Jon Stewart Tears Into CBS Over Late Show Cancellation During Stephen Colbert Reunion
Jon Stewart stormed back alongside Stephen Colbert and torched CBS after news of The Late Show’s cancellation, unleashing razor-sharp satire and a jolt of old-school late-night chaos.
CBS is about to turn out the lights on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Not quietly, either. We are two nights from the end, and Jon Stewart just walked onstage and roasted the network so hard you could smell the singe through the screen.
The countdown
The Late Show wraps on May 21, 2026. That closes out more than a decade of Colbert running late night from behind that desk. And despite the end date being locked, the crowd energy has not cooled. If anything, it has gotten louder and more sentimental than CBS probably bargained for.
Stewart shows up and lights the match
On the May 19 episode — the third-to-last before CBS pulls the plug — Jon Stewart slid into the chair next to Colbert and immediately shifted the vibe back to classic Daily Show chaos. He started with kindness, praising how Colbert has handled the end of the run. Then he aimed both barrels at CBS with a takedown that doubled as a eulogy and a corporate roast.
"I just think it is so smart what CBS is doing."
"I just think it's such a good move, to take this show off the air, and then to also ruin your evening news, and then reduce '60 Minutes' to, like, six good ones. Here's what I believe they're doing: I think they're tanking for a draft pick."
Translation if you do not speak Comedy Writer: Stewart complimented Colbert, then joked that CBS is bungling the flagship shows and deliberately bottoming out like a sports team angling for a better future pick. Brutal, yes. Also very funny.
What matters here
- Final episode: May 21, 2026. More than 10 years of Colbert on the Late Show ends.
- Stewart cameo: May 19, two nights before the finale, during the third-to-last episode.
- Tone: Colbert stays gracious; Stewart brings the heat and the nostalgia, straight out of their Daily Show era.
- The jab: Stewart jokes that CBS is yanking the show, messing up its evening news, and whittling '60 Minutes' down to, well, fewer good minutes — all as part of a tank job.
As send-offs go, this is exactly their lane: smart, a little salty, and aimed squarely at the suits. If the end of an era has to sting, it might as well sting with jokes.