CBS Cancels Colbert (And That's Not All)

Colbert was clearly blindsided by the abrupt announcement last week that Late Show will end in May of next year. It's fair to say most of us were similarly stunned. Remember back in May 1991 when Johnny Carson shocked NBC by announcing during its Upfront presentation that he was going to retire in May 1992? A year of very fond farewells followed. This is kind of like that. Except it is not. The farewells will be heartfelt, but the suppressed anger and worry will be palpable.

Given Colbert's giddy predilection for trashing Trump, one can't help but wonder if the president had anything to do with this. Everyone has an opinion on that. But know this: If Colbert was harsh before, he is now loaded for bear, going so far last night as to (jokingly) tell him, "Go f*ck yourself." Indeed, if last night's monologue was any indication, Trump might want to order a few cartons of Tums. CBS and Paramount executives might want to lay in a supply, as well. Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Anderson Cooper, Andy Cohen, Jon Stewart and John Oliver all turned out during last night's telecast to show their support. I expect all of them, along with Jimmy Kimmel and David Letterman, to stop by in the year ahead for what promise to be memorable "final" interviews.

I share the concerns of many. Not because I am a devoted fan of Colbert's. (I am not.) Not because I want the current state of late-night broadcast television to remain the same. (I do not. It has been clear for quite some time that something must change.) Not because I recall with some nostalgia the excitement surrounding his ascension to the throne in New York City's fabled Ed Sullivan Theater. (What's to become of that legendary venue when Colbert and Co. depart? "This beautiful theater will live on as Ed Sullivan Self-Storage," Colbert predicted last night.)

Rather, my feelings have more to do with the elimination of the Late Show itself. As we all know, Colbert isn't being replaced. CBS' powerful parent Paramount is dismantling the whole damn thing. First a blow to the venerable 60 Minutes, and now this?

What will occupy the Late Show time period? Will it go the way of the hour after it that once was home to the much-missed Late Late Show with James Corden (and, more recently, the barely there After Midnight)? Surely CBS can do something interesting with it. Something that entertains viewers, provides a promotional platform for Paramount product and clips well for YouTube and various social media.

Maybe a present or future person in power at Paramount will figure this out and make a change. If not, and for now, I am comfortable declaring that I haven't seen so alarming a broadcast botch since ABC cancelled its long-running soap operas All My Children and One Life to Live in one swoop. And, before that, CBS terminating historic multi-media treasure Guiding Light (which began as a radio drama in 1937 before transitioning to television in 1952) and the once-iconic As the World Turns -- a household brand and cultural touchstone the likes of which simply do not come along anymore.

Commanding primetime variety shows (such as The Ed Sullivan Show) don't come along anymore, either. (Are you seeing a pattern here?)

In other words, the cancellation of Late Show, for whatever reason (nefarious or otherwise), could turn out to be yet another short-sighted corporate assault on broadcast television. It isn't dying a natural death. It's being butchered, piece by piece.

At a time when daily media headlines continue to excitedly call attention to the perpetual collective decline in broadcast ratings, it seems counterproductive for the broadcasters themselves to eliminate the very things (variety shows, soap operas, late-night talk shows) that once distinguished them from their crafty competitors. Cable has a couple of talk shows of note, including HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, Fox News Channel's Gutfeld! and Bravo's Watch What Happens Live! (What's with the exclamation points?) One streamer, Peacock, has a daily soap opera -- NBC cast-off Days of Our Lives -- that seems to be doing well. (It is one of Peacock's most popular offerings and, if memory serves, it just received more Daytime Emmy nominations than it has in years.)

I imagine it won't be long until a smart streamer takes a shot at a nightly talk program. I don't think John Mulaney, currently on Netflix, is going to cut it. (Love him, not his show.) But Merv Griffin, in syndication, and Larry King, on CNN, both managed to do so, enjoying significant primetime success for many years.

The fact that this blow to late night television is happening at CBS is even more disconcerting, given everything the network has recently been doing to bolster the broadcast experience and create a specific entertainment environment. Consider:

CBS has established the most creative and eye-catching cross-promotion of its programs, often during the closing credits of its shows. (This started with the delightful Carrie Preston of Elsbeth popping up all over the place but has expanded to include other CBS stars.)

CBS gave us Matlock, an uncommonly smart show for grownups that has been terrifically entertaining. It pairs well with Elsbeth on Thursday night, but each show makes for a fine binge on its own.

CBS continues to support Ghosts, which is still the most original live-action comedy series on broadcast television. (Once upon a time I would have referred to Ghosts as "un-CBS-like." Nevermore.)

CBS has refined CBS Mornings into a must-watch alternative to NBC's Today and ABC's Good Morning America. Host Gayle King, Nate Burleson and Tony Dokoupil (and the invaluable Vladimir Duthiers) now have the best group chemistry on morning television.

CBS boldly launched a new daytime drama, Beyond the Gates, that appears to be holding (and slowly building) an audience. I think the storytelling on this show could be punched up, but otherwise Gates is all good.

Last, but not least, CBS cancelled The Talk.

I have no doubt that Stephen Colbert will be just fine. A new home elsewhere in our media-saturated culture would appear to be his for the asking. I imagine also that CBS will continue to surprise me. But this fresh and seemingly unnecessary blow to broadcast television does not bode well for anyone. What next?

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