r/stephencolbert

After The Late Show, we coudln't deal with not having SC to make us smile every day, so decided to pull out the entire archive of TCB and start from ep 1...

It is incredibly scarey and fascinating to be watching this show and quite regularly being amazed because I can't really tell that it's 2005/2006, not 2025/2026. So little has changed. There are so many instances I want to clip and share, (especially from The Word), because the only way you can tell it's 2006 is he's saying "Iraq" instead of "Iran".

The issues, concerns, chaos - it's all the same, just not as out of control. You can really see the foundation of the MAGA movement even back then starting to raise it's head.

It is like watching an incredible interactive documentary about the fall of democracy in the USA.

Now there's about 160 episodes per year...I'm currently up to episode Ep 26 of Season 2 (2006)....so only ~1,400 episodes to go

All the other late night shows are still going and they have lower ratings. I think it was kind of a secret part of a Paramount deal that they closed down Colbert

keith Carne (drummer for we are scientists) shared a great story about playing on the late show with David Letterman.

he said he used to watch letterman obsessively and it was always a dream come true. Letterman even sent a car to pick him up for soundcheck at 4am, the car showed up around 3am. Keith joked “it was mega earlier.”

at the time he was on a brutal tour, subletting his own bedroom in brooklyn and sleeping on friends’ couches. still, getting to play letterman was a huge highlight.

he also mentioned hoping Letterman would ask the classic “are these your drums or rentals?” question

Like many of you, I’m still furious about the corporate moves that led to last month's final curtain call for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Between CBS blocking segments and the newly finalized Paramount-Skydance takeover, it’s clear the new Ellison-led management did not value Stephen’s voice.

While a lot of fans are already canceling Paramount+ to protest the finale, a true boycott requires looking a bit deeper. Because David and Larry Ellison's Skydance Media acts as a massive content supplier across the entire industry, our subscription dollars might be quietly flowing right back to the people who took The Late Show away from us.

To help fans navigate the consolidated streaming landscape, here is the full breakdown of how to keep your distance from the Ellison empire.

🔴 Avoid Completely (Directly Controlled by Paramount Skydance) Following the original merger and the newly approved June 2026 acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, the Ellison family now fully controls both legacy empires.

• Paramount+: The flagship streamer that pulled the plug on our late-night lineup.
• Max (formerly HBO Max): Now a core asset under the newly combined corporate umbrella.
• Discovery+: Included under the same newly merged management.
• SkyShowtime: The European joint venture carrying their combined catalog.

🟡 Use with Caution (Major "Customers" of Skydance) The Ellisons' production arm operates as a massive content supplier. While they don't own these platforms, subscribing directly funds their production deals. You can choose to skip these specific high-profile projects to avoid logging viewing metrics that justify their multi-million dollar contracts:

• Apple TV+: Massive multi-year development deal. Avoid: Foundation, The Big Door Prize, The Family Plan, and Luck.
• Netflix: Main home for Skydance Animation. Avoid: The Old Guard, The Adam Project, FUBAR, and Spellbound.
• Amazon Prime Video: Home to massive Skydance action hits. Avoid: Reacher, Jack Ryan, Cross, and The Terminal List.

🟢 Independent Alternatives (Safest Bets)

• Disney Bundle (Disney+ / Hulu): Direct major competitor to the Paramount/Warner giant; rarely licenses Skydance properties.
• Criterion Channel / MUBI: Excellent platforms for independent, classic, and international cinema completely separate from mainstream studio consolidation wars.

These episodes ⬇️

Law & Order: Criminal Intent, s3 e16

The Mindy Project, s3 e19

Elsbeth, s3 e1

Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee, s6 e6

I’ve been wanting to see these episodes with him in them, but I couldn’t afford my own Paramount+ subscription, and after what they did to him I don’t want to subscribe to them, so if anyone has these episodes downloaded and are willing to share, I would really appreciate it, thanks 😊

And any Strangers With Candy episodes would be great also 👍

I was wondering if anybody had any copies of some episodes of different tv shows with Colbert in them they’d be willing to share?

Law & Order: Criminal Intent, s3 e16

The Mindy Project, s3 e19

Elsbeth, s3 e1

I’ve been wanting to see these episodes with him in them, but I couldn’t afford my own Paramount+ subscription, and after what they did to him I don’t want to subscribe to them, so if anyone has these episodes downloaded and are willing to share, I would really appreciate it, thanks 😊

And any Strangers With Candy episodes would be great also 👍