(Image credit: CBS)

The 2026 TV schedule will signify the end of an era for late-night programming, as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will wrap up its run on CBS in May after more than a decade. Many have their feelings about the series being canceled and the announced (and speculated-upon) reasons for it. Colbert himself has remained laser focused on trying to “land [the] plane,” so to speak. However, he also recently likened his show’s inevitable demise to a man approaching him with a knife or an ice cream cone, and I get it.

Considering the circumstances, I’d say it’s natural to wonder how Colbert is feeling about the conclusion of his show, which he also confirmed on air this past July. The Emmy winner has been fielding questions about his feelings on the cancellation and what he might do next. Colbert recently spoke with GQ for a lengthy conversation, during which he was very introspective. When asked if his remaining months on air feel like a long or short period of time, Colbert shared the following thought:

The end has a discernible shape, but it still seems like a long way away.

In other words, the former Colbert Report host is aware that “the end” is perceivable in a very specific way. However, the end of Colbert’s late-night run is still a little ways off for him and his team. Still, in terms of what the end looks like, Colbert described it with an image that, upon first hearing about it, sounds very odd:

The image I have is a man walking toward me in the dusk and he’s got something in his hand, and I don’t know whether it’s a knife or an ice cream cone, but he’s asking me if I’d like a lick.

As surreal as this all sounds, it’s actually understandable, if you ask me. Not to get too philosophical here, but sometimes there’s a level of uncertainty that lies at the end of a journey. I had that very feeling when I graduated from college, as I knew I’d be awarded a degree but had no idea whether I’d quickly find my way into the workforce. I suppose, for me, the degree aligns with the ice cream, while the knife could sync with the prospect of prolonged unemployment. Still, in many ways, my experience isn’t comparable to Colbert’s.

When Paramount, CBS’ parent company, announced The Late Show’s cancellation, it attributed the decision to financial reasons. It’s been reported that the program had been losing millions of dollars over the past several years. Still, some believe the move was politically motivated, as Stephen Colbert criticized his employers for settling a $16 million lawsuit with U.S. President Donald Trump. Colbert, however, isn’t putting much stock in those assumptions, as he confirmed during his interview with GQ.

It’s still somewhat weird to think that this time next year, TLS will have been over for several months. For now, though, I admire that Stephen Colbert isn’t paying too much attention to the noise and is focused on steering the ship accordingly. I’m just hopeful that when he reaches his figurative destination he receives an ice cream cone instead of that knife.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on CBS and can also be accessed with a YouTube TV subscription.