Following speculation about what would happen to Stephen Colbert’s Late Show set and high hopes from fans that it wouldn’t be tossed, CBS News has revealed its fate.
According to the outlet, Colbert will donate the set to the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago. The museum, which already houses Colbert’s desk from when he broadcast live from the city during the 2024 Democratic National Convention, has an extensive collection of late-night memorabilia, including Tonight Show desks from both Johnny Carson and Jimmy Fallon, as part of its “The Johnny Carson Centennial” and “The Evolution of Late-Night Television” exhibits.
Colbert’s Late Show placement marks a notably different end than its predecessor’s, as David Letterman’s set was largely dismantled and thrown into dumpsters following his exit. Fans scoured the trashed remains for mementos from the show’s 22-year history. His desk, one of the few artifacts that was well preserved in the aftermath, was reportedly sent to the Smithsonian.
Even beyond the museum’s reverence for late night, the choice to donate is also sentimental for the late-night host’s connection to Chicago. Colbert graduated from Northwestern University and performed at the city’s renowned improvisational comedy theater, Second City. During Colbert’s last week on the air, he revisited his Chicago roots by taking the show to his old apartment and checking in at his old haunts.
News of the set’s destination comes as Colbert put up record ratings numbers for his finale episode on Thursday, despite Donald Trump’s insistence that the host had “no ratings.” His penultimate week of shows pulled in almost as much as every other late-night host’s program combined, including the usual number one ratings spot holder, Fox News’ Gutfeld!
CBS began advertising Colbert’s vacated time slot as soon as his last show ended on Thursday.
The host said he was not given much time to clear out of the Ed Sullivan Theater, as his employees stop getting paid on Thursday, and they have to clear the building by the end of next week.
CBS’s parent company, Paramount, announced in July that The Late Show would end for “purely financial reasons,” just days after the host called its $16.5 payout to Donald Trump a “big fat bribe” on air. Critics called the move one of fealty to the president, who has long expressed his desire to have his critics removed from late-night television. Not long after the cancellation was announced, insiders claimed the show was costing Paramount $40 million a year.
Colbert allies Jimmy Kimmel and Letterman slammed the claim, with the latter calling his former bosses “lying weasels.”
Colbert noted that “something changed,” as the network had previously offered him a longer contract before its merger with Trump-friendly company Skydance, but he has focused on the bright side. “Who knows? Maybe CBS saved my life,” he told People on Tuesday, “because it takes a lot of bone marrow to do the show every day.”
“Now I’ll be stepping down with enough time and enough energy to do other things that I want to do,” he added.
