I'm Wesley Morris, and this is Cannonball today.

They call it the late show, but I mean, they're putting it to bed awfully early.

I almost can't believe I'm saying this,

but tonight is the last episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

CBS has done pull-to-plug, probably prematurely,

but, I mean, welcome to late night television,

whose thing for drama sometimes brings it closer to daytime soap.

But now the crisis, I don't know, it's existential.

There's no talk show going into the late night slot.

Meanwhile, over at ABC, Jimmy Kimmel lives in almost weekly risk of cancellation now.

And, you know, their crimes can basically be boiled down to offending the president. But there's one

late night show that keeps on, keeping on, and maybe it's also time to put that one down.

It's been 51 years, and it really might be time to say goodbye

to Saturday Night Live. For the last five years, I've thought, now's the time. Just end it, end it.

This show was never about polish, and part of the draw is the chaos and magic of live television

where, you know, anything can go wrong, and you've always draw is the chaos and magic of live television where, you know,

anything can go wrong.

And you've always had to put up with weak sketches.

But it wasn't always this sad.

SNL used to do it for me.

I mean, I'd pick an obvious recurring sketch like the Californians.

Maybe you should get going before Stewart gets him.

...