When will The Late Show with Stephen Colbert return with new episodes?

Updated: Oct. 2, 2023 – Stephen Colbert is one of the most popular late night talk show hosts, and definitely for good reason! I can tell you for a fact that his series is one I like to tune in to every night on weekdays. And while the show has been dark on CBS since May 2, 2023, we have some amazing news! The Late Show with Stephen Colbert returns with new episodes on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023. That’s exactly five months since the writers strike began and the show stopped production.

You can tune in to see the host’s return to television starting at 11:35 p.m. ET on CBS! Episodes are also available to stream on Paramount+ the next day. Wondering who this week’s guests are in the all-new episodes? We shared the schedule provided by CBS so far below:

• Monday, Oct. 2 – Neil deGrasse Tyson, Performance by Louis Cato
• Tuesday, Oct. 3 – John Oliver, Performance by boygenius
• Wednesday, Oct. 4 – Anderson Cooper, Performance by Japanese Breakfast
• Thursday, Oct. 5 – Bob Odenkirk

Plus, Colbert is not the only late night host poised to make a comeback on Monday night. We’ve also got Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and Late Night with Seth Meyers on NBC. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver came back on Sunday, Oct. 1.

So why are all the late night show coming back? It’s because the writers guild and studios have now come to a tentative agreement. This means that picketing has stopped, and the writers are allowed to go back to work. Read on below for the details!

What Stephen Colbert did during the writers strike

Since the Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike starting May 2, 2023, that’s the day Colbert’s late night talk show also began airing reruns. And we’ve had reruns ever since. But Monday evening, that’s going to change! That’s because the guild and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), who represents the big studios and streamers, were able to come to a tentative agreement following the writers’ contracts expiring back in May.

The new agreement, which guild members will officially vote on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023 according to Deadline, sees a pay increase for writers as well as established regulations when it comes to the use of AI in productions, per the WGA. So while studios and writers can now get back to work, things on both sides have not been 100% resolved just yet. That will hopefully happen on Tuesday.

Amid the strikes, Colbert, as well as four fellow late-night talk show hosts, decided to create a podcast to support the writers as they were currently not working or being paid during the strike, per Entertainment Tonight. The Strike Force Five podcast is run by Colbert,  Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver. It premiered Aug. 30 on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and its run is 12 weeks.

The actors strike has not been resolved yet and is currently ongoing. However according to Deadline, the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and AMPTP began negotiations on Oct. 2 for the first time since the group went on strike on July 14, 2023.

More of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is coming!

While James Corden decided to end his run on his late night talk show this year, Colbert has done the opposite! The host signed on for three more years with CBS, per The Hollywood Reporter. That means we get more of the television personality through 2026!

This is no surprise as for the past four seasons, the show has been the top late-night program in the U.S. Colbert has hosted the news and political satire show since September 2015. That’s when he took over for long-time host David Letterman after he decided to exit after more than 30 years. We’re definitely excited to have Colbert, who’s become a staple on our screens, continue hosting the show for the foreseeable future!

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert returns with new episodes Monday, Oct. 2, 2023 on CBS.