The late-night television realm isn't about to shed Stephen Colbert so effortlessly. Following the bombshell revelation that CBS had axed the comedian's long-standing late-night talk show, "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert," The Hollywood Reporter scooped on Sunday that Colbert had secured another hosting stint on a different CBS program. Colbert is poised to make a splashy guest appearance in an upcoming Season 3 episode of the crime comedy "Elsbeth," set to premiere on October 12. According to Vulture, Colbert will embody the host of a fictional late-night talk show titled "Way Late with Scotty Bristol."
Starring Carrie Preston, Wendell Pierce, and Carra Patterson, "Elsbeth" unfolds as a weekly murder mystery centered around the astute yet unconventional attorney Elsbeth Tascioni (Preston). Leveraging her unique perspective, she makes insightful observations and outsmarts ingenious criminals alongside the NYPD.
Filmed this week, Colbert's episode has been in the works for months. During Pierce's February visit to "The Late Show," Colbert playfully inquired if the actor could assist him in landing a role on "Elsbeth," joking that he aspired "to be a corpse on one of these shows." Pierce enthusiastically replied, "I can make that happen. I know a guy who knows a guy. We can get you on."
Colbert joins an illustrious list of stars who have graced "Elsbeth," including Nathan Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Laura Benanti, Matthew Broderick, and Retta, among others.
Last month, CBS cited a "financial decision" amidst the dwindling linear TV landscape for canceling "The Late Show," which is scheduled to conclude at the end of the 2025-26 season. However, the cancellation announcement came on the heels of Colbert's criticism of Paramount Global, CBS's parent company, for agreeing to a $16 million settlement in a lawsuit filed by former President Donald Trump over a "60 Minutes" interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. The network stressed in a statement that this controversy was not a factor in the decision to terminate the show.
Sources previously disclosed to THR that Paramount perceived the lawsuit as a potential threat to the Paramount-Skydance merger, which was pending FCC approval under the Trump administration. After more than a year, the federal agency greenlit the deal at the end of July.
