Writers Guild of America East president Tom Fontana is paying tribute to the staff of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” in a new message sent to union members as the program is set to air its series finale on Thursday evening.
“The Late Show writers are a credit to their profession, their craft, and their fellow writers. The Late Show has often challenged and critiqued power, and we are proud that our members continued to do so in the last days of the show,” Fontana said. “But just as importantly, The Late Show was always funny, an example of what can happen when a group of talented and hilarious writers come together to create a nightly comedy show.”
He argued that the end of the program is “a loss for both comedy lovers and free speech supporters alike and that is a testament to the writers’ brilliance and integrity.”
The WGA noted that the program has launched the comedy careers of many of its members since first airing in 1993 and established “lasting cultural touchpoints in American society.”
It also highlighted the Late Show writers for consistently using their voices to “create a more just workplace and a more powerful labor movement for workers in the media and entertainment industries,” noting that current staff members on the show were among those who unionized the original “Colbert Report” and stood in solidarity with The Onion in its fight for a better contract.
WGA members involved in The Late Show include Ariel Dumas, Jay Katsir, Delmonte Bent, Michael Brumm, Aaron Cohen, Stephen T. Colbert, Paul Dinello, Gabe Gronli, Barry Julien, Michael Cruz Kayne, Eliana Kwartler, Matt Lappin, Caroline Lazar, Pratima Mani, Felipe Torres Medina, Opus Moreschi, Carley Moseley, Aaron Nemo, Asher Perlman, Tom Purcell, Kate Sidley, Brian Stack, John Thibodeaux and Steve Waltien, and Graphic Artists Andro Buneta, Paul Hildebrand, Kristopher Long, William Marko, Ryan Mauskopf and Robert Yulfo.
Colbert’s cancelation, which CBS has said is a purely financial decision, comes after the network’s parent company Paramount reached a $16 million settlement with President Donald Trump after he sued the company over a “60 Minutes” interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris.
“The Late Show” was canceled just days after Colbert called the settlement a “big fat bribe” to secure regulatory approval for Paramount’s merger with David Ellison’s Skydance Media.
Meanwhile, the final episode is airing as Ellison is seeking approval of a pending $110 billion merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, which the WGA warns would further consolidate Hollywood and be a “disaster for writers, for the industry, and for the public.”
“While Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders voted to accept Paramount’s latest bid, this merger is not inevitable. The WGAE was proud to testify at a recent forum hosted by Senator Booker regarding the potential threats of the merger and we urge members to sign the #BlockTheMerger petition that now has over 5,000 signatures,” Fontana said. “On behalf of all our members threatened by media feudalism and feckless capitulations to authoritarians, we won’t stay silent as the Ellisons threatens Guild members’ ability to speak truth to power.”
Fontana ended his message by highlighting Colbert and his predecessor David Letterman recently throwing CBS furniture of the roof of the Ed Sullivan theater, which he called an “unforgettable moment to mark the end of an era.”
“Let office chairs not be the only thing consigned to the dustbin of history from this shameful era in media,” he concluded. “Tonight, we say goodnight to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and the amazing writers who made that show into an institution. Tomorrow, we get right back to work building power for writers and fighting against the forces that seek to divide and silence us.”
The final episode of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” will air at 11:35 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.
