Strike Force Five returns with episode

Late-night TV is doing a weird little crossover again — and this time it’s less about a strike than a goodbye. Strike Force Five, the podcast Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver launched during the 2023 Hollywood shutdown, is back with a new special episode released on Wednesday, May 13. But this isn’t a full restart. It’s a one-off reunion tied to Colbert’s final stretch on *The Late Show*, which is set to end on May 21. ### What came back, exactly? The thing that returned is *Strike Force Five* — originally a short-run podcast built around five suddenly off-air late-night hosts talking shop, joking around, and raising money for their staffs while the writers’ strike froze production in 2023. The new installment is being framed as an “emergency” episode, and this time it’s also a video release, not just audio. It’s available on Spotify, the show’s YouTube channel, and regular podcast platforms. (latenighter.com) ### Why now? Because Colbert is in the final days of his CBS run, and the five-host reunion already happened on *The Late Show* on Monday, May 11. That on-air get-together became the launch pad for the podcast comeback. So the episode is basically a companion piece to that reunion — part nostalgia, part sendoff, part excuse to get the band back together one more time. (latenighter.com) ### Who’s in it? The same five hosts as before — Colbert, Kimmel, Fallon, Meyers, and Oliver. That continuity matters more than it sounds like it should. The whole appeal of the original run was the chemistry: five competitors who usually occupy separate corners of late night suddenly acting like a group chat with microphones. The comeback works because nobody had to explain the premise again. Fans already know the vibe. (iowapublicradio.org) ### Is this a full relaunch? Probably not. Everything around the announcement points to a special event, not a new season. Trade coverage calls it a special or one-off episode, and the timing is laser-focused on Colbert’s farewell week. The original run ended after 12 episodes in October 2023, once the strike-era reason for doing it had passed. Nothing in the current rollout suggests a longer schedule, tour, or ongoing weekly return. That’s an inference from the way it’s being packaged — but it’s a pretty strong one. (latenighter.com) ### Where does the money go this time? Not to out-of-work staffers, which was the original mission. This time the proceeds are set to benefit World Central Kitchen. That shift tells you what the reunion is for. In 2023, the podcast was a practical workaround during an industry shutdown. In 2026, it’s more like a charity special wrapped around a late-night milestone. Same cast, different emergency. (deadline.com) ### Why are people paying attention? Because *Strike Force Five* was bigger than a cute side project the first time around. It broke out fast, topped podcast charts in its debut stretch, and gave viewers a rare look at how these hosts relate when they’re not performing rivalry on separate networks. So even a single new episode has real pull — especially when it lands in the middle of Colbert’s closing run. (kroc.com) ### What’s the bottom line? This is less a reboot than a reunion special. *Strike Force Five* is back, but basically as a farewell-adjacent event — one more round with five late-night hosts who turned a strike workaround into a surprisingly durable little franchise. (latenighter.com) (strikeforcefive.com)