Hollywood has seen its fair share of unexpected partnerships, but few have rocked the industry quite like this. When CBS announced earlier this year that Stephen Colbert was being phased out of The Late Show after nearly a decade, critics labeled him a relic of late-night’s golden era. Younger viewers, executives argued, had moved on to TikTok clips and streaming specials. Colbert, once hailed as the sharpest satirist on television, was branded “past his prime.”