Entertainment

CBS Taps Byron Allen Show to Replace Colbert

Is CBS replacing Colbert with Comics Unleashed a bold reinvention or a desperate surrender?

Published APR 7

CBS Taps Byron Allen Show to Replace Colbert

Story

Above: Byron Allen speaks on June 10, 2024. Image credit: Jason Mendez/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival

The Facts

CBS on Monday announced that "Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen" will move to the 11:35 p.m. time slot beginning May 22, the day after "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" airs its final episode.
Paramount Press Express
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Under a time-buy agreement for the 2026-2027 season, Allen Media Group will pay CBS to air the programming and sell the available advertising spots, a model CBS says will allow the network to generate profit in late night.
CNN
FOX News
"Comics Unleashed," which Allen created in 2006, features a rotating group of comedians and has included performers such as Sebastian Maniscalco, Tiffany Haddish and Cedric the Entertainer. Two back-to-back half-hour episodes will air each weeknight.
New York Post
Deadline
Allen Media-produced "Funny You Should Ask," a comedy game show hosted by Jon Kelley that has aired in syndication since 2017, will occupy the 12:37 a.m. slot. The format involves contestants answering trivia questions with input from a panel of comedians.
LateNighter
The Hollywood Reporter
CBS canceled "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" in July, describing it as "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night." Paramount's Chair of TV Media George Cheeks said the advertising marketplace was in "significant secular decline."
CNN
Deadline
Some observers speculated that the cancellation of Colbert's show was politically motivated, given his criticism of President Donald Trump and Paramount, at the time, attempting a merger with Skydance. Colbert said in November it was "a reasonable thing to think" but declined to engage in that speculation.
New York Post
FOX News

Sources Split

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The Spin

Narrative A

This is a smart, overdue pivot by CBS, proving that the smug lecture era of late night is finally dying. Allen's "Comics Unleashed" delivers actual laughs without the political scolding, and the time-buy model guarantees CBS profits while ditching tens of millions in overhead. Allen built a media empire from the ground up, and this is exactly the kind of bold, audience-first move broadcast TV needs.

Ongoing Now

MEN'S JOURNAL

Josh Guillory on X

Narrative B

Replacing a 33-year late-night institution with the low-rated "Comics Unleashed" is CBS waving the white flag on linear TV while continuing to bend the knee to Trump. CBS is settling for lackluster filler over genuine programming ambition, which will continue to push the ratings off a cliff. No amount of spin can make swapping prestige for syndicated bargain content look like a win.

T Dog Media