Stephen Colbert’s Final Payback Gag Against CBS For Late Show Cancellation Pays Off

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CBS is forced to pay a fine after Stephen Colbert‘s final The Late Show antic.

After 30 years, the network cancelled the well-loved talk show when its host’s contract ended following 11 seasons, concluding in the 2025-2026 television season. The announcement was met with immediate and strong disapproval from viewers, and the criticism continued throughout the show’s final year. Despite dedicated campaigns from fans and fellow personalities to save it, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ultimately ended its run.

As a big fan of late-night TV, I was really bummed to hear The Late Show was ending. CBS said it was just a financial decision – the show wasn’t making enough money, apparently. But a lot of critics thought it was because Stephen Colbert had been so vocal about his opinions on Donald Trump, and they suspected it was a political move. Sadly, the show did end, with Stephen giving a mostly upbeat final performance on May 21, 2026. Though it was a good show overall, there was one moment during the finale that actually landed CBS in legal hot water.

Lee Mendelson Film Productions and CBS have reached an agreement allowing CBS to use Vince Guaraldi’s famous song “Linus and Lucy” during Stephen Colbert’s final broadcast of The Late Show. This comes after a recent segment on the show where Louis Cato and The Great Big Joy Machine performed the tune while Colbert discussed Lee Mendelson Film Productions’ stricter enforcement of its music copyrights. While the amount of any associated fine wasn’t disclosed, the money was donated to Chef José Andrés’s World Central Kitchen.

The irony is what Colbert and his fans find funny: he intentionally used the song without CBS’s approval, hoping it would lead to a fine for the network. He even jokingly said at the time, “Oh no, I hope this doesn’t cost CBS any money!” And now, weeks later, that’s exactly what happened.

This was the second instance of Stephen Colbert successfully challenging CBS after The Late Show concluded. Previously, the network made an exception to its usual rules for Colbert’s YouTube channel when it featured a full episode of his Only in Monroe series, originally aired on a Michigan public access station. Although CBS owned the rights to the funny episode, they permitted it to be re-posted online, making it available for wider viewing.

Stephen Colbert hasn’t revealed what he plans to do after finishing his run as host of The Late Show, which lasted for more than ten years. He’s currently working on a live-action Lord of the Rings movie, The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past – a project that’s perfect given his well-known love for the series. However, many fans are still hoping to hear about his possible return to television.

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2026-06-17 15:38