I thought it was because Comedy Central had a claimed trademark or something regarding the character he played, but it’s been a while so I might be misremembering
But on Wednesday night’s Late Show, the real Stephen Colbert indicated that Comedy Central’s legal team is barring his old character from appearing on CBS.
“This is true, immediately after that show, CBS’ top lawyer was contacted by the top lawyer for another company to say that the character Stephen Colbert is their intellectual property,” the real Stephen Colbert said on Wednesday.
He continued, “So it is with a heavy heart that I announce that thanks to corporate lawyers, the character Stephen Colbert, host of The Colbert Report, will never be seen again.”
The audience began to boo but the Late Show host insisted there was nothing he could do.
“I feel the same way, but what can I do? The lawyers have spoken. I cannot reasonably argue I own my face or name,” he said. “And as much as I’d like to have that guy on again, I can’t.”
That refers to a bit he did with the Colbert character over a year into the run of the show. He has said in various interviews that he chose not to do the Late Show in any character because he felt he’d done that and it would be disrespectful to the franchise.
He quite literally was legally disallowed by Viacom (Comedy Central’ owners). Not CBS, where he told the audience he would love to bring the character back but was not legally allowed to do.
I thought it was because Comedy Central had a claimed trademark or something regarding the character he played, but it’s been a while so I might be misremembering
He didn’t want to mix the Colbert character with the Late Night show.
Irrelevant and refuted by Colbert’s own words, but ok. Viacom quite literally wouldn’t allow it.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/stephen-colbert-colbert-report-character-915236/
That refers to a bit he did with the Colbert character over a year into the run of the show. He has said in various interviews that he chose not to do the Late Show in any character because he felt he’d done that and it would be disrespectful to the franchise.
No way CBS would have allowed him to do the show in that character… Maybe a segment every now and then, but not entire episodes. Not on CBS.
He quite literally was legally disallowed by Viacom (Comedy Central’ owners). Not CBS, where he told the audience he would love to bring the character back but was not legally allowed to do.
It wouldn’t have been the entire show.