Jimmy Kimmel goes dark to give Stephen Colbert the late-night spotlight

Jimmy Kimmel will pull Jimmy Kimmel Live! from the schedule next Thursday night, clearing the field for Stephen Colbert’s final episode of The Late Show.

According to a report from Late Nighter, Jimmy Kimmel Live! will air a rerun on May 21, meaning Colbert’s farewell broadcast will face competition only from The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in the 11.30pm slot.

Kimmel confirmed the decision to the outlet, though representatives for the ABC program reportedly did not immediately respond to requests for further comment.

End of an era for Colbert

Colbert has hosted The Late Show for 11 years after succeeding David Letterman in 2015. During his tenure, the program became one of the most-watched shows in US late-night television and collected major industry accolades, including an Emmy and a Peabody Award.

Despite the show’s ratings strength and cultural influence, CBS announced plans to cancel the program last July.

At the time, the network described the move as a “purely financial decision,” adding: “It is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.”

Those “other matters” referred to mounting scrutiny surrounding Paramount’s proposed merger with Skydance, led by David Ellison.

Given Colbert’s long-running criticism of Donald Trump, speculation quickly emerged that the cancellation was tied to broader political and regulatory considerations surrounding merger approval.

Main image: Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert

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