Byron Allen marked Comics Unleashed’s arrival in CBS’ 11:35 p.m. timeslot Friday night by paying tribute to Stephen Colbert, Johnny Carson—and Procter & Gamble.
“Tonight is a big night, and I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge some of the late-night pioneers I’ve admired over the years,” Allen said from the Comics Unleashed set.
He then rattled off a list that spanned generations of late-night television: “Steve Allen, Jack Paar, David Letterman, Jay Leno, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Joan Rivers, Arsenio Hall, Bill Maher, Chelsea Handler, John Oliver, Conan O’Brien, Seth Meyers, Jon Stewart, Samantha Bee, Trevor Noah, and the great Stephen Colbert.”
Allen reserved his most personal comments for Carson, whom he called “my personal favorite and a childhood hero.”
Allen recalled meeting Carson when he was 14, then appearing on The Tonight Show at 18—an appearance he said “changed my life forever.”
“Mr. Johnny Carson,” Allen said.
The remarks came during a new episode of Comics Unleashed, Allen’s syndicated comedy showcase, which has now moved into the CBS slot long occupied by The Late Late Show.
But notably, Allen did not address the milestone from within the episode itself. Instead, his comments aired during the show’s first commercial break.
That made the placement feel especially apropos. Allen is not only hosting the show; through Allen Media Group, he is also selling the ad time for its CBS run. And after thanking the audience “for allowing us to do what we love: make you laugh,” Allen’s message shifted into sponsor-thank-you territory.
“I’d also like to thank our incredible partners at CBS, Google, YouTube and one of our sponsors, Procter & Gamble,” Allen said.
“Because this world can never have enough laughter,” Allen concluded. “Thank you.”
The message was followed by a commercial for a P&G product: Head & Shoulders.
Watch Allen’s complete opening night message at the top of this post.
