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 (16,860 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 9.0

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 #11.117 S11E117 7.8

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

#6 Episode #11.116 S11E116 7.7

#7 Sally Field/Chris Stapleton/Evie McGee Colbert S11E109 7.6

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

#9 Episode #11.83 S11E83 7.5

#10 Trey Parker/Matt Stone/Robert Lopez/Andrew Rannells S11E89 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 Chuck Schumer/Michelle Buteau S10E96 4.1

#1813 Maggie Haberman/Tooning Out the News S8E16 4.1

#1812 Elton John/Melanie Lynskey/Leon Thomas S10E76 4.2

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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