“Colbert & Crockett Launch New Show — And CBS Just Crushed It With One Contract Clause”

August 2025 — New York, NY

“For the rest of my time at CBS, I’ll say everything I’ve never been allowed to say.” — Stephen Colbert, July 2025

That was the promise. Bold. Defiant. A late-night host, freshly wounded by his network’s quiet announcement to end The Late Show, preparing for a media scorched-earth exit tour.

But what began as a planned rebellion may end in silence.

This week, Stephen Colbert and Rep. Jasmine Crockett unveiled their new joint venture: a weekly talk show titled Unfiltered Reboot: Colbert & Crockett. According to Colbert’s team, the show would air digitally, independent of network interference, and “dismantle the echo chamber of legacy media.”

The response was immediate — headlines, late-night clips, Twitter flame wars. And then… CBS responded. Not with words, but with contracts.

📺 The Show That Barely Made It Past the Announcement

The show was never meant to be subtle. Its creators described it as “raw, unfiltered, unshaped by the demands of political handlers or corporate interests.” Colbert would bring the wit. Crockett would bring the fire. Together, they’d “say what legacy networks won’t.”

It was equal parts defiant and desperate — a hybrid of Colbert’s trademark satire and Crockett’s political combativeness.

But just 72 hours after the announcement, CBS legal representatives delivered a quiet but devastating message: Colbert may still be under binding creative restrictions — ones he signed years ago.

📜 The Contract That Never Went Away

When Colbert renewed his CBS contract in 2020, industry insiders now say it included a “Perpetual Non-Disclosure and Format Restriction Clause” — a little-known provision buried in pages of standard language.

According to three media attorneys who reviewed similar CBS agreements, the clause prohibits:

The reuse of any creative concept, character structure, segment framework, or tonal architecture developed during his CBS employment.
Any future program “reasonably resembling” The Late Show in content, delivery, or branding.
Any disclosure of internal discussions, planning meetings, or unaired segments from CBS.

“It’s more than a gag order. It’s a full intellectual property quarantine,” said one lawyer who has worked with late-night talent contracts.

The clause remains in effect until one year after Colbert’s official final air date — currently projected for June 2026.

That means: Colbert’s new show, if it shares any DNA with his old one, could result in legal action.

🧨 CBS’s Silent Strike

CBS didn’t issue a statement. They didn’t have to. They just let the clause speak for itself. According to multiple sources, Colbert’s team is “reassessing rollout plans” and “seeking clarity” before risking breach.

Some insiders speculate that CBS allowed Colbert to float the project publicly, only to cut it down before launch, ensuring maximum embarrassment without direct confrontation.

A CBS executive, speaking on background, said:

“We don’t muzzle people. But we expect contracts to be honored. That’s not censorship. That’s business.”

🗣️ The Colbert–Crockett Fallout

The backlash was instant.

Critics from both Left and Right questioned the pairing: one, a late-night satirist known for polished sarcasm; the other, a congresswoman famous for viral firestorms and culture war theatrics.

But the contract bombshell gave conservatives a new angle: Colbert, once the darling of progressive media, now gagged by the very structure he defended.

“He built a career mocking the idea of censorship,” said one commentator on Newsmax. “Now the joke’s on him.”

⚖️ Legal Analysis: Can CBS Really Do That?

Under U.S. contract law, especially in states like New York and California, non-compete clauses in entertainment are enforceable under specific terms, particularly when:

High compensation was exchanged
Trade secrets or proprietary format structures are involved
The clause is limited in time and scope (1 year post-employment is often acceptable)

Legal analysts say CBS is within its rights, especially if Colbert’s new content overlaps stylistically or structurally with The Late Show.

“It’s not about what he says,” said one media lawyer. “It’s how he says it — if it walks, talks, and feels like his old show, CBS has a claim.”

🎤 What Happens to the Show?

At this point, “Unfiltered Reboot” appears frozen. Colbert’s reps have gone quiet. Crockett issued a vague tweet:

“If they think we’re scared, they’re wrong. Stay tuned.”

But for now, it seems the show won’t air — at least not in the form originally intended.

Some speculate Colbert may hand off creative control, letting Crockett lead while he stays off-screen until June 2026. Others believe the project will be shelved entirely.

🧭 Final Thoughts: A Warning Shot in Media Politics

Colbert once stood as a symbol of progressive media defiance. But today, he’s learning what happens when you promise to “say everything”… before reading the fine print.

For CBS, it’s a contractual flex. For conservatives, it’s poetic justice. For Colbert and Crockett? It’s a very public miscalculation.

And the show? It’s already canceled — not by ratings, but by paragraph 14, sub-clause C.

CBS and Colbert’s teams declined to comment. Legal filings remain sealed. The Colbert–Crockett show has no scheduled premiere date.