Jimmy Kimmel to Show Rerun While Stephen Colbert Wraps Up His Final Episode

In a gesture honoring his longtime friend, Jimmy Kimmel will broadcast a repeat episode on Thursday, May 21, coinciding with Stephen Colbert’s final episode as host of CBS’s late-night show.

ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! will feature new episodes from Monday through Wednesday that week. However, Kimmel’s show will not air on Thursday “out of deference to Colbert’s sendoff,” according to LateNighter.

This decision is not unprecedented for Kimmel. He also chose to air a rerun during David Letterman’s farewell broadcast on May 20, 2015, to honor a comedian he greatly admired. “I have too much respect for Dave to do anything that would distract viewers from watching his final show,” Kimmel said at that time. He took over The Late Show from Letterman and is now nearing the conclusion of his eleventh year as host.

Colbert’s tenure has been marked by numerous accolades, including multiple Emmy awards, notably for Outstanding Talk Series, as well as a Peabody Award.

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In a surprising announcement, CBS revealed in July 2025 that it would end The Late Show franchise in 2026. The network characterized this decision as “purely a financial one against a challenging backdrop in late night,” stressing that it was “not related in any way to the show’s performance, content, or other matters happening at Paramount.” The “other matters” likely refer to CBS’s parent company, Paramount’s efforts to complete a merger with David Ellison-owned Skydance.

The cancellation aligns with Colbert’s contract expiration at the end of 2026 and follows shortly after Colbert described Paramount Global’s $16 million settlement regarding Donald Trump’s lawsuit as a “big fat bribe.”