No New “Tonight Show” as Jimmy Fallon Steps Aside for Stephen Colbert’s Final “Late Show” Night

Late-night television is coming together in a rare moment of unity as Stephen Colbert prepares to air his final episode of The Late Show. According to NBC, Jimmy Fallon will not broadcast a new episode of The Tonight Show on that night. Instead, NBC will air a rerun.

The decision comes as Colbert’s long-running CBS show comes to an end on May 21, following its cancellation announcement made last year. The move has been framed across the late-night world as a sign of support, with multiple hosts adjusting their schedules so more attention can be focused on Colbert’s final broadcast.

Jimmy Kimmel is also stepping aside that night, with ABC confirming that Jimmy Kimmel Live! will not air a new episode either. The goal, according to network coordination reported by industry coverage, is to avoid splitting the audience and give Colbert’s farewell the widest possible viewership.

Earlier in the week, Fallon, Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver all appeared together on The Late Show. The reunion brought back memories of “Strike Force Five,” the podcast the group launched during the 2023 writers’ and actors’ strikes. That project raised money to support behind-the-scenes staff from their shows while production was shut down.

During the appearance, the conversation also touched on the unpredictable nature of late-night TV and audience habits. Jimmy Kimmel reflected on recent controversies and shifting viewing patterns across platforms.

“We have a lot of shows. 30,000 people watching each one, and it adds up. People watch us on YouTube now. People have a lot of different options and they keep coming to us,” Kimmel said. He also joked about streaming platforms and cancellations, adding, “When I got knocked off the air for a few days, people canceled Disney+. Why aren’t people canceling Paramount+? Because you never had it in the first place?”

With Colbert’s final episode approaching, the coordinated schedule changes from Fallon, Kimmel, and others underline how rare this kind of industry-wide moment has become in modern late-night television.

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