Byron Allen's 'comics Unleashed' Will Replace Cbs Late Night Host Stephen Colbert

CBS is outsourcing its precocious nighttime hours to media mogul Byron Allen successful a move aimed astatine reducing programming costs.

The Paramount-owned web announced Monday that Allen’s programs “Comics Unleashed” and “Funny You Should Ask” will return complete nan 11:35 p.m. and 12:35 a.m. clip slots aft “The Late Show pinch Stephen Colbert” ends its 11-year tally connected May 21. Colbert succeeded David Letterman, who was nan original big of nan “The Late Show” erstwhile it launched successful 1993 and became nan first successful precocious nighttime show successful CBS’s history.

“Comics Unleashed,” a talk show featuring Allen and 4 comedians who tie from their stand-up routines, has been airing successful nan 12:35 a.m. hr since past June erstwhile “After Midnight With Taylor Tomlinson” ended its CBS run. The show will get nan earlier hr starting successful September, for nan afloat 2026-27 TV season.

“Funny You Should Ask,” besides hosted by Allen, features comics successful a quiz show format. The programme has been moving successful syndication since 2017.

Carrying Allen’s shows will supply a awesome savings for CBS. Allen pays CBS for nan hours and covers nan afloat accumulation costs of his programs. In return, his institution gets astir of nan commercialized units successful nan programs which his institution tin sell.

In an question and reply pinch The Times past August, Allen explained nan economics of his programs for CBS. “It’s not cheaper,” he said. “It’s zero.”

Allen’s shows are importantly little costly to nutrient than nan accepted sofa-and-desk format for a awesome TV network, which person traditionally utilized high-priced hosts, unrecorded bands and important penning staffs.

NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 16: The Late Show pinch Stephen Colbert during Thursday’s November 16, 2023 show. (Photo by Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty Images)

(CBS Photo Archive / CBS via Getty Images)

On “Comics Unleashed,” nan guests bring their ain material. Many stand-up comics opportunity nan show provides important vulnerability and tin boost a career.

Allen, a stand-up comic himself earlier he became a programme shaper and nan proprietor of a TV position group and nan Weather Channel, said he still writes immoderate of nan jokes for his programs.

Allen’s shows are designed to beryllium evergreens pinch fewer topical gags truthful they tin beryllium repeated. Some of nan “Comics Unleashed” episodes that person aired connected CBS are much than 10 years old.

CBS canceled “The Late Show pinch Stephen Colbert” successful July, citing nan program’s precocious costs and declining ratings which has deed each of precocious nighttime TV arsenic streaming has mostly displaced assignment viewing of intermezo shows.

Colbert was besides a target of President Trump, who often groused connected societal media astir nan harsh curen he gets from precocious nighttime hosts. Many manufacture observers speculated that Colbert’s show was killed to placate Trump management regulators erstwhile Paramount was being acquired by Skydance Media.

CBS executives insisted nan cancellation was based connected economics. Colbert stayed connected nan aerial for nan last twelvemonth of his statement and remained captious of Trump and Paramount management.

Allen’s programs are not apt to upset Trump arsenic they thin to debar governmental joke which tin day quickly.