Stephen Colbert announced in July that CBS will be canceling “The Late Show” in May 2026, more than 10 years after he took over as host.

Creators Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky break down the “surreal” parallels between “Hacks” and Colbert—and respond to the fans who want Deborah and Ava to get it on.

Batiste joined The Late Show family in 2015 when Colbert took over for the series’ former host, David Letterman. He acted as the show’s bandleader and musical director until he left in 2022 to further pursue his personal music career. Louis Cato took over Batiste’s role later that year and continues to serve as The Late Show ‘s bandleader.