Stephen Colbert Update (Sept. 2026): He Returns to Late Night Tuesday, Sept. 15, as Jimmy Kimmel's Guest
Sixteen months of Stephen Colbert news, in the order it happened:
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| July 2025 | CBS says The Late Show will end in May 2026, retiring the franchise rather than replacing the host |
| March 2026 | Peter Jackson and Colbert announce Colbert is co-writing a new Lord of the Rings film |
| May 21, 2026 | Series finale airs on CBS — 11 seasons for Colbert, 33 years for the Late Show name |
| Sept. 5–6, 2026 | Creative Arts Emmys: the cancelled show wins five |
| Mon., Sept. 14, 2026 | 78th Emmy Awards on NBC — The Late Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live! both up for Outstanding Variety Series |
| Tue., Sept. 15, 2026 | Colbert returns to late night as Kimmel's guest on ABC |
That last row is the one people are searching for. Colbert has not hosted anything since May, and Tuesday puts him back on a late-night set for the first time — in the other chair.
When is Stephen Colbert on Jimmy Kimmel Live?
Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026. Kimmel announced the booking at the end of Thursday's show, pointed at his desk and said, Maybe I'll let him sit here, I don't know.
Air times are the usual ABC late-night slot, and the episode lands on Hulu the following morning.
| Zone | Time | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern | 11:35 p.m. Tue. | ABC |
| Central | 10:35 p.m. Tue. | ABC |
| Mountain | 11:35 p.m. Tue. | ABC |
| Pacific | 11:35 p.m. Tue. | ABC |
| Next day | Wed. morning | Hulu |
LateNighter, which reported the booking first, counts it as Colbert's sixth visit to Kimmel's show, after stops in 2004, 2010, 2012, 2017 and 2025. We keep the rest of that night's board on this week's lineup page, and the running nightly rundowns sit under late night.
What is Stephen Colbert doing now?
Writing, mostly. In March he and Peter Jackson said Colbert is co-writing a new Lord of the Rings film, tentatively called The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past, with Rings veteran Philippa Boyens and Colbert's son.
Jackson later told Variety that Colbert pitched the idea before CBS cancelled the show, and that the two had already spent about a year on it. So the project is not a landing spot he scrambled for in May — it predates the news.
Reporting from Sept. 10 says he is weighing new offers on the television side. Nothing there is signed, announced or dated, and we are not going to pretend otherwise.
Why does the Emmy timing matter?
Because the two men trade places in 24 hours. On Monday they are rivals; on Tuesday one is the other's guest.
The Television Academy merged the talk and scripted-variety races this year, so a single Outstanding Variety Series category now holds The Daily Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Saturday Night Live. One trophy, five shows, two of them hosted by men who have been openly campaigning for each other.
The 78th Emmy Awards air Monday, Sept. 14 on NBC from Los Angeles, with Mariska Hargitay hosting. Our sister site has the red carpet start time and stream if you are watching the arrivals.
The head start already went to Colbert. At the Creative Arts ceremonies on Sept. 5 and 6, the finished show won five awards — a strange sentence to write about a series that has been off the air since May.
Is Stephen Colbert getting another talk show?
No announcement, no network, no date. CBS did not hand The Late Show to a new host; it retired the title and rebuilt the hour with different programming, which is why there is no obvious slot waiting for him.
Streaming and podcasting are the routes people keep floating, and neither has produced a signed deal that anyone has confirmed. We update this page on Wednesday, Sept. 16, with whatever he says in that chair, and again whenever a deal is actually announced.
What is on in that hour instead?
The 11:35 p.m. hour now runs Kimmel on ABC and Fallon on NBC, with The Daily Show at 11 on Comedy Central and Seth Meyers back from hiatus on Sept. 21. The current grid, channel by channel and zone by zone, lives in our 2026 late-night schedule.
Two habits worth knowing if you are new to the hour. Weeknight hosts only tape Monday through Thursday now, so Fridays are reruns, and every one of these shows streams the next day, which is the cheapest way to keep up without a cable box.
Quick questions
Did Stephen Colbert quit? No. CBS ended the show; he finished the run.
What was the last episode? May 21, 2026, with Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen and Jon Batiste among the sendoff.
Can I still stream old episodes? Clips stay up on the show's YouTube channel, which is where the finale video above comes from.
Will he host the Emmys? No — Mariska Hargitay has that job on Monday.
Thursday's daytime board is here, and everything evergreen we have written is filed under guide.
Sources · Listings data via TVmaze · LateNighter — Colbert's first post-Late Show appearance · TV Insider — Colbert returning as Kimmel guest · 78th Primetime Emmy Awards — date, host, nominees, Creative Arts wins · Variety — Jackson on when Colbert pitched the film · CBC — Colbert co-writing with his son