Forget what you may have heard. The Late Show With Stephen Colbert will not be mounting an election special this year.
Although ticket confirmations were sent out for a live episode on November 5th, it appears they were sent in error.
With live election results coverage pre-empting the late-night shows, 2016 and 2020 saw The Late Show take to CBS corporate sibling Showtime for its live election specials. Both were critically lauded and Emmy-nominated for Outstanding Variety Special (with the 2020 special nabbing the award).
Although 2024 will mark the first presidential election year The Late Show hasn’t mounted a live election night special, Colbert hasn’t slowed down when it comes to going live following big political events like The State of The Union, the presidential (and vice presidential) debates, and this summer’s political conventions.
He’s been rewarded handsomely for his efforts. Though he’s regularly the top-rated network late-night show, a recent live broadcast from Chicago on the last night of the Democratic National Convention in August saw his Late Show draw more viewers than Fallon and Kimmel combined.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story based on erroneous ticketing information incorrectly reported that The Late Show was planning to air a 2024 live election special. We regret the error.
