Samantha Bee calls CBS’s decision to cancel Colbert’s Late Show a “no brainer” — and her reasoning gets to the heart of why traditional TV is losing out to phones. “These shows are sucking in money like never before, and people aren’t watching. Everyone has a phone, they get instant news, so who needs a detailed recap of the day’s events?” But is this the death of late-night programming as we know it… or just the beginning of its rebirth?
**Samantha Bee Reflects on ‘Awful’ Cancellation of *The Late Show*, Cites Financial Woes and Merger Politics**
Former late-night host Samantha Bee recently shared her thoughts on CBS’s decision to cancel *The Late Show with Stephen Colbert*.
During a candid discussion on the “Breaking Bread with Tom Papa” podcast, Bee expressed both sympathy for Colbert and understanding of the financial and political motivations behind the network’s decision.
Bee, who hosted *Full Frontal with Samantha Bee* on TBS for seven seasons, described the cancellation as a “no-brainer” for CBS, particularly in light of the upcoming merger between Paramount, CBS’s parent company, and Skydance.
She suggested that the decision was driven by a combination of financial struggles and an effort to “curry favor with the president” during the merger process.
“I think both things are true,” Bee said. “It definitely was hemorrhaging money. These legacy shows are hemorrhaging money with no real end to that in sight. People are just not tuning in.”
Bee pointed out the shifting habits of modern audiences, who are increasingly glued to their phones for news and entertainment. “People are literally on their phones all the time for one thing, so they actually don’t necessarily need a recap of the day’s events. They’re very well-versed in what has happened,” she explained.
From her own experience hosting *Full Frontal*, Bee noted that avoiding controversy during network mergers was often a key consideration. She believes CBS’s decision to end *The Late Show* was influenced by similar concerns.
“It’s so much easier for them to cut it loose with this merger coming down the pike,” she said. “It makes the decision such a no-brainer, and probably the most agonizing decisions they were having were about how do we float this? How do we not get a lot of blowback? I’m sure they knew it was happening a long time ago.”
Despite her pragmatic view of the situation, Bee didn’t shy away from expressing her disappointment over the cancellation. “I love Stephen,” she said. “I consider him to be a friend. I think he’s amazing. I’m shocked, not surprised.”
Bee described the sudden end of *The Late Show* as “awful” and lamented the broader challenges facing late-night television. With audiences increasingly turning to alternative platforms for entertainment and news, legacy shows like Colbert’s are struggling to maintain relevance and profitability.
The cancellation of *The Late Show* marks a significant shift in the late-night landscape, as networks grapple with changing viewer habits and the financial realities of producing high-cost programming.
While Bee’s remarks highlight the practical reasons behind CBS’s decision, they also underscore the emotional toll of losing a show that has been a staple of late-night television for years.
As the merger between Paramount and Skydance moves forward, the fate of other legacy programs remains uncertain. For now, Bee’s reflections serve as both a critique of the current state of late-night television and a tribute to Colbert’s contributions to the genre.
Though *The Late Show* may be gone, its impact—and Colbert’s legacy—will undoubtedly endure.
News
I found my 7-year-old daughter coming out of the woods with her little brother in her arms… and what she whispered to me about my father took my breath away. -samsingg
“Grandma told me to run,” Maisy whispered. Then he swallowed, squeezed Theo tighter, and said the words that broke me…
My husband left me at home with his “paralyzed” son. The moment his car disappeared down the driveway, the boy stood up from his wheelchair and whispered, “You need to leave. He’s not coming back.”
My husband left me alone with his “paralyzed” son on a dull Thursday afternoon, kissed my cheek at the front…
My hubby grabbed our baby for the first time, then yelled, “This is not my child, I need a dna test!” Everyone went quiet. I laughed it off, but he wasn’t joking. He shouted at my smile, “You have betrayed me, that’s why you are smiling at me, this is not my child.” When the doctor… arrived with the results, tense! Yelled, “Security!” He sh0cked…
My husband held our newborn for the very first time—and shattered the room with a single sentence. “This is not…
During school pickup, my parents drove away with my sister’s children right in front of my daughter. When Lily ran toward the car expecting the ride home she usually received, my mother rolled down the window and coldly told her to walk home in the rain. Lily begged them, reminding them how far the walk was and how hard it was pouring. They ignored her completely and drove off, leaving my six-year-old standing there alone, soaked and crying.
The rain came down in hard, steady sheets, turning the school parking lot into a smeared mirror of gray. I…
Overwhelmed by severe labor pains, the woman desperately called her husband. On the other end of the line, he held his lover in one arm while his phone rested against his ear. His voice was cold and indifferent. “If it’s a girl, I’m not raising her. I’m not filling my house with another burden… Go stay with your parents.” Then he hung up. But when the man returned home the following day, everything had changed.
The woman, trembling with labor pain, called her husband. He, lying beside his lover with one arm draped around her…
While I was away on a work trip, my Mother-in-law changed our house into two parts. She asked me to pay $100k for the changes. I said, ‘Huh? But I’m not married.’ She replied, ‘Huh?’ The surprising truth came out, and her face went pale.
I headed out on a four-day work trip assuming the worst thing waiting for me at home would be laundry…
End of content
No more pages to load
