Stephen Colbert spent eleven years as one of America’s most beloved late-night hosts. When CBS canceled The Late Show in 2026, fans were devastated and immediately started asking one big question. What would Colbert do next?
Now a viral fan campaign has a bold answer to that question. Actor Ashley Rickards sparked a movement calling on Colbert to bring a new show to PBS. The idea arrived at a perfect moment as public broadcasting fights for its very survival.
The end of an era at CBS
Stephen Colbert hosted The Late Show on CBS for eleven years. CBS announced its cancellation in July 2025, calling it a purely financial decision. The show aired its final episode on May 21, 2026.
The cancellation shocked many viewers across America. CBS confirmed it would retire the Late Show franchise entirely. Colbert would not be replaced by any other host on the network.
A viral idea takes off
Actor Ashley Rickards posted a bold idea on her social media on May 24, 2026. She wrote that Colbert could save PBS with a new show. The post gained over 485,000 views within just 48 hours.
Rickards is a writer, director, and actress known for her role in the MTV show Awkward. She expanded her pitch on Instagram after the original post went viral. Fans quickly embraced the idea and began spreading it widely online.
The financial case for PBS
Rickards argued the numbers made strong sense for PBS. A stripped-down production would cost PBS around 150,000 to 200,000 dollars per episode. Even half of Colbert’s regular audience could raise up to 2.5 million dollars in one pledge drive evening.
She suggested a Sunday night time slot at 8 PM on PBS. That slot would place the show right before the popular series Masterpiece. She proposed Colbert commit to just 12 episodes per year to keep costs low.
PBS faces a serious threat
Public media is under enormous financial pressure right now in America. Congress eliminated 1.1 billion dollars in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in 2025. That decision left over 330 PBS stations scrambling for survival across the country.
Trump signed an executive order in May 2025 directing PBS and NPR to lose federal funding. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting announced it would wind down operations after the rescissions bill became law. PBS stations receive about 16 percent of their funding from federal sources.
Colbert has always defended public media
Colbert publicly defended public media during his time on The Late Show. In April 2025 he joked on air that both PBS and NPR were already running on a shoestring budget. He quipped that even Daniel Tiger could not afford to wear pants.
His support went beyond jokes on television. In November 2025, Colbert and his wife Evie McGee Colbert attended New York Public Radio’s Stand With Public Media gala. The event’s rallying cry was “You Can’t Defund the Truth.”
Why the timing makes sense
The timing of this fan campaign could not be more relevant to the moment. Public broadcasting faces its biggest threat in decades right now in America. Colbert is a newly free host who has spent a decade speaking up for it.
Rickards made exactly that point in her original pitch to Colbert. She called him a brilliant host who now has the freedom to act. She said someone had to say it publicly and she chose to be that person.
CBS called the decision financial
CBS and Paramount insisted the cancellation was purely about money. A joint statement from network executives called it a financial decision made against a tough backdrop in the late night. They said it had nothing to do with the show’s content or performance.
Critics publicly questioned that explanation. The announcement came just three days after Colbert criticized a $16 million settlement between Paramount and President Trump. The timing raised serious questions about media freedom and political pressure.
Late-night hosts rallied around Colbert
Fellow late night hosts showed Colbert strong public support after the cancellation. Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver all appeared as guests on his final weeks. Colbert joked that their gathering meant Jon Stewart was now the designated survivor.
Letterman appeared on the show and delivered an emotional farewell to CBS. He invoked legendary CBS journalist Ed Murrow in his parting words to the network. The late night community made clear it saw Colbert’s exit as a major loss for television
The Emmy win that meant everything
The Late Show won its first Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Talk Series in 2025. Colbert received a standing ovation when he appeared at the ceremony that September. He told the audience that he had never loved his country more desperately.
He brought his headshot and resume to the Emmy stage as a running joke about being unemployed. The crowd chanted his name after The Late Show won. That moment showed just how much goodwill Colbert had built over a decade in late-night.
What comes next for Colbert
Colbert has not publicly responded to the PBS campaign started by Rickards. Fans are hoping the viral momentum pushes him to seriously consider the idea. The campaign has shown that his audience remains loyal and deeply engaged.
PBS needs creative solutions to survive this era of funding cuts and political pressure. A monthly show with Colbert could bring in millions of new donors. Rickards put it simply: twelve days a year and a whole lot of tote bags.
Featured Image: Photo by Montclair Film on Wikimedia Commons
