On Thursday night, the The late show on CBS closed its doors. Stephen Colbert is already on vacation, and a historic era of television late night is considered to be over.The presenter began by explaining that they wanted to have a normal broadcast, without solemnity or self-congratulation. He appealed to one of the founding principles: to consider the program a joy machine, a machine of joy based on what they have called a "reciprocal emotional relationship," defending a bond with the audience that fed back into the show. The result, therefore, was more emotional and symbolic than combative. Despite clear evidence that political pressures have ruined the program, Colbert avoided caustic comments against Donald Trump. And they were missed. After all the analytical capacity the program has shown, of the ideological substrate it has managed with such intelligence, the ending was steeped in an insubstantial and soft spirit. The aim was to enhance the friendly and festive tone without bitterness. But the last program did not do justice to its capacity for influence and, above all, to its critical and demanding spirit. More biting wit and less foolishness were expected.Paul McCartney was the main guest. The choice also had an allegorical meaning: the Beatles debuted on The Ed Sullivan show 62 years ago. The show, however, was full of fleeting appearances by good friends of Colbert: Brian Cranston, Paul Rudd, Ryan Reynolds, Elijah Wood... And, of course, his professional colleagues: Fallon, Kimmel, Meyers and Oliver. And a Jon Stewart who was in charge of giving him the farewell. All this shows that the nocturnal television universe is eminently masculine, and that they all do things among themselves and laugh at each other's jokes.Colbert sang Hello, goodbye with McCartney: "You say «goodbye», I say «hello» / You say «stop» but I say «go»" are verses that refer to this struggle of opposites, but also to this beginning of a new stage. The lyrics allow for multiple interpretive readings.Colbert opted for a symbolic ending. An enormous luminous hole leading to a parallel dimension threatened the presenter. Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse explained to the protagonist that the cancellation of his show was causing a kind of cosmic anomaly. When McCartney disconnected the electrical panel, that energetic void sucked up Colbert and the entire building. An indisputable metaphor. The late show ended up reduced to a small snow globe in the middle of the street, sniffed by a dog, as if the television universe were collapsing and being reduced to a kitsch, not very useful object. A simple souvenir from New York. Just a memory. As if the cancellation of the show were also the closing of a media culture, the end of an era for a certain mainstream television that is disappearing and being reduced to a charming relic of the past.

Next week CBS will close The late show with Stephen Colbert. It says goodbye to its main star and puts an end to the historic late night franchise that opened in 1993 with David Letterman. The network has attributed it to the program's economic losses and the crisis of this genre, which is declining in viewers and advertising revenue. But behind it are more powerful reasons: Donald Trump's pressures in a very hostile political context. Stephen Colbert has been, in recent years, one of the toughest television voices against the president. And the chronology of events reveals that Paramount (the parent company) has sought the administration's favor for the benefit of its business interests, in exchange for handing over Colbert's head. In recent weeks, the presenter has been saying goodbye to the audience by inviting influential people to highlight the end of an era. This Monday he organized a historic meeting. He brought together the four colleagues from the other late nights that are usually competition. Jimmy Kimmel (ABC), Jimmy Fallon (NBC), Seth Meyers (NBC), and John Oliver (HBO) visited Colbert's show to honor their colleague before he closes shop. They call themselves the Strike Force Five. It's the name of the podcast they made together during the writers' strike to raise money to pay their crews. John Stewart, whom they considered the “designated survivor”, did not attend. The concept has to do with government meetings, where there is always one member who stays out of the office so that, in case of a catastrophe in which everyone dies, there is always an authority to manage the nation. “Someone among us has to survive so the president can get angry,” they joked, aware that television nights have become a hostile adversary for Trump. Colbert reflected with them on the possible crisis of the late night, which they logically denied, although the figures also suggest it. “Have you ever thought you would do a job that the President of the United States could not stand?” he asked them. The responses betrayed a certain celebration of this circumstance. The host suggested that, now that he will be free, he would offer to be a guest on their respective shows or to replace them if they want to take vacations.Last week Colbert interviewed Barack Obama, and the comedian joked about the need to find a new job. Both played with the speculations that Colbert could run as a candidate in the next White House elections. Obama hinted to him that "the bar has been lowered," referring to the demands to obtain the position. A clear allusion to Trump. For the moment, they are only rumors, but all of this reminds us how the line between the world of politics and entertainment has blurred. We have known for a long time that media figures can reach the presidency. But late nights have also ended up having a decisive influence on politics and opinion creation.late nights have also ended up having a decisive influence on politics and opinion creation.