In the earlier portion of 2014 – around April, to be more specific – the iconic David Letterman announced that he would be retiring from the CBS-aired The Late Show, bringing an end to the career of the longest-serving late night talk show host in the history of television. While the news was generating waves of reactions in many media arenas, the network was busy searching for someone to take over, and soon they revealed that David’s successor would be Stephen Colbert. This too created a buzz among the masses, as TV viewers realized that assuming this role would mean the end of another for Colbert.
The Colbert Report
After making his name on the popular Comedy Central series The Daily Show, working alongside Jon Stewart, Colbert was given his own spin-off in 2005 – The Colbert Report. The satirical late night program brought about great success for the host, as he made light of some of the more pressing political issues.
The critical acclaim of The Colbert Report among TV viewers made it one of the top shows, not only on Comedy Central but also across networks. While it wasn’t until 2013 that the series clinched its first major accolades (the Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Series and Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series), this was quite a memorable feat as it upstaged The Daily Show to capture the honor. This brought an end to The Daily Show’s hold, as it had the longest winning streak in the history of the awards – running from 2003 to 2012.
The Colbert Report had its series finale on December 18, airing its 1,447 episode in its 10th season. Among the many guests on the night were Jon Stewart (of course), Willie Nelson, Cookie Monster, James Franco and a tweet from President Bill Clinton.
White Collar
A couple hours before fans were waving goodbye to The Colbert Report, millions bid adieu to the USA Network original hit White Collar. While they were not excited to the see the series come to an end, they were still happy to have a proper conclusion, as reports of a six-episode final season brought about concerns that the show had possibly been on the cancellation chopping block.
Though it started out as just a ploy to avoid more prison time, Neal gradually becomes more interested in the idea of leading an honest life. These feelings are often challenged, however, by his best friend and conspiracy theorist Mozzie (Willie Garson) who reminds him of how skilled a criminal he is – leaving him torn between the two worlds.
The final season is focused on Neal scheming his escape after being assured his freedom by the FBI and having that deal retracted. While helping the FBI to take down the highly sought after Pink Panthers (a band of thieves), he pulls of his biggest con by faking his death and relocating to Paris. Though being a thief and a con artist may not be highly celebrated professions, Neal Caffrey is sure to go down as one of the most interesting TV characters of the last decade.
Sons of Anarchy
A little over a week before the finale of The Colbert Report and White Collar, the Internet was being lit up by viewers who had just witnessed the conclusion of the popular crime drama series Sons of Anarchy. The December 9th finale brought an end to what is arguably the most successful program ever aired on the FX cable network.
The series centered on the exploits of Jackson “Jax” Teller (played by Charlie Hunnam), a member of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, Redwood Original (SAMCRO), who served as both its vice president and president. The organization has both negative and positive traits, as it is involved in gun smuggling and other illegal activities, but also determined to keep “hard drugs” outside the borders of the fictional town of Charming.
Throughout the series, Jax struggles with trying to live up to the legacy of his father – the founder of SAMCRO – while working to preserve the affairs of the club both internally and externally. As the series wore on, it became riddled with lies and deceit, and of course more killing. The ensuing story lines saw the shows viewership numbers grow in each of its seven seasons, with the finale being watched by a live audience of approximately 9.3 million.
The Colbert Report Headlines Multiple December Series Finales
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