In a twist that might catch late-night fans off guard, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is hitting pause on new episodes for Thanksgiving week. Instead, CBS is rolling out encore episodes.
So, while Colbert and the crew take a breather, viewers will be getting a highlight reel of recent moments to hold them over.
Here’s why The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will not broadcast new episodes this week
CBS has made it official that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is cruising through Thanksgiving week on reruns instead of rolling out fresh tapings. The episodes scheduled for Monday through Friday are all repeats from the past weeks.
Monday brings back political journalist Jonathan Karl and rock legend Pete Townshend. Tuesday spotlights Demi Moore alongside documentary icon Ken Burns.
Wednesday rewinds to a chat with Emma Stone and reporter Alex Wagner. Thursday reruns an episode packed with Tom Hanks and soul powerhouse Mavis Staples. In the end, Friday replays an appearance featuring comedian Tiffany Haddish and actor Gary Cole.
This quiet week without new episodes is landing at an interesting moment. Back in July 2025, CBS revealed that The Late Show will officially wrap in May 2026. The network insisted the decision was strictly monetary, not ratings or creativity.
However, fans are still feeling the shockwave, and not everyone bought the explanation. Critics and even some big political names like Sen. Elizabeth Warren called out the timing and questioned what’s really going on behind the curtain.
They reportedly highlighted that Paramount recently settled with President Donald Trump over a 60 Minutes segment, a deal Colbert openly blasted on air and labeled a “big fat bribe.”
This led to people reading between the lines. With reruns filling the Thanksgiving slot, industry watchers think this could be one more sign that CBS is slowly shifting gears and easing into the show’s final chapter. It might even hint at a bigger shake-up in the network’s late-night plan.
