Why Stephen Colbert’s ‘Elsbeth’ Cameo Almost Didn’t Happen in Season 3 After ‘Late Show’ Cancellation (Exclusive)

Elsbeth returns for its third season with a cameo from Stephen Colbert — which almost didn’t happen.

During an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, star Carrie Preston previewed the premiere, which was filmed shortly after Colbert’s The Late Show was controversially canceled.

“It was really serendipitous because for months and months we had been working to get these actors on the show. [Executive producer] Jonathan Tolins wrote the script specifically for Stephen Colbert,” Preston, 58, recalled. “Then the week before we were about to start filming, it was announced that his show was done.”

While Colbert, 61, figured out his next steps, the show’s creative time was “very nervous,” with Preston adding, “We were concerned that he was going to be too busy dealing with that and he wouldn’t be able to come. But he came and not only did he come but he came fully prepared. He was fully game and so happy to be there.”

Preston praised Colbert’s attitude while on set.

“He was such a great actor. He was so fun to play with and it was everything that you wanted it to be and more,” she continued. “I was a huge fan of Amy Sedaris for so long. I had only just met her socially once or twice. So to have her on the show, she was so funny and the crew loved her. I was basically begging her to be my friend by the end. I just think she’s fantastic.”

Preston continued: “And then Andy Richter too. He’s playing a sidekick on a talk show but he was the sidekick on the talk show forever [with Late Night, The Tonight Show and Conan]. But they’re all different characters. I just thought it was really brilliant and that the timing worked out so well that they were all available to come and play with us.”

The season 3 premiere, which airs Sunday, October 12, follows Elsbeth as she investigates tensions in the world of late-night comedy between a talk show host (Colbert), his head writer (Sedaris) and her husband (Richter).

Sunday’s episode also introduces new officer Grace Hackett (Lindsay Mendez), who is one of several police officers Elsbeth will work with after Kaya (Carra Patterson) left for an undercover opportunity.

“[This season] it works so well with the detectives. But with every case that Elsbeth goes on, it is not going to be the same detective every time. So we already had that set up with different detectives stepping in and now we’re doing the same thing with the uniformed officers,” Preston explained. “She’ll click with people in different ways.”

Preston enjoyed the shakeup three seasons into the hit CBS show.

“It keeps the show fresh and it keeps Elsbeth on her game more. She’s working with newer people, younger people and people that she hasn’t met before. So she’s getting to know people,” she noted. “I don’t know if we will ever land on just one. Anything can happen. But I really love the new people that we are working with now.”

Elsbeth season 3 premieres on CBS Sunday, October 12, at 9:30 p.m. ET. New episodes stream the next day on Paramount+.