Byron Allen’s ‘Comics Unleashed’ will replace CBS late night host Stephen Colbert

CBS is outsourcing its late night hours to media mogul Byron Allen in a move aimed at reducing programming costs.

The Paramount-owned network announced Monday that Allen’s programs “Comics Unleashed” and “Funny You Should Ask” will take over the 11:35 p.m. and 12:35 a.m. time slots after “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” ends its 11-year run on May 21. Colbert succeeded David Letterman, who was the original host of the “The Late Show” when it launched in 1993 and became the first successful late night show in CBS’s history.

“Comics Unleashed,” a talk show featuring Allen and four comedians who draw from their stand-up routines, has been airing in the 12:35 a.m. hour since last June when “After Midnight With Taylor Tomlinson” ended its CBS run. The show will get the earlier hour starting in September, for the full 2026-27 TV season.

“Funny You Should Ask,” also hosted by Allen, features comics in a quiz show format. The program has been running in syndication since 2017.

Carrying Allen’s shows will provide a major savings for CBS. Allen pays CBS for the hours and covers the full production costs of his programs. In return, his company gets most of the commercial units in the programs which his company can sell.

In an interview with The Times last August, Allen explained the economics of his programs for CBS. “It’s not cheaper,” he said. “It’s zero.”

Allen’s shows are significantly less expensive to produce than the traditional sofa-and-desk format for a major TV network, which have traditionally used high-priced hosts, live bands and substantial writing staffs.

On “Comics Unleashed,” the guests bring their own material. Many stand-up comics say the show provides significant exposure and can boost a career.

Allen, a stand-up comic himself before he became a program producer and the owner of a TV station group and the Weather Channel, said he still writes some of the jokes for his programs.

Allen’s shows are designed to be evergreens with few topical gags so they can be repeated. Some of the “Comics Unleashed” episodes that have aired on CBS are more than 10 years old.

CBS canceled “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” in July, citing the program’s high costs and declining ratings which has hit all of late night TV as streaming has largely displaced appointment viewing of entertainment shows.

Colbert was also a target of President Trump, who frequently groused on social media about the harsh treatment he gets from late night hosts. Many industry observers speculated that Colbert’s show was killed to placate Trump administration regulators when Paramount was being acquired by Skydance Media.

CBS executives insisted the cancellation was based on economics. Colbert stayed on the air for the final year of his contract and remained critical of Trump and Paramount management.

Allen’s programs are not likely to upset Trump as they tend to avoid political humor which can date quickly.

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