CBS’s Self‑Inflicted Late‑Night Decimation: A Tragedy in Three Acts

David Letterman stepped down in 2015 after decades of redefining late-night weirdness. CBS, instead of seeking a bold new voice, handed the slot to Stephen Colbert—betting safe on his fame from The Colbert Report. But Colbert Report Stephen died the moment Late Show Stephen was born. Gone was the parody, the edge, the satire. What replaced it was... political comfort food.