AceShowbiz - The late-night world will take a brief pause on May 21 as Stephen Colbert prepares to air his final episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. In a rare show of unity, both Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon will go dark that night, allowing Colbert to have the spotlight all to himself.

This decision reflects solidarity among the late-night hosts and acknowledges the significance of the event. Competing with such a landmark broadcast would be difficult, but the underlying reason is mutual respect among the so-called Strike Force Five—the group of late-night hosts who often engage in friendly rivalry.

As of now, the details of Colbert’s farewell show remain under wraps. Rumors about a dream guest, the fictional Pope Leo XIV, suggest the host’s ambition for a memorable send-off, though it’s unclear if that will come to fruition.

This moment contrasts sharply with the cutthroat battles of the early 1990s late-night scene, which erupted after Johnny Carson’s retirement. Hosts then fiercely competed for ratings and star-studded guests. Today, the late-night field is more fragmented, with each show drawing a smaller segment of viewers. However, the overall audience for late-night television has grown.

Jimmy Kimmel recently remarked on this trend while appearing on The Late Show. He noted that although Johnny Carson commanded a massive single-show audience, the combined viewership across multiple late-night programs—including online platforms like YouTube—has increased. “More people are watching late-night television now than— and I know everybody gets crazy—than when Johnny Carson [was on],” he said.

Kimmel also highlighted the financial impact his show’s brief interruption last year had on Disney, estimating losses in the billions due to declining ad revenue and canceled Disney+ subscriptions. “I cost our company a lot of money this year, billions,” he admitted during the recent Upfronts event. “It is very possible that no employee in the history of any company has cost their employer more than hiring me 24 years ago. Just from a purely mathematical standpoint, it was the worst personnel decision that Disney Corporation has ever made.”

His humorous reflection also alluded to a less successful venture when a magician hired an apprentice, hinting at past challenges. Despite this, the camaraderie among late-night hosts appears strong as they support Colbert on this milestone night.