CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has gone dark—at least for the week. Less than a month into its 10th season, the network has quietly sent its flagship late-night program into reruns, with no new episodes scheduled for the week of October 6.

At first glance, the move looks routine. The Late Show often takes a short fall hiatus before Thanksgiving, giving its staff time to regroup ahead of the network’s holiday programming cycle. But this year’s break is arriving unusually early, sparking speculation about what’s happening behind the scenes at CBS as it continues to recalibrate its late-night strategy.

An Early Hiatus

Historically, The Late Show schedules a one-week October pause closer to mid- or late-month. In 2024, for instance, the break didn’t come until October 16 — and even then, Colbert filmed a special “At Home” episode to kick off the week before reruns began.

This time, no such bonus episode is on the slate. Instead, CBS will air a lineup of encore broadcasts featuring high-profile guests from September, including California Governor Gavin Newsom, Scarlett Johansson, and Conan O’Brien.

The reruns begin Monday, October 6, and will run through Friday, October 10. With the following Monday (October 13) falling on a holiday, the earliest possible return for new episodes would be Tuesday, October 14. For now, however, CBS has yet to confirm when fresh installments will resume.

What’s Behind the Pause?

On paper, a short break early in the season isn’t unusual for late-night television. Writers, producers, and crews often need time to retool after the premiere rush. But this year, The Late Show’s hiatus comes amid heightened attention to CBS’s handling of its most-watched talk show — and in the shadow of a major transition looming next year.

In May 2026, The Late Show is slated to end its run as part of a network-wide restructuring following Paramount’s merger with Skydance. While Colbert is expected to remain under contract through the end of this season, CBS executives have been tight-lipped about what form the network’s late-night programming will take afterward.

That uncertainty colors every programming decision, even a brief one like this.

Colbert’s Position in a Changing Landscape

Stephen Colbert’s Late Show has been CBS’s crown jewel since 2016, when it overtook Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show in total viewers thanks to Colbert’s pointed, politically charged monologues. But the tone of late-night has shifted again in recent years.

Audiences have fractured between cable, streaming, and social media, leaving traditional late-night shows competing for smaller and more specialized audiences. While Colbert remains the most-watched host in the 11:35 p.m. slot, his viewership has stabilized below pandemic highs.

At the same time, political fatigue has set in among some viewers, while others view The Late Show’s liberal-leaning commentary as essential counterprogramming in an era of rising censorship and political tension. Colbert himself has leaned into that role, defending fellow hosts like Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Meyers when their politically charged material drew criticism from Washington.

Why Fans Noticed

Part of the reason this particular hiatus drew attention is that The Late Show has been a cultural bellwether during turbulent political moments. Its absence — even for a week — feels louder in a news cycle dominated by unpredictable headlines.

This season’s opening weeks have already included major political guests like Gavin Newsom and Senator Mark Kelly, plus star-powered appearances from Scarlett Johansson and Succession’s Jeremy Strong. Colbert’s monologues have tackled everything from congressional gridlock to the fallout from Jimmy Kimmel’s recent suspension at ABC.

In that context, a sudden week of reruns lands differently. It’s not just another vacation; it’s a temporary silencing of one of the most visible voices in political satire.

Inside the Week of Reruns

CBS’s rerun lineup this week features some of The Late Show’s highest-profile moments from late September:

Monday, Oct. 6: Governor Gavin Newsom and Priscilla Presley (original air date: Sept. 23, 2025)
Tuesday, Oct. 7: CNN anchor Jake Tapper and New Yorker editor David Remnick (Sept. 18, 2025)
Wednesday, Oct. 8: Scarlett Johansson and Senator Mark Kelly (Sept. 22, 2025)
Thursday, Oct. 9: Conan O’Brien and a performance by the Broadway cast of Ragtime (Sept. 29, 2025)
Friday, Oct. 10: Jeremy Strong and Elsbeth star Carrie Preston (Sept. 25, 2025)

The reruns effectively give CBS a “best of” highlight reel from Colbert’s recent run of shows — a lineup that underscores how heavily The Late Show still leans on a mix of A-list talent and sharp political conversation.

CBS’s Broader Late-Night Strategy

While The Late Show rests, CBS’s late-night future remains in flux. The network has yet to announce what will replace Colbert’s show next year. Executives have reportedly discussed experimenting with a hybrid of talk, sketch, and variety formats aimed at younger viewers — perhaps similar to NBC’s approach with Late Night or Fox’s comedic panel programs.

For now, though, the network continues to position Colbert as a cornerstone. His production company, Spartina Industries, still supplies content to CBS, and Colbert remains one of television’s most influential political voices.

Insiders say the rerun week likely reflects a standard scheduling adjustment rather than a strategic shift. Still, with CBS releasing late-night schedules on a week-to-week basis, even temporary absences can fuel speculation about what’s next.

How Colbert’s Absence Ripples Across Late Night

With The Late Show off the air, the rest of late night continues as usual. New episodes of Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and Late Night with Seth Meyers are airing as scheduled this week, leaving Colbert as the lone network host on pause.

That means Fallon and Kimmel effectively split Colbert’s usual audience share for the week — a small but notable shift in the competitive late-night landscape. Historically, weeks without The Late Show see modest upticks for its rivals, though those gains tend to evaporate once Colbert returns.

In the streaming era, however, consistent output matters more than ever. Shows that pause too often risk losing momentum among viewers accustomed to daily digital clips and fresh viral material.

The Bigger Picture: A Genre in Transition

Colbert’s brief break also highlights how fragile late-night television has become as an institution. NBC and ABC have both faced their own challenges recently — from Fallon’s “safe” brand of comedy being labeled out of touch to Kimmel’s suspension following his controversial monologue about Charlie Kirk. Meanwhile, Saturday Night Live has been grappling with internal staffing changes and a shifting cultural role in the age of instant internet satire.

In that sense, The Late Show’s week off feels symbolic: a pause not just for one program but for the format itself, which is struggling to define its place in a post-network world.

What Happens Next

If past precedent holds, The Late Show will return with new episodes on Tuesday, October 14 — though CBS has yet to make it official. That return will likely bring renewed attention to Colbert’s handling of the political moment and to the countdown clock ticking toward his 2026 exit.

When it does come back, expect Colbert to address the hiatus with his trademark mix of candor and humor. He’s made a habit of turning even short breaks into running jokes about CBS’s scheduling or his own caffeine dependency.

But the larger narrative will remain: The Late Show is winding down, and every interruption — however minor — feels like another reminder of that approaching finale.

Closing Thoughts

A week of reruns may seem inconsequential in the grand scheme of network programming, but in the hyper-analyzed world of late-night television, nothing happens in a vacuum.

Colbert’s early-season break may well be just that — a breather for a show still firing on all cylinders. Yet with The Late Show entering its final chapters and CBS plotting its post-Colbert era, even a temporary silence carries weight.

For now, fans will have to make do with reruns and best-of segments. And if recent history is any guide, the next time Colbert steps back behind the desk, he’ll have plenty to say about why even the smallest pauses can speak volumes.