(The Hill) – Byron Allen’s “Comics Unleashed” is officially moving into “The Late Show’s” time slot when the Stephen Colbert-hosted series takes its final bow on CBS next month.
The comedy-centric show, hosted by media mogul Allen, will debut in the 11:35 p.m. time slot beginning May 22, CBS announced Monday. The network said it would air back-to-back half-hour “Comics Unleashed” episodes on weekdays.
The change comes after CBS, in a stunning move last July, announced it was ending “The Late Show” this year.
“This is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night. It is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount,” CBS said in a statement at the time.
Colbert, who helmed “The Late Show” since 2015 after taking the reins from longtime host David Letterman, is known for being one of President Trump’s most vocal critics in late-night TV. His final show is poised to air on May 21.
As part of the arrangement, Allen pays CBS to lease the late-night timeslot. The benefit for CBS, ITK hears, is that the network will generate profit as part of the time-buy agreement, which covers the 2026 to 2027 TV season.
The Allen Media Group CEO had previously been airing “Comics Unleashed” on CBS in the 12:37 p.m. spot; another Allen show, “Funny You Should Ask,” will air in that time slot following Colbert’s exit.
“I created and launched ‘Comics Unleashed’ 20 years ago so my fellow comedians could have a platform to do what we all love — make people laugh,” Allen said in a statement.
“I truly appreciate CBS’ confidence in me by picking up our two-hour comedy block of ‘Comics Unleashed’ and ‘Funny You Should Ask,’ because the world can never have enough laughter,” Allen said.
