Industry titan Lorne Michaels, the man behind Saturday Night Live, is now weighing in on Colbert’s shocking exit, offering rare insight into the shifting media landscape and the uncertain fate of late-night’s most iconic programs.

Comedy titan Lorne Michaels, the co-creator and long-running executive producer of Saturday Night Live, has finally weighed in on one of the most dramatic shake-ups in modern television: the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

In a recent interview with Puck News, the 80-year-old producer described his reaction to CBS parent company Paramount’s decision to pull the plug on the franchise as nothing short of disbelief.

“I was just stunned,” Michaels admitted, echoing the sentiment of many in the entertainment industry who never imagined that one of the flagship programs of American late-night television could be abruptly cut short.

For nearly a decade, Stephen Colbert had steered The Late Show, blending sharp political satire with playful banter, often taking direct aim at former President Donald Trump and his allies.

But despite his cultural impact and dominance in certain ratings demographics, Colbert’s program is now set to end in 2026, a development that has ignited fierce debate about the state of late-night television and its survival in an evolving media world.

Michaels, who has witnessed and shaped decades of comedy history from the early years of Chevy Chase and Gilda Radner on SNL to contemporary stars like Kate McKinnon and Pete Davidson, drew a sharp line between today’s fragmented audiences.

“There’s two audiences now,” he explained.

“There’s the audience that is watching on TikTok and YouTube, and there’s a linear audience.” He described Colbert, along with Late Night host Seth Meyers, as “heirs to David Letterman,” placing them in the lineage of hosts who cultivated the expectation of live nightly viewing.

Michaels argued that, much like SNL in its heyday, those shows created a cultural moment that demanded to be seen that night.

But in 2025, the dynamics of television consumption have changed radically. On NBC, Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show has adapted by leaning heavily into short, viral clips, sketches, and musical impressions designed to be consumed throughout the day on digital platforms.

“Fallon’s show is more clip-friendly,” Michaels observed, positioning it as the model for the medium’s potential survival in the age of scrolling. That adaptability, he suggested, is crucial to weathering the decline of traditional late-night viewing.

The cancellation of Colbert’s show has not only sparked discussion about ratings and digital strategy but also ignited speculation about whether politics played a role.

Colbert was one of the most prominent and consistent critics of Donald Trump during his presidency, often delivering monologues that went viral for their biting satire.

Some industry observers have noted that Paramount was awaiting federal approval for a major merger at the time, raising questions about whether executives feared rocking the boat politically.

Michaels, however, declined to take a definitive stance on the matter. “I don’t think any of us are going to ever know that,” he said when asked about possible political interference.

Still, his comments underscored the precarious balance that entertainment companies must strike when politics, business, and broadcasting collide.

He also addressed concerns about NBC’s own late-night lineup, which includes both Fallon and Seth Meyers, whom Michaels personally mentors. Asked if he believed they were at risk of cancellation, Michaels was firm.

“Yes. I think Brian Roberts—who I will be working for for the rest of my life, who I have very high admiration for—has integrity,” he said, referring to Comcast’s CEO. “At the same time, everyone has broadcast licenses … but I really don’t believe that we affect things.”

Still, his words carried an unspoken acknowledgment that corporate stability and the whims of audiences are never guaranteed in the volatile world of late-night.

While he expressed confidence in Fallon and Meyers’ future, the shadow of Colbert’s cancellation looms large over the genre.

Politics, inevitably, was never far from the conversation. When asked about whether a late-night host could genuinely influence public opinion against Trump, Michaels was skeptical.

“With this president, whatever crimes Trump is committing, he’s doing it in broad daylight,” he said. “There is absolutely nothing that the people who vote for him—or me—don’t know.”

The remark highlighted a paradox long debated by cultural critics: late-night hosts may generate millions of laughs and social media clips, but their political sway is far less certain than the attention they command.

“He is a really powerful media figure,” Michaels added, speaking about Trump. “He knows how to hold an audience. That’s a very powerful thing, and I think it was always underestimated. His politics are obviously not my politics, but denouncing him doesn’t work.”

Colbert himself has remained outspoken in the weeks since CBS confirmed the end date of his show, vowing to continue delivering his brand of sharp political comedy until the very last broadcast.

His departure will mark the end of an era not only for CBS but for the broader landscape of late-night TV, which has historically served as a cultural touchstone for American audiences navigating the day’s events with humor.

From Johnny Carson to David Letterman, late-night has long been a reflection of the national mood—but in an age of splintered viewership, TikTok trends, and streaming platforms, its relevance is increasingly under threat.

Meanwhile, other figures in the late-night world have voiced outrage. ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel publicly criticized CBS for pulling the plug on Colbert, calling the decision shortsighted and damaging to the comedy ecosystem.

Jon Stewart, whose return to The Daily Show has been met with both nostalgia and scrutiny, recently questioned whether his own platform could survive another decade.

These reactions reflect the uncertainty that even established comedians now feel in a business once considered one of the most secure gigs in entertainment.

For Michaels, the turmoil is a reminder of the cyclical nature of television, where formats rise and fall, but adaptability is everything.

Having kept SNL on the air for nearly fifty years, through cultural shifts, political upheavals, and countless controversies, he is perhaps uniquely positioned to assess what lies ahead.

Whether late-night will continue in its current form, morph into something new, or slowly fade into nostalgia remains to be seen. But if Colbert’s cancellation signals anything, it is that no show—no matter how iconic—is untouchable.

And as Michaels himself admitted, perhaps the most striking aspect of the entire saga was its suddenness. “I was just stunned,” he repeated, a confession that echoed across the industry.

For viewers who grew up staying awake to laugh at monologues, sketches, and musical guests, that sense of shock is now paired with a haunting question: is late-night comedy itself on the verge of extinction?