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Thursday, February 19, 2026

Colbert Books Ex-CBS Anchor-Turned Critic John Dickerson for Post-SOTU Epsiode

LateNighter

Thursday February 19, 2026

Colbert Books Former CBS News Anchor-Turned Critic John Dickerson for Live SOTU Episode

John Dickerson, Stephen Colbert
Dickerson exited the network after criticizing Paramount Global’s settlement with Trump over a 60 Minutes report, arguing that the deal undermined the network’s credibility.

Inside Richard Dawson's Once-Promising Bid to Be Johnny Carson's Tonight Show Successor

Inside Richard Dawson's Promising, Ill-Fated Bid to Be Tonight Show Host
The Family Feud host filled in for Carson two dozen times amid Carson's 1980 contract negotiation, including an episode that famously never aired, but it all came crashing down after he backed out of hosting another episode that would prove to be his last.

Colbert's Talarico Interview Is Now His Most-Watched on YouTube in 3+ Years

James Talarico, Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert’s YouTube-only interview with James Talarico has drawn 7.8 million views at last count—outdrawing recent sit-downs with Taylor Swift, Kamala Harris, and Jimmy Kimmel to become The Late Show's most-viewed interview on the platform in years.

FCC Boss 'Highly Entertained' by Colbert-CBS Dust-Up

Brendan Carr Colbert Talarico
FCC chair Brendan Carr chimed in on Stephen Colbert and CBS locking horns, telling reporters Wednesday: "It was probably one of the most fun days I've had on the job, watching the hilarity of how this story played out."

Weekly Ratings: Late Night Slows Amid Olympic Preemptions

Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald guested with Kimmel Mon Feb 9.
Jimmy Kimmel led 11:35 and The Daily Show topped the demo in a week thinned by Olympic coverage.

Daily Show Writer Matt Koff Enlists Jon Stewart, Show Staffers for New Special

Matt Koff
The veteran Daily Show staff writer is stepping back onto the stand-up stage this spring with a little help from help from some of his friends from work.

Around the web:

Vanity Fair Crowns the Stars of ‘New Late Night’
From Bowen Yang to Ziwe to Sean Evans, VF profiles ten online hosts redefining the genre, and pairs the feature with a video of each delivering mock late-night monologues.

Late-Night Writers Debate: ‘Is Donald Trump Funny?’
Staffers from SNL, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Daily Show, Last Week Tonight, and Have I Got News for You had differing opinions at a New York Writers Guild panel.

Trump Again Targets Kimmel—This Time for Cash
In a Thursday morning fundraising email, Trump called Jimmy Kimmel a “ratings-starved hack,” calling the ABC host’s jokes an attack on “YOU and our movement”—before asking supporters to donate to his latest “MAGA Rally Blitz.” [via Meidas Touch]
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