How Jimmy Kimmel Is Supporting Stephen Colbert for Late Show Finale

4 weeks ago 23

Jimmy Kimmel's studio will be pretty quiet for one night in particular.

As Stephen Colbert bids farewell to The Late Show after 11 seasons on May 21, Jimmy Kimmel Live! will be airing a rerun during its finale episode, his fellow late-night show host confirmed to LateNighter.

While ABC will air new episodes May 18 to 20, Kimmel shared that his show would not be premiering a new segment "out of deference to Colbert's sendoff."

With The Late Show coming to an end after Colbert's tenure, Kimmel, Late Night's Seth Meyers, The Tonight Show's Jimmy Fallon and Last Week Tonight's John Oliver will be making a joint appearance on the CBS show May 11. David Letterman—the OG host of Late Night from 1982 to 1993—will also be stopping by for the May 14 episode.

Kimmel's decision to air a rerun comes more than a decade after the host—whose show was temporarily suspended in September following backlash to comments made in the wake of Charlie Kirk's death—made the same move for Letterman's final show in 2015.

Despite CBS—which was acquired by Skydance Media, led by Donald Trump ally David Ellison—asserting that canceling The Late Show was "purely a financial decision" during its July 2025 announcement, Colbert's peers were quick to slam the move.

"Love you Stephen," Kimmel, 58, wrote on his Instagram Stories at the time, before referring to the multiple Big Bang Theory spin-offs. "F--k you and all your Sheldons CBS."

Meanwhile, Meyers, 52, reflected on his bond with the Colbert Report alum over the years.

Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty Images

"For as great a comedian and host he is, Stephen Colbert is an even better person," he wrote in a post on his Instagram Stories following the news. "I'm going to miss having him on TV every night, but I'm excited he can no longer use the excuse that he's 'too busy to hang out' with me."

For Colbert's part, he was taken aback by the decision but didn't plan to fight the cancellation.

"It came as a surprise," the 61-year-old admitted to The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published May 6. "There's no denying that the broadcast model is in huge trouble. But our model [late night] within that overall model has been very profitable for, like, 70 years."

"But maybe we were the first show to then be a detriment," he continued. "Maybe we were the first one to flip in the other direction. I do not wish to litigate it. It's their shop, and they can do what they want."

Keep reading to see which shows will or won't be returning to the small screen…

Kareem Black/Bravo via Getty Images

RENEWED: Summer House

See the fallout from Amanda Batula, West Wilson and Ciara Miller's love triangle scandal continue to play out when the hit Bravo series returns for season 11.

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CANCELED: So You Think You Can Dance

Nearly two years after the 18th season of So You Think You Can Dance aired, Fox president Rob Wade confirmed, per Variety, "there’s no plans to order another season."

However, the network noted it had not completely shut off the music, with Wade adding, "We’ve had conversations about it, but nothing formal."

Koury Angelo/Bravo

RENEWED: The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City

Get excited, baby gorgeous. Utah's iconic Housewives are returning for season seven on Bravo.

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RENEWED: Below Deck Down Under

Bravo is setting sail on season five of the travel reality show.

Courtesy FOX

CANCELED (FOR NOW): So You Think You Can Dance

The dance competition series' fate hangs in the air following season 18, as Fox Television President Rob Wade confirmed in May that "right now, there’s no plans to order another season."

Bravo

RENEWED: Wife Swap: The Real Housewives Edition

A new batch of Real Housewives stars will switch places with real-life moms when season two premieres on Bravo.

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RENEWED: Southern Charm

These Charmers aren't going anywhere. Charleston's beloved socialites will spill more sweet tea during season 13 on Bravo.

Oxygen

RENEWED: Killer Grannies

Oxygen's true-crime series hosted by June Squibb will document more murderous grandmas during season two.

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RENEWED: Married to Medicine

Bravo's long-running reality series was renewed for lucky number season 13.

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RENEWED: The Valley: Persian Style

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ENDING: The Bear

Goodbye, chef. FX announced the culinary drama's upcoming fifth season will be its last.

Oxygen

RENEWED: The Death Investigator With Barbara Butcher

Oxygen's true crime series will be back for season two.

Oxygen/NBCUniversal

RENEWED: Prosecuting Evil With Kelly Siegler

Kelly Siegler will be back on the case when season three debuts on Oxygen.

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RENEWED: Top Chef

Bravo is cooking up more culinary competition because Top Chef will be back for season 24.

Disney

RENEWED: Scrubs

ABC's revival of the medical comedy will return for season two.

Netflix

RENEWED: Stranger Things: Tales From '85

The animated spinoff will investigate new supernatural mysteries in Hawkins during season two.

Amazon MGM Studios

RENEWED & ENDING: From

The Sci-Fi horror series starring Harold Perrineau will return for a fifth and final season on MGM+.

Virginia Sherwood/PEACOCK

CANCELED: Law & Order: Organized Crime

The Law & Order spinoff starring Christopher Meloni was canceled by NBC and Peacock following five seasons.

Darren Goldstein/CBS

RENEWED: Sheriff Country

The sheriffs are back on duty when season two debuts.

Mark Schafer/CBS

RENEWED: CIA

CBS' top CIA agents will be back on the case when they return for another season.

Michael Parmelee/CBS

RENEWED: Elsbeth

Carrie Preston's quirky alter-ego will return with the CBS show's fourth season.

Darko Sikman/CBS

RENEWED: Tracker

Justin Hartley's drama has been renewed for a fourth season by CBS.

Sonja Flemming/CBS

RENEWED: Matlock

The Kathy Bates-led drama will take on more legal cases during season three.

Troy Harvey/2026 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

RENEWED: Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage

The CBS comedy will return for season three.

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RENEWED & ENDING: Wizards Beyond Waverly Place

The Wizards of Waverly Place sequel will return for season three this summer in a four-part event, with the first episode directed by Selena Gomez.

Netflix

RENEWED: Age of Attraction

Get ready to fall in love with some new age-gap couples because Netflix's new reality dating show has been renewed for a season two.

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RENEWED: Fire Country

The CBS drama won't be extinguished. That is, the show will return for a fifth season.

Matt Barnes/CBS

CANCELED: DMV

CBS terminated the workplace comedy costarring Molly Kearney, Gigi Zumbado, Tony Cavaleiro, Alex Tarrant, Harriet Dyer and Tim Meadows after one season.

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RENEWED: Grey's Anatomy

No emergency here. ABC's longest-running scripted drama will return for seson 23.

Daniel Asher Smith/Paramount+

RENEWED: NCIS: Sydney

CBS and Paramount+ are returning Down Under to solve more crimes with season four of the procedural.

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