“This is pure cowardice,” Letterman said. “They did not do the correct thing. They did not handle Stephen Colbert — the face of that network — in the way he deserves to have been handled.”

“South Park” was in vintage form on Wednesday night, as the long-running animated comedy series did not hold back during its season 27 premiere.

“The cancellation of ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ without clear explanation is deeply concerning and raises serious questions about the broader implications for free expression and artistic f...