As Stephen Colbert’s Late Show prepares to bid farewell, Seth Meyers is getting emotional. The longtime late-night host called the show’s ending a “sad week” for television in the country. Meyers also shared his take on why losing a major network time slot matters for future comedians hoping to break into late-night TV.
Seth Meyers says Stephen Colbert’s Late Show end is ‘sad for television’
Seth Meyers opened up about the end of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert during an interview with Deadline ahead of Colbert’s final broadcast. Meyers admitted he was “heartbroken” over the situation and said it marks a rough moment for American television.
“It’s very sad to lose a colleague and even sadder to lose a time slot,” Meyers said. He explained that if another young comedian had taken over the slot, it would have at least created a new opportunity in the industry. Instead, CBS is moving in a different direction entirely. Meyers claims it’s a “very sad week for television in America.”
CBS will reportedly replace the 11.35 p.m. slot with Comics Unleashed, hosted by Byron Allen through a time-buy arrangement. That decision sparked debate online because The Late Show had remained one of the biggest names in network late-night television for years. Colbert, however, is not stepping away from Hollywood completely.
Reports earlier this year confirmed he is attached to co-write the next The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past movie. Meyers said he believes Colbert’s next chapter could be exciting both creatively and professionally. “I think he’s been slow-playing this as what his next step was going to be for years,” Meyers added.
Meyers made the comments while attending the Madrid premiere of Rafa, a Netflix documentary about tennis legend Rafael Nadal. The four-part series was directed by Zach Heinzerling, who is Meyers’ brother-in-law. Meyers praised the documentary and joked about avoiding Emmy competition with his family member. “I would turn my back on him immediately if we were competing for the same Emmy,” he said with a laugh.
Originally reported by Rishabh Shandilya on Mandatory.
