep him from joining CBS.
NBC was still roiling internally over its Tonight Show call of Jay over Dave when the special was produced. Despite lingering bitterness in the Letterman camp, NBC still wanted another big Letterman prime-time special, because they always killed in the ratings.
But Letterman, scarred by NBC’s decision, decreed very late—on the actual night of the taping—that two NBC executives should be disinvited from the after-party scheduled to celebrate the anniversary. Months later, as NBC weighed a last-second switch back to Letterman, the hurt feelings apparently caused by the disinvitation came up as an issue in NBC’s negotiations with Letterman’s agent, Mike Ovitz.
No such intrigue is likely to surround Colbert’s 10th anniversary—unless you count the odd circumstance that he’s been canceled but is still on the air, and will be for another nine months. (That’s more Conan-esque, although in O’Brien’s case, he was only given a week of Tonight Show airtime to unload on his network.)
Jimmy Kimmel is another late-night star who was feted by his network in recent memory, when ABC threw a big prime-time special for his 20th in 2023.
Seth Meyers went smaller-scale for his 10th in February last year, airing a special show in his regular time period. But it included a visit from the President of the United States (the one he liked).
It’s highly unlikely Colbert would seek a similar booking this year—or that the man currently holding that office would show up. But given the support and sympathy he’s received across the entertainment world in the wake of CBS’s decision to break up with him, he could likely book some really big names if he wanted to.
The odd situation of ushering out a star with a still-strong following has already led to a ratings surge for Colbert’s Late Show—something that might be a clanging signal pointing to the same happening with a potential 10th anniversary show.
Imagine the comic possibilities: “Don’t miss the party! Stephen Colbert celebrates ten hilarious years with CBS — but no more!”
That boat has apparently sailed. Anniversary specials, like superstar “Days” at the ballpark, are hard to put together with only a couple of weeks’ notice.
Would CBS be open to doing something big—like one of those star-studded prime-time specials—for Colbert’s finale next May? Sources at the network aren’t ruling it out.
It just might not be as festive an occasion.
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Why would CBS hold an anniversary for a guy hosting a cancelled show losing $50+ million per year?
That’s like holding a birthday party for Captain Edward John Smith of the Titanic right after it hit the iceberg.
the country is in massive debt and has a huge deficit under Trump, which are only increasing, yet he had us pay for a massive military parade for his birthday
Country was in massive debt and a huge deficit under Dementia Biden.
And the money paid for the Army parade was already budgeted for surgeries for transsexual Nazi Eskimos.
But what does government expenditures have to with CBS holding a party for a loser (Colbert) whom falsely accused them of participating in bribery?
I believe we can all point at that post of Mark’s and declare him to be insanely stupid, people!
Kamala lost.
Because America is filled with stupid racist fuckwads, like Mark Anderson
Steven is toast. He Kamala lost.
And so are you, with that badly typed post of yours, retard!
I don’t think the Titanic comparison is fair; Colbert didn’t steer the show into cancellation, CBS pulled the plug technically
That said, I wonder if he’s gonna pull a Letterman and end up dissing the network as his anniversary gift to himself (and all his viewers)~
But given that his numbers have been surging, you would THINK CBS would take advantage of this viewership and parade its #1 late night show before it’s over~
You’re wasting your time talking to that idiot! He’s just a right wing troll that shitposts here, because he thinks he’s being clever! Just leave it alone so that he can get the help he needs!
To be fair, his surge in viewership comes mostly from Republicans/conservatives looking forward to his whine fest and drastically more unhinged behavior from Colbert.
See what I mean, Cory? Marky Mark here has mental issues that obviously need to be addressed!
Everybody just ignore Mark here. He just spews right-wing nonsense and is just here to troll.
He seems unsettled! Like he’s about to hurt someone, or himself!
Trust me…whatever Stephen does on that day will be infinitely more funny than an anniversary show.
Complicit a-holes should be boycotted. I’ll do my share.
My previous comment includes LateNight, evidently. So be it.
Shame on you CBS. He has made you money along the years or he wouldn’t have been number one on late night this long. You all probably did him a huge favor. He can now go one to bigger and better things. Don’t let the door hit you in the butt CBS!
Doubt it. He is a white male over the age of 50.
So? Your opinion is shit, bitchboy!
Stephen
We will miss you. You got me through a lot of the craziness in the political world of trump. It has been so depressing to have him as president. Please come back soon we need you to help us get through all of this. You weren’t afraid of giving it to the big guy. Thanks for the last 10 years and hope to see you soon.
This just shows how at best, off-centre CBS is currently.
With all the hullabaloo going on, such a show would be an event that would bring eyeballs, and surely get advertising dollars.
Plus, the added bonus of actually having a killer clip show, worthy of being placed with the shows of old.
I find it unforgivable that Paramount+ cancelled the number one late night show bcuz toddler Trump is incapable of laughing at himself. I’m a big fan of
Stephen Colbert & his show. The VERY LEAST these comedy & Americans hating new CBS owners could & should do is throw him a HUGE 10th anniversary party & allow his adoring fans to celebrate his much loved tenure on late night. I’ll never watch CBS again after Stephen’s last episode airs.