Stephen Colbert takes to late night’s home stretch with swagger and satire in tow as he courts Netflix and Amazon

8 August 2025

Stephen Colbert is heading into the final episodes of The Late Show with both sharp wit and clear ambition. With the long-running franchise set to end in May 2026, he used a recent on‑air monologue not to soften the blow but to seize the moment and stake his claim for what comes next.

Donning a mask as “Little Prince Vance,” Colbert ridiculed Vice President JD Vance over reports that he coerced military assets for a birthday riverside excursion. With perfect comedic form he mocked Vance’s “spoiled baby emperor” demand to have the river raised for his boat, even styling his lines with faux baby‑speak a keen nod to a recent South Park satire featuring Vance as one of Trump’s tiny puppets. And then, with sly timing, he dropped the pitch: “Netflix, call me. I’m available in June,” adding that Amazon could also slide into his DMs.

Colbert’s candid courtship of major streaming platforms underscores both his resilience and the changing face of late-night media. His show’s cancellation, officially described by CBS as a financial necessity, arrived amid broader scrutiny surrounding Paramount’s business dealings, including a controversial $16 million settlement with former President Trump. That decision, coupled with the sudden cancellation of a late-night staple seemed to many more than mere coincidence.

In the wake of that announcement some insiders and peers have speculated whether Colbert could transition to streaming as Conan O’Brien did when he left network television. Bob Odenkirk offered one hopeful comparison, noting that audiences would no doubt continue to follow Colbert to new creative ground. David Letterman weighed in too with thinly veiled criticism of CBS’s decision, while The Daily Show alum Jon Stewart and fellow late-night star John Oliver expressed dismay, calling the cancellation a major blow to the comedy world.

Colbert, for his part, has embraced the moment without retreating into reflexive outrage. Instead he wielded satire and self-awareness. During his farewell run still months from ending he leaned into political critique while crafting new characters such as the juvenile JD Vance to amplify absurdity. His biting commentary remains steadfast, even as lawmakers like Senator Elizabeth Warren questioned whether the termination was politically motivated given the recent Trump‑Paramount settlement and its proximity to his criticism of that decision.

Public response has mirrored the bittersweet tone of Colbert’s final chapters. Fans have rallied across social media platforms, while political voices and late-night colleagues offered solidarity and outrage in equal measure. Trump, not surprisingly, gloated over the show’s cancellation and Colbert responded with a defiant, and profane, personal salvo.

In navigating the end with comedic grace and forward-thinking boldness, Colbert channels a sharper era of late-night evolution. His call to Netflix and Amazon unpretentious yet pointed doubles as both a comedic flourish and an open invitation to pivot toward the future. It is a tactic that is at once nostalgic and savvy: a famous TV host asserting he’s not done, listing the time when he can be booked for a revival.

As the finale date nears viewers will watch with equal parts emotions and expectation for Colbert’s closing months and for the next act he’s already teasing. Whether Netflix, Amazon, or another new venture comes calling, Colbert’s combative and confident send-off has made one thing clear: he’s still got late-night in his DNA, wherever that stage may end up.