The Late Show with Stephen Colbert — 2015–2026 · 11 seasons · 1818 eps

★ 7.2

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert poster

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

2015–2026 11 seasons 1818 episodes

★ 7.2 (16,957 votes) Bottom 37%

Stephen Colbert brings his signature satire and comedy to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the #1 show in late night, where he talks with an eclectic mix of guests about what is new and relevant in the worlds of politics, entertainment, business, music, technology, and more. Featuring bandleader Jon Batiste with his band Stay Human, the Emmy Award-nominated show is broadcast from the historic Ed Sullivan Theater.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

2015–2026 11 seasons 1818 eps

★ 7.2 (17K) Bottom 37%

Stephen Colbert brings his signature satire and comedy to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the #1 show in late night, where he talks with an eclectic mix of guests about what is new and relevant in the worlds of politics, entertainment, business, music, technology, and more. Featuring bandleader Jon Batiste with his band Stay Human, the Emmy Award-nominated show is broadcast from the historic Ed Sullivan Theater.

Episode Ratings Grid

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Episode Power Rankings

The peaks and the valleys. Find the essential episodes — and the ones to skip.

#1

S11E118 9.1

Episode #11.118

The Late Show series finale, featuring Paul McCartney and cameos by celebrities.

#2

S11E108 8.1

Barack Obama

Former President Barack Obama;

#3

S11E114 7.8

David Letterman/The Strokes

TV host David Letterman; The Strokes perform;

#4 Episode #11.116 S11E116 7.8

#5 Christopher Nolan/Dave Grohl/Foo Fighters S11E107 7.7

#6 Sally Field/Chris Stapleton/Evie McGee Colbert S11E109 7.7

#7 Episode #11.117 S11E117 7.7

#8 Jimmy Kimmel/Seth Meyers/John Oliver/Jimmy Fallon S11E111 7.6

#9 Josh Brolin/The Black Keys S10E153 7.5

#10 Episode #11.83 S11E83 7.5

▼ Lowlights

#1816 S8E58 Prince Harry/Ingrid Andress 3.8

Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex (memoir, "Spare"); Ingrid Andress performs;

#1815 The Best in Late Show Retrospectacular End-of-Year Wrapupabration! 4 S2E67 4.0

#1814 Maggie Haberman/Tooning Out the News S8E16 4.1

#1813 Stephen A. Smith/Dylan McDermott/Davido S8E96 4.3

#1812 Speaker Nancy Pelosi/Armando Iannucci/Dermot Kennedy S8E15 4.3

The Quality Arc

Each point is an episode, plotted in order. Colored bands mark season boundaries. Look for the rise, the plateau, or the decline.

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Episode Engagement

High votes + high rating = beloved classic. High votes + low rating = notorious stinker. Low votes + high rating = hidden gem.

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Series Trajectory

One point per season. Smooths out the episode-to-episode noise to reveal the bigger arc.

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Season Momentum

Did each season build or fizzle? Green means the finale outscored the premiere. Red means the opposite. Longer arrows, bigger swings.

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Season Consistency

How steady is each season? Tightly clustered dots mean reliable quality. Scattered dots mean a wild ride.

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