Posted in: ABC, CBS, HBO, NBC, TV | Tagged: colbert, The Late Show

Colbert Gets All-Star Support, Jabs Paramount Over $16M Trump Deal

The Late Show's Stephen Colbert took another shot at the $16M Paramount/Trump settlement and got a lot of love from some familiar faces.

Between The Late Show with Stephen Colbert host Stephen Colbert telling Donald Trump to "Go F**k Yourself" and The Daily Show host Jon Stewart telling Trump to "Go F**k Yourself" with a backing choir, Monday late-night sure sounded like a rallying cry of the resistance in the aftermath of CBS canceling The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and the question marks surrounding the network's decision. But Colbert and Stewart weren't the only famous faces making their feelings known last night, with Colbert wanting to offer his audience and the viewers at home a little something to smile about.

"Some people see this show going away as a sign of something truly dire, and while I am a big fan of me, I don't necessarily agree with that statement because we here at 'The Late Show' never saw our job as changing anything other than how you felt at the end of the day, which I think is a worthy goal. Or rather, changing how you felt the next morning when you watched on your phone, which is why broadcast TV is dying. You're part of the problem. Look in the mirror, OK?" Colbert offered. "Point is, I don't want this show to be associated with making you sad or anxious, but since I'm the guy who's going away next year, I'm thinking maybe I'm not the guy to cheer you up. So I thought music, OK, that makes people happy, right?"

What followed was an all-star musical treat, kicking off with Lin-Manuel Miranda and "Weird Al" Yankovic singing Coldplay's "Viva la Vida" as the camera panned the audience for "The Late Show's" own take on the recent kiss cam controversy at one of the band's concerts. That's when viewers were treated to a lineup that included Stewart, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, John Oliver, Andy Cohen, Anderson Cooper, Adam Sandler, Christopher McDonald, and others. You can catch the entire performance in the video above – and make sure not to miss the knife-twist they get in at Paramount and Trump.

Colbert also made a point of mentioning the weekend report from "sources" that the late-night show had proven way too costly to keep going despite its ratings and advertiser-attractive demos. "Over the weekend, somebody at CBS followed up their gracious press release with a gracious anonymous leak saying they pulled the plug on our show because of losses pegged between $40 million and $50 million a year," Colber shared. "Forty million is a big number. I could see us losing $24 million, but where would Paramount have possibly spent the other $16 million? Oh yeah," he added.

The news of the late-night show's end and Colbert's departure came at the end of a week that saw Colbert call out parent company Paramount Global over its settlement with Trump over a lawsuit that Trump filed over a 60 Minutes interview, referring to it as a "big fat bribe" during his first show back from break. Colbert's "bribe" comment hits on the feeling that many have in the entertainment and news industries that the $16 million settlement was nothing more than a way to make the ongoing merger process much smoother. "I am offended," Colbert shared with the audience and viewers on Monday night during his opener. "I don't know if anything — anything — will repair my trust in this company. But, just taking a stab at it, I'd say $16 million would help."

CBS Entertainment released the following statement from George Cheeks, Co-CEO Paramount Global and President and Chief Executive Officer, CBS, Amy Reisenbach, President, CBS Entertainment, and David Stapf, President, CBS Studios, offering their side of the decision. "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert will end its historic run in May 2026 at the end of the broadcast season. We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire 'The Late Show' franchise at that time. We are proud that Stephen called CBS home. He and the broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late-night television. This is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late-night. It is not related in any way to the show's performance, content, or other matters happening at Paramount," the statement read.

The statement continues, "Our admiration, affection, and respect for the talents of Stephen Colbert and his incredible team made this agonizing decision even more difficult. Stephen has taken CBS late night by storm with cutting-edge comedy, a must-watch monologue, and interviews with leaders in entertainment, politics, news, and newsmakers across all areas. The show has been #1 in late night for nine straight seasons; Stephen's comedy resonates daily across digital and social media; and the broadcast is a staple of the nation's zeitgeist

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!