As Byron Allen prepares to take over CBS’s 11:35pm slot Friday night, the media mogul is describing the transition in blunt financial terms.
“I’m putting a lot of money in their cash register,” Allen told NBC’s Chloe Melas in a new interview promoting the launch of Comics Unleashed in the former home of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. “I am a gift from the money gods—and the comedy gods.”
Beginning Friday, Allen’s long-running comedy panel series will officially replace Colbert with back-to-back episodes airing nightly at 11:35pm on CBS. The move expands Allen Media Group’s existing time-buy arrangement with the network, which already included the 12:35am hour that was previously home to After Midnight and The Late Late Show.
To hear Allen describe it, it was a deal the network couldn’t refuse.
“When Colbert got unexpectedly canceled, I said, ‘Okay, do you like money?’” Allen told NBC. “I’ll buy the time period and you can save over $110 million.”
Though Colbert was a thorn in the side of Donald Trump and his cancellation came as CBS parent Paramount was seeking regulatory approval from Trump’s FCC, CBS has insisted the decision was “purely a financial decision,” despite The Late Show remaining the top-rated program at 11:35.
Content-wise, Allen will take the time period in a dramatically different direction from the topical, politics-heavy approach that defined the Colbert era. Allen has emphasized that Comics Unleashed will continue to focus on “evergreen” comedy designed to avoid controversy—and age well in repeats.
“I don’t care who you vote for,” he said. “I’m just here to make you laugh.”
Allen added that viewers shouldn’t expect major changes to his show’s format as it moves into one of television’s most historically significant time slots.
“Nothing political, nothing sexist, nothing racist, nothing anti-Semitic, nothing homophobic,” he said. “Just be funny.”
For Allen, the move represents both a business play and a personal milestone. In the NBC interview, he reflected on watching Johnny Carson as a child while visiting NBC with his mother, who worked there as an intern, before eventually becoming one of the youngest comedians ever to perform on The Tonight Show.
“In the history of television, in almost 100 years, you’ve never had a Black person at 11:30 on ABC, NBC, CBS,” Allen said. “I think that’s important.”
Comics Unleashed makes its 11:35pm CBS premiere Friday.
“In the history of television, in almost 100 years, you’ve never had a Black person at 11:30 on ABC, NBC, CBS,” Allen said. “I think that’s important.”
Agreed….best of luck Byron Allen.
KKK Democrats will hate you, but replacing a mediocre white man like Colbert will make you a target from them
Since when tf is racist turd like you wishing luck for a black person? You described Obama as an ape, and you think people won’t notice!
And it’s Republicans who are the party of the Klan, Mucky Boy! Ever since Nixon’s Southern Stragedy!
Really? That makes Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton and Al Gore and Colbert as the KKK?
Yeah it does..
Don’t listen to them Byron!
Colbert was Jim Crow 2.0, but you will be a success.
Meanwhile, your precious toddler Drumpf is the biggest piece of racist shit to ever occupy the White House in modern times! Do you approve of him trying to wipe out and eliminate the efforts and achievements of black Americans? Because that’s what he’s trying to do!
Hypocrite, that’s you!
You are incorrect about the 3’K’s. They were DEMOCRATS. You know, the same party that was about Slavery. Try as you may, one cannot rewrite history because they disagree with it. To the other guy, nobdody cares about your race-based “theories”, DEI, or other things that are not earned through merit and/or hard work. Byron is a race-hustler, and when his contract is no renewed or gets “canceled,” he will MOST defininitely use the r-card. Yawn.
Yes, the Democratic party was where the Klan had its original base! But they changed over the years and decades to shed their racist past, and then later they passed legislation on the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act that made Democrats the party for black Americans! While Republicans shed their party of Lincoln status to embrace racists like the KKK into their party, from Nixon’s Southern Strategy to Drumpf letting them fly their racism out into the open!
That accurate enough for ya?
“Arsenio” came on aired on many CBS stations (syndicationn) in the 11:30/12:30 time slot.
“The Mediocre Five” Podcast gives it all away. They were not competitive with each other. They chose to be “friends” and lost the BROAD-based audience through their elitist vortex. Jimmy Fallon was a great STAR. He became too friendly with his competitors and apologized when he should not have.
Jimmy Fallon is easily one of the worst late night hosts ever. He has no interviewing skills and makes everything about himself.
The only reason I can come up with as to how he has a late night show is that he is blackmailing Lorne Michaels. Nothing else makes sense.
How is he trying to wipe out their achievements? Is he trying to replace Clarence Thomas, bc thats what KKK Democrats want to do.
For starters, Mucky Boy! And Thomas is being targeted because he’s a hack jurists who’s bought and paid for by billionaire Republican doners!
Stop being obtuse!
We know CBS loves money..Mr Allen you are not a pimple on Colbert’s behind The fact that you had to buy your way into this time slot speaks volumes about you and CBS.
LOL. Great point. Mr. Allen has run his television stations into the ground. They are bleeding money and he seems to have no clue about how to manage one. He purchased his stations for A LOT of money and LOST even MORE when 17 of them recently “sold.” He is full of bluster but his company is HEAVILY leveraged in debt.
Hahaha got replaced by DEI
Colbert is going to starve now.
Colbert is set for life, financially! Plus, he can do projects that he’ll enjoy doing, especially if involves going after that fat lump of a loser you worship in Drumpf!
Choke on it!
Haha you took the bait. You worship some untalented millionaire and just admitted he’s privileged.
Through hard work and perseverance! Something you millenials wouldn’t know about, Zero!
God, but you’re childishly laughable and stupid!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Yawn. Do you ever think about how Stephen, part of the “Mediocre Five” podcast all but burned Late Night and the “Late Show” in to non-existence? TDS SELF-victims have no sense of self-awareness or the ability to understand differing points of view. Ouch. I said it. lol
And it’s fucking ignorant on your part! TDS is what Drumpf lickers like you do! Slobber all over that racist pedophile because he gives you permission to be your worst selves! Ouch. I said it. lol! Suck on it and choke to death, dumbfuck!
lol hard work and perseverance yeah right
Meanwhile you’re still unemployed and he doesn’t know nor care who you are.
That’s who you millennial losers worship!
Boomers voted for Trump you goofball. Everybody under 40 loves the Austrian painter.
You mean everyone under 40, like you, loves Hitler? Well, no surprise, given how you spout off anti Semitic hate, you drooling, mouth breathing zero!
this site will be better with heavily moderate comments sections
Is Allen going to keep showing 20 year old reruns like he has been for the last year, with commercials every four minutes?
Unfortunately, Byron has become a bit of a race-hustler in recent years. He talks BIG, makes BIG “offers” for certain media properties and then never lands a deal. He paid A LOT of money for his television stations and recently sold 17 of them back to Gray Media for way LESS money. I wish him well and lots of success on CBS. However, I am of the thinking that “Jay Leno-extra-light” will send the affiliates in to pre-emption land.
If they liked money, they wouldn’t have leased their time out.