Photo Credit: Getty Images
Jimmy Fallon is showing support for fellow late-night host Stephen Colbert by choosing not to air a new episode of The Tonight Show on the night of Colbert's final Late Show broadcast.
NBC confirmed that The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon will air a repeat episode on Thursday, May 21, the same evening Stephen Colbert brings his 11-season run on CBS to an end. The decision is being viewed as a gesture of solidarity among late-night television hosts as Colbert prepares to say goodbye to his audience.
Instead of a fresh installment, viewers will see a rerun on May 21, while Fallon is expected to return with a new episode the following evening. That show will feature guests Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and musical performer Maluma.
Fallon is not the only host honoring Colbert's departure. Jimmy Kimmel is also planning to pause production of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on the same night, opting to broadcast a repeat episode instead. According to reports, Kimmel's decision was made out of respect for Colbert's farewell and the significance of his departure from late-night television.
Colbert first announced in July 2025 that CBS had canceled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. At the time, CBS described the move as a financial decision tied to the increasingly difficult landscape surrounding late-night programming. The cancellation drew significant attention, particularly because it followed Colbert's public criticism of Paramount, CBS's parent company, after it reached a reported $16 million settlement involving former President Donald Trump.
Since the cancellation was announced, several fellow hosts have openly supported Colbert. Fallon previously paid tribute to him during an earlier appearance by performing Frank Sinatra's "My Way," a gesture many viewers interpreted as recognition of Colbert's impact on late-night television.
More recently, Fallon reunited with fellow hosts Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver during a special appearance on The Late Show. The group discussed plans for a new episode of their podcast Strike Force Five, which originally launched during the 2023 Writers Guild strike. The upcoming episode is intended as a show of support for Colbert following the end of his program.
Colbert succeeded David Letterman as host of The Late Show in September 2015 and became one of the most recognizable figures in late-night television over the past decade. His final episode is scheduled to air on Thursday, May 21, closing a significant chapter in the genre and prompting an outpouring of support from colleagues across the entertainment industry.
