I’ve been shocked at a lot of surprise cancellations before. From behind the scenes problems to elevated production costs to sagging ratings, shows get the big ugly axe for a variety of reasons all the time. I’m not sure, however, that I ever remember one generating as much collective shock as The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’s recent cancellation. No one seemed to see that coming at all, and now, people are asking questions about other cultural institutions long seen as untouchable, even Saturday Night Live.
