The writers behind Stephen Colbert’s canceled Late Show are not letting CBS off the hook for leaving them without promotion for awards consideration following the show’s last season.
Late Show writer Felipe Torres Medina uploaded the writing team’s “DIY” Emmy campaign ad on Instagram on Monday. “CBS is not doing a For Your Consideration campaign for us, so, ‘for strictly financial reasons,’ the @colbertlateshow writers made our own #FYC campaign.”
CBS’s parent company, Paramount, notably stated that the late-night show was canceled for “purely financial” reasons and not because its host said the company “bribed” the president with its $16.5 million payout to settle his 60 Minutes lawsuit, which had occurred just days before the show’s cancellation was announced. The Late Show aired its last episode on May 21.
The 80s-sitcom-inspired Emmy consideration bid from the show’s writers opens with the title card, “From the writers who brought you The Late Show with Stephen Colbert this summer comes… ‘We’d Love an Emmy.’”
It features each of them—Ariel Dumas, Gabe Gronli, Delmonte Bent, Steve Waltien, Caroline Lazar, Tom Purcell, Torres Medina, Michael Brumm, Matt Lappin, Aaron Nemo, Aaron Cohen, Paul Dinello, Pratima Mani, Opus Moreschi, Brian Stack, Kate Sidley, Asher Perlman, Carley Moseley, Jay Katsir, Eliana Kwartler, John Thibodeaux, Michael Cruz Kayne, and Barry Julien—in a comedic title sequence parody, and ends with a vintage shot of Colbert.
For Colbert’s old-school shot, text on the screen reads, “Introducing Stephen T. Colbert as ‘Da Boss.’”
The move comes after Paramount announced last July that The Late Show would end when Colbert’s contract was up the following May. Colbert remained gracious to the network despite the dubious timing, but later admitted that “something changed” between him and Paramount, as he was asked to sign a longer contract just a few years before his show was canceled.
Critics believe that “something” was Paramount’s merger with Trump-friendly company Skydance, which required his administration’s approval.
CBS has faced blowback from celebrities and fans over its decision to end the show. That outcry seemed to help the series’ Emmy chances last year, when it won Outstanding Talk Series. The award category had previously been dominated by The Daily Show and Last Week Tonight.
After gobbling up Paramount—a deal that also included the acquisition of CBS News—Skydance set its sights on Warner Bros. Discovery. With the help of Trump’s DOJ, that deal will also bring MAGA billionaire David Ellison control of CNN.
