Byron Allen is set to assume a prominent late-night position on CBS as the network revamps its schedule following the conclusion of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. CBS announced that Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen will occupy the 11:35 p.m. time slot after Colbert’s final episode airs on May 21.
Originally launched in 2006, Comics Unleashed is a long-running comedy talk show featuring a rotating cast of comedians delivering stand-up routines within a conversational format. This transition marks a significant reshuffling of CBS’s late-night programming.
Starting May 22, CBS will broadcast consecutive half-hour episodes of Comics Unleashed from Monday through Friday in the newly available slot. Following this block, two episodes of Funny You Should Ask, another comedy game show produced by Allen, will air at 12:37 a.m.
Allen expressed enthusiasm about the change, describing it as a milestone for the comedy format. He noted that he created and launched Comics Unleashed two decades ago to provide comedians with a platform to entertain audiences and thanked CBS for supporting the expanded two-hour comedy segment.
The end of The Late Show era was confirmed in July when CBS decided to cancel the program, which had been a late-night fixture for decades. The show was previously hosted by David Letterman before Stephen Colbert took over in 2015. Paramount Global, CBS’s parent company, cited financial challenges in the late-night market as the reason for the cancellation, emphasizing that it was unrelated to the show’s content or ratings.
Colbert’s final episode is scheduled for May 21, though the details regarding his closing guests remain undisclosed. This change reflects a new direction for CBS’s late-night content, shifting away from Colbert’s politically charged monologues toward more broadly appealing, family-friendly comedy.
Allen has previously stated that Comics Unleashed focuses on non-political humor suitable for all audiences, signaling CBS’s intent to adopt a more advertiser-friendly approach. Meanwhile, Colbert has announced plans to co-write a new film set in The Lord of the Rings universe alongside his son, marking his next creative venture.
