Samantha Bee on Colbert's Cancellation: 'Shocked, Not Surprised' | Video

The Cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s “The Late Show” and the Complex Factors Behind It

Samantha Bee, a close friend of Stephen Colbert and a former colleague on “The Daily Show,” recently shared her thoughts on the cancellation of Colbert’s late-night talk show, “The Late Show.” In an interview, she described the event as “shocked, not surprised.” Her comments were made during a conversation on the “Breaking Bread With Tom Papa” podcast, where she delved into the reasons behind the decision.

Bee pointed out that while financial struggles were a significant factor in the show's cancellation, there was another layer to the story. She suggested that the parent company of CBS, Paramount Global, needed to align itself with Donald Trump to gain approval for its merger with Skydance Media. This alignment, she argued, played a role in the decision-making process.

When asked by host Tom Papa whether the cancellation was due to money or politics, Bee emphasized that both factors were at play. She noted that “The Late Show” was reportedly losing money and that such legacy shows are facing ongoing financial challenges. “These legacy shows are hemorrhaging their money with no real end to that,” she said.

Bee also highlighted how the way people consume media has changed over time. She pointed out that audiences today are more engaged with content that is not necessarily focused on current events. “People are literally on their phones all the time, for one thing. So they actually don't necessarily need a recap of the day's events,” she explained. Instead, she mentioned that many prefer watching shows like Netflix’s global hit “Squid Game,” which features intense and dramatic scenarios.

She added that the interest in politics has diminished compared to previous years. “It is also true that when the President of the United States has to give his sign off on a corporate merger, the thing you can't do is make jokes about him,” she said. Bee described Trump as someone who is overly sensitive and concerned with how he is portrayed in the media.

Bee also reflected on her own experiences while hosting “Full Frontal” on TBS. During the show’s seven-year run, she faced pressure from the business side of the network, especially given the multiple mergers that occurred during that time. “Nobody wants to cause trouble. You can't, business trumps everything,” she said. According to Bee, the values of the creators often take a backseat to the interests of the corporations. “It doesn't matter what your values are. It doesn't matter how important you think legacy media is, none of that f—ing matters,” she remarked.

She speculated that executives at Paramount Global had been having difficult discussions about how to turn around the show and make it profitable again. “The extra element of it is that it's so much easier for them to cut it loose with this merger coming down the pike,” she said. This, she argued, made the decision almost inevitable. “Probably the most agonizing decisions they were having were about, 'how do we float this? Like, how do we not get a lot of blowback?'”

Bee concluded by expressing her personal feelings about the situation. “It's awful,” she said. “I know so many people who work there. I love Stephen. I consider him to be a friend. I think he's amazing. So I'm shocked, not surprised.”