“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” won the Emmy for outstanding talk series Sunday for the first time — seven months before it goes off the air.
Stephen Colbert, receiving the accolade amidst enthusiastic applause at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater, extended his gratitude to the approximately 200 talented individuals working tirelessly behind the scenes of his late-night program, which CBS has decided to cancel.
He then pondered over the impact of “The Late Show,” mentioning that his initial intention was to create a comedy series centered on “love,” but it evolved into understanding “loss.”
“Often, it’s only when you’re on the verge of losing something that you realize how much you cherish it. … My love for my country has never been so fervent. God bless America. Stay resilient, maintain courage, and if obstacles try to hold you back, go wild and strive for greater heights,” Colbert expressed.
Back in July, CBS disclosed that “The Late Show” would conclude at the end of its ongoing season, which wraps up in May. At that moment, network officials clarified that the decision was “not connected to the show’s ratings, content, or any developments at Paramount.”
These developments involved the forthcoming business integration between Paramount, owning CBS, and Skydance. This merger needed approval from the Federal Communications Commission during President Trump’s administration.
Following the cancellation news, numerous fans of Colbert voiced their objections, suggesting that he was being punished for his extensive history of critiquing President Donald Trump.
Colbert had also mocked Paramount for agreeing to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit from Trump, who alleged that CBS’ “60 Minutes” had deceptively edited a pre-election interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
CBS denied the president’s claim.
Colbert, in his acceptance speech, did not criticize the network he has called home since 2015.
“I want to thank CBS for giving us the privilege to being part of late-night tradition, which I hope continues long after we’re no longer doing this show,” Colbert said.
The other nominees in the talk show category this year were Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” and ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
