Full Breakdown
Late Show Writers Launch DIY Emmy Campaign After CBS Ends Show
6/24/2026, 1:33:28 AM
The Writers’ DIY Emmy Push
The writing staff of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” produced a For Your Consideration (FYC) video parodying 1980s sitcom openings for the final season. Posted on Instagram, the clip aims to draw attention to the team’s eligibility for an Emmy nomination.
Cancellation and Emmy History
CBS announced the show’s termination on May 21, 2025, ending a ten-year run. The series earned Outstanding Talk Series nominations almost every year and secured its first win in that category in 2025, shortly after the cancellation.
Key Players
The DIY video showcases 23 writers: Ariel Dumas, Gabe Gronli, Delmonte Bent, Steve Waltien, Caroline Lazar, Tom Purcell, Felipe Torres Medina, Michael Brumm, Matt Lappin, Aaron Nemo, Aaron Cohen, Paul Dinello, Pratima Mani, Opus Moreschi, Brian Stack, Kate Sidley, Asher Perlman, Carley Moseley, Jay Katsir, Eliana Kwartler, John Thibodeaux, Michael Cruz Kayne, and Barry Julien. Stephen T. Colbert appears in the closing frame. CBS and its parent Paramount Global are involved.
Campaign Details and Numbers
The title card reads, “From the writers who brought you The Late Show with Stephen Colbert this summer comes … ‘We’d Love an Emmy.’” The video introduces each writer and ends with “Introducing Stephen T. Colbert as ‘Da Boss.’” Writers cite the absence of a writing-category FYC as the impetus for the DIY effort.
Official Network Responses
CBS placed general FYC ads for the show in New York and Los Angeles and bought a spot on The Hollywood Reporter linking to a page listing all writers. Sources note CBS has historically funded Emmy campaigns for the series but not specifically for the writing team. Paramount’s statement framed the cancellation as “purely financial reasons.”
Criticism and Opposition
Commentators have linked the cancellation to Paramount’s pending merger with Skydance, a company perceived as aligned with the Trump administration. Fans and celebrities expressed disapproval of CBS’s handling of the show’s end, arguing it undermined the writers’ award prospects.
Conflicting Reports and Gaps
Sources differ on CBS’s support: one account says CBS did not run a writing-specific FYC campaign, while another notes the network’s general FYC ads and a Hollywood Reporter spot. No public comment from CBS clarifies the discrepancy.
Verbatim Quotes
- “CBS is not doing an Emmys campaign for us, so ‘for strictly financial reasons’ the @colbertlateshow writers made our own #FYC campaign,” — Felipe Torres Medina, writer
- “From the writers who brought you The Late Show with Stephen Colbert this summer comes … ‘We’d Love an Emmy.'” — DIY video
- “Introducing Stephen T. Colbert as ‘Da Boss.’” — DIY video caption
- “something changed” — Stephen Colbert
What’s Next
The 78th Primetime Emmy nominations will be announced on July 8. The writers hope the DIY campaign will secure a nomination in the Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series category and influence network support for award promotion.
