‘The Late Show’ Cancels Episodes After Stephen Colbert Has Surgery for Ruptured Appendix

Meredith Jacobs November 27, 2023, 2:30 pm

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The Late Show has canceled three new shows set for this week after its host, Stephen Colbert, suffered a medical emergency.

“A message from Stephen” was posted on The Late Show‘s Threads account on Monday, November 27. “Sorry to say that I have to cancel our shows this week. I’m sure you’re thinking, ‘Turkey overdose, Steve? Gravy boat capsize?’ Actually, I’m recovering from surgery for a ruptured appendix,” it reads. “I’m grateful to my doctors for their care and to Evie and the kids for putting up with me. Going forward, all emails to my appendix will be handled by my pancreas.”

The Monday, November 27 episode on CBS was already slated to be a re-run, with guest Rachel Maddow and a performance by Gracie Abrams (having originally aired on November 14). New episodes, post-Thanksgiving, would have resumed on Tuesday, November 28, with Jennifer Garner and Baz Luhrmann the guests and John Scofield sitting in with Louis Cato and the Late Show Band.

The Wednesday, November 29 episode would have featured guest Patrick Stewart and an interview and performance by Colbert’s first band leader (who left last year) Jon Batiste. Then, on Thursday, November 30, Barbra Streisand was scheduled to take “The Colbert Questionert,” with Kelsey Grammer set as a guest as well. It’s unclear if any or all of these will be rescheduled. (For example, Garner’s Family Switch drops on Netflix this week, and Luhramm’s Faraway Downs is now out on Hulu.) Previously planned details about guests have yet to be released beyond November 30.

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These canceled episodes come about two months after the late night talk shows got back to work following the end of the writers’ strike in September after being off-air since the strike began in May. The Late Show With Stephen Colbert returned on Monday, October 2, as did The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and Late Night With Seth Meyers.