The Late Show with Stephen Colbert | |
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Also known as | Late Show (franchise brand) A Late Show with Stephen at Home / A Late Show with Stephen Colbert (COVID-19 pandemic; March 2020 – June 2021) |
Genre | |
Created by | David Letterman |
Developed by |
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Written by | Ariel Dumas Jay Katsir |
Directed by | Jim Hoskinson |
Presented by | Stephen Colbert |
Starring | Jon Batiste and Stay Human Louis Cato and The Late Show Band |
Narrated by | Jen Spyra |
Theme music composer |
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Opening theme | "Everyone (Intro)" by Stay Human (2015–2016) "Humanism" by Stay Human |
Ending theme | "I'm from Kenner" "The Art of the Bumper" |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 8 |
No. of episodes | 1,526 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Production locations |
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Camera setup | Multi-camera |
Running time | 40 minutes |
Production companies |
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Original release | |
Network | CBS |
Release | September 8, 2015 present | –
Related | |
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The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is an American late-night news and political satire talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. Produced by Spartina Productions and CBS Studios, it is the second iteration of CBS' Late Show franchise. The program is taped at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City, the same studio as its predecessor Late Show with David Letterman. It airs new episodes live to tape in most U.S. markets Mondays to Thursdays at 11:35 p.m. ET/PT, as with its competitors Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Colbert was announced as the new host in April 2014, after existing host David Letterman announced his intention to retire earlier in the month; Colbert had previously hosted Comedy Central's news satire The Colbert Report, a program where Colbert portrayed a character named Stephen Colbert as a parody of conservative pundits. As such, the series has carried a stronger focus on discussing and satirizing current events, especially within U.S. politics. Some of Colbert's staff moved to The Late Show, along with Jon Stewart – who previously hosted The Colbert Report's parent series The Daily Show – serving as an executive producer.
The Late Show has remained the highest-rated U.S. late-night talk show for seven consecutive seasons as of 2023, marking the longest winning streak in franchise history over its competitors; since 2019, it exceeded The Tonight Show in key demographic viewership.