Why The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is not new this week, November 25-29

Stephen Colbert on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (Image credit: Scott Kowalchyk/CBS)

Stephen Colbert appears to be getting an early start to the holiday season as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is not airing any new episodes for the week of November 25-29; reruns of the late night talk show will air in its usual 11:35 pm ET/PT time slot on CBS though. In what should probably come as little surprise, it seems pretty clear that Thanksgiving being on Thursday, November 28, is the main reason Colbert and company are taking the week off.

The Late Show has taken week-long breaks around major holidays before, so while there is no official word from CBS as to why the hiatus is happening, it seems pretty straightforward. It’s also not the only CBS show to opt to go with reruns this week. Fellow late night show After Midnight is not new all week, nor is the FBI trio of shows, Matlock, Ghosts season 4, Elsbeth season 2, and Friday’s lineup of Blue Bloods season 14, Fire Country season 3 and S.W.A.T. season 8. However, one special show to note is that Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage is airing its first-ever Thanksgiving episode on the day, November 28, which will feature appearances by Young Sheldon stars Zoe Perry, Raegan Revord, Annie Potts and Craig T. Nelson on the spinoff series.

As we mentioned, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is still going to be airing reruns this week at its usual time. Here’s a look at the schedule:

Monday, November 25

  • John Krasinski
  • Francis Ford Coppola
  • Original airdate November 12, 2024

Tuesday, November 26

  • Billy Bob Thornton
  • Sharon Horgan
  • Original airdate November 14, 2024

Wednesday, November 27

  • President Bill Clinton
  • Performance by Kacey Musgraves
  • Original airdate November 19, 2024

Thursday, November 28

  • Paul Bettany
  • Mike Birbiglia
  • Special appearance by Robert Zemeckis
  • Original airdate November 7, 2024

Friday, November 29

  • Zoe Saldana
  • Ken Burns
  • Original airdate November 13, 2024

In addition to watching these episodes live on CBS, you can stream them, or any other past episode of The Late Show, on-demand on Paramount Plus.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is the only one of the other main network talk shows that is taking the whole week off. ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! and NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon are each airing new episodes this week; Kimmel November 25 and 26, while Fallon is airing a usual full slate of shows Monday through Thursday, November 28.

CBS has not released any information about when The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is going to be back with new episodes, but the earliest at this point would be Monday, December 2.

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Michael Balderston

Michael Balderston is a DC-based entertainment and assistant managing editor for What to Watch, who has previously written about the TV and movies with TV Technology, Awards Circuit and regional publications. Spending most of his time watching new movies at the theater or classics on TCM, some of Michael's favorite movies include Casablanca, Moulin Rouge!, Silence of the Lambs, Children of Men, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Star Wars. On the TV side he enjoys Only Murders in the Building, Yellowstone, The Boys, Game of Thrones and is always up for a Seinfeld rerun. Follow on Letterboxd.