Stephen Colbert almost walked away from the very thing that made him a late-night force. The longtime host revealed how a behind-the-scenes conversation with a trusted producer changed everything

Each episode of “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” over the past few weeks has offered a fresh reminder that the final one is rapidly approaching.

“It’s possible that two things can be true. Broadcast can be in trouble. They cannot monetize because of things like YouTube, because of the competition of streaming. They’ve got the books, and I do n...