The news of “ The Late Show ’s” cancellation by CBS doesn’t just end a franchise that had, to this point, lasted more than 30 years. It looks like the beginning of the end of an entire category of television. With one network now opting out of late-night talk entirely, how long will it be before the genre just goes away?

The Late Show” with Stephen Colbert will end in May 2026, CBS announced July 17, calling it “purely a financial decision.”