“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” may have been canceled by CBS, but after taking home the award for outstanding variety series at Monday night’s Emmy Awards, Stephen Colbert is still optimistic about the state of late-night television.
Speaking with CNN correspondent Elizabeth Wagmeister and Variety co-president and co-editor-in-chief Ramin Setoodeh following the Emmy Awards, Colbert explained that he still feels that “free speech is alive and well.”
“Because if you can’t say something because you go to jail, that is a violation of free speech,” he continued. “I think that late night is just as funny and just as vital as it ever has been, and I love watching Jimmy and Jimmy and John and John and Seth and everybody else. And I think I hope it goes on for a long time because you get to work with people like this, and that’s the greatest gift.”
“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” won the award for its final season, which ended in May after CBS announced the series’ cancellation. The show was up for the Emmy against “The Daily Show” (Comedy Central), “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC), “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” (HBO Max) and “Saturday Night Live” (NBC).
Speaking with Wagmeister and Setoodeh, Colbert also playfully pivoted away from the topic of Donald Trump: “That’s a beautiful dress. It’s amazing. What? Oh, I’m sorry, I’m deaf in that ear,” he said when asked if he thinks his show was canceled by the president. As for his thoughts on Bari Weiss, Colbert said he’s “never heard of her. Do you know her? I hear great things.”
The host also noted that he feels “just lovely” following the win. “I’m so glad that the show got recognized, and especially last week, all the people who want the creative arts, the writers and our director, our technical director, camera, lighting, and the digital team, and then tonight, all these incredible people,” he said. “First of all, just to be together after not seeing these guys for four months, it’s incredible. And we couldn’t be more grateful to the academy and everybody who voted for the show.”
Prior to Monday night’s awards, “The Late Show” had already won four prizes during the first weekend of the Emmys: Outstanding Writing For A Variety Series, Outstanding Directing For A Variety Series, Outstanding Technical Direction and Camerawork For A Series, Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction For A Series and Outstanding Picture Editing For Variety Programming (Segment).