Stephen Colbert Reuniting ‘Strike Force Five’ On ‘The Late Show’ With Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, John Oliver & Seth Meyers, Plus David Letterman

Stephen Colbert's final weeks at The Late Show will feature a reunion of late-night television's most prominent voices. Colbert will reunite with the "Strike Force Five," the informal alliance of late-night hosts that formed during the 2023 Hollywood strikes when they launched a joint podcast effort. The group includes Jimmy Fallon of NBC's The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel from ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live!, John Oliver from HBO's Last Week Tonight, and Seth Meyers from NBC's Late Night. The appearance airs Monday on The Late Show.

The reunion carries symbolic weight in a profession marked by intense competition. When writers and actors picketed in 2023, these hosts found themselves off the air. Rather than remain isolated, they pivoted to podcasting, creating unexpected camaraderie among rivals. That collaboration became a minor cultural phenomenon, uniting the fragmented landscape of late-night comedy.

Colbert's departure from The Late Show marks the end of an era. His tenure redefined the late-night space, blending political commentary with entertainment after years spent developing characters on The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. His program earned eighteen Emmy nominations across its run.

The Strike Force Five reunion serves as a testimonial to Colbert's influence within the medium. These hosts, who normally compete for audience share and celebrity bookings, voluntarily gather to acknowledge one of their own. The gesture reflects a broader respect across late-night television for Colbert's contribution to the genre.

The appearance also underscores how the 2023 strikes temporarily dissolved competitive boundaries between networks and personalities, creating genuine professional relationships that extended beyond the labor dispute. For viewers, the reunion offers rare footage of late-night's most recognizable faces appearing together in a single conversation.

THE TAKEAWAY: Colbert's exit from late-night television becomes a moment for his peers to acknowledge his legacy, reframing the genre as a collaborative rather than purely competitive space.