Lorne Michaels says NBC late-night hosts safe after Colbert cancellation

“Saturday Night Live” creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels expressed confidence that NBC’s late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers are safe after CBS’ stunning cancellation of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”

In an interview with Puck News’ Matt Belloni, Michaels said that he was “just stunned” by the Tiffany network’s announcement last month that it was pulling the plug on Colbert’s late-night program in May. Liberal critics accused CBS of bending the knee to President Donald Trump, while the network insisted it was purely a financial decision.

The 80-year-old late-night powerhouse also acknowledged the changing landscape in the industry and how people are increasingly watching clips online and not the TV broadcast, crediting Fallon, who hosts “The Tonight Show,” for creating content “you can watch all day.”

When asked whether he thought there was a political motivation behind CBS’ decision to cancel Colbert, Michaels replied, “I don’t think any of us are going to ever know that.”

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Belloni then pivoted to Fallon and Meyers’ future at NBC, noting that both of their contracts end in 2028. Michaels also serves as the executive producer of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” shows whose television ratings fell behind “The Late Show.”

“Have you been assured by Comcast that the Jimmy and Seth shows are safe for the foreseeable future?” Belloni asked.

“Yes,” Michaels responded. “I think [Comcast CEO] Brian Roberts — who I will be working for the rest of my life, who I have very high admiration for — has integrity. But at the same time, everyone has [broadcast] licenses, everyone has … you know. But I really don’t believe that we affect things.”

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“Even with this president?” Belloni followed.

“Even with this president,” Michaels said. “Whatever crimes Trump is committing, he’s doing it in broad daylight. There is absolutely nothing that the people who vote for him — or me — don’t know. You know what I mean? And he is a really powerful media figure. He knows how to hold an audience. That’s a very powerful thing, and I think it was always underestimated. His politics are obviously not my politics, but denouncing [him] doesn’t work.”

Michaels also denied the notion that political comedy “will be tougher” following Paramount and Disney’s settlements with Trump over his lawsuits against CBS News and ABC News. 

The “SNL” veteran later teased that there would be a shake-up of the cast of the forthcoming 51st season of the long-running NBC show, but that cast member James Austin Johnson would continue impersonating Trump. 

Colbert’s cancellation sparked fury among his liberal fans, including Democratic lawmakers, who’ve suggested that Paramount violated anti-bribery laws. They’ve tried to tie the company’s decision to cancel Colbert to the settlement, which came just days before the FCC approved Paramount’s $8 billion merger with Skydance Media. 

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However, Belloni previously reported Colbert’s show had been losing “more than $40 million a year” for CBS and that it had a budget of “more than $100 million per season,” contrasting it with the network’s daytime and primetime programming, which he noted were “still profitable.”