Late Night Hosts Strike Back With Special Video Podcast Episode: ‘Strike Force Five’
Say goodbye to ‘The Late Show’ with a very special reunion
CBS shocked fans last year when it announced the decision to cancel “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” Colbert replaced David Letterman in 2014, and the assumption was that Colbert would pass the torch on to another comedian when his time was done.
But CBS had other plans. Citing poor financial performance, CBS canceled “The Late Show” in July 2025, stating that its upcoming season would be its last, with no replacement for Colbert. (According to our own polls, late-night is still a very popular and profitable genre, so there may be something else going on there.)
CBS’s parent company, Paramount Skydance, is already in upheaval as it prepares to merge with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) later this year. Many people are worried about what kind of political power the new media conglomerate will hold, especially since Paramount partnered with Middle Eastern wealth funds to buy WBD.
This kind of big corporate move affects all of late-night (especially John Oliver, whose show “Last Week Tonight” is owned by WBD), so five of the biggest hosts are joining forces in solidarity with Colbert ahead of his series finale on May 21.
Wondering how to watch this historic team-up? Keep reading for the details.
How to watch ‘Strike Force Five’
Stephen Colbert is reuniting with Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver not to form a middle-aged boy band, but to film a new video episode of their old podcast, “Strike Force Five.”
According to Deadline, proceeds from the new show will benefit the World Central Kitchen, an international nonprofit.
“Strike Force Five” first formed in response to the 2023 strikes (more on that below), but is coming back now to memorialize “The Late Show” series finale and show solidarity with Stephen Colbert.
You’ll be able to watch the special video episode on May 13 on the “Strike Force Five” YouTube channel, or listen to the audio-only version on your podcatcher of choice. You can also watch the other four comedians’ joint guest appearance from Monday night’s episode on the “Late Show with Stephen Colbert” YouTube channel.
The other hosts may be wondering if they’ll be next; the FCC has already come after Jimmy Kimmel multiple times, and it’s hard to imagine “Last Week Tonight” surviving very long under its infamously conservative new parent company.
Both “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” will air reruns on the night of May 21 in honor of Colbert’s final episode.
Catch up on the ‘Strike Force Five’ podcast
“Strike Force Five” first convened three years ago during the writers’ strike. Late-night shows had to go off the air for a couple of months so as to not cross any picket lines, so the hosts of the five biggest shows (Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver) started a podcast instead.
According to the show’s website, all proceeds from the show and its now-defunct merch store went to supporting the striking staff members.
“Strike Force Five” ran for twelve episodes. You can listen to the original podcast on your favorite podcatcher or the show’s website.
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