CBS has found its replacement for Taylor Tomlinson (kind of).
Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen will take over the time slot vacated by After Midnight starting in September, CBS announced Tuesday.
The move returns Comics Unleashed to a spot it previously occupied in 2023, filling a four-month gap between the final rebroadcasts of The Late Late Show with James Corden and the premiere of After Midnight. (Setting The Late Late Show’s replacement had faced delays amid the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.)
As it did during that run, CBS will air two episodes of Comics Unleashed back-to-back each night.
Hosted by Byron Allen, each episode of Comics Unleashed features a panel of comedians in a roundtable format. The program has kept a steady presence on the airwaves since it first premiered in 2006, but its long run has largely consisted of old content. Until 2014, the show aired episodes originally produced between 2006-2007. Its 2023 run on CBS consisted of both reruns and never-before-seen episodes, all of which were shot prior to 2023.
CBS cancelled After Midnight earlier this year following Taylor Tomlinson’s decision to return to stand-up full-time. While the show had initially scored a season-three renewal that had not yet been announced, CBS reversed course following the host’s decision to depart, rather than keep the show going with a new face. At the same time, the network announced it had decided not to air any original programming in its place, making it the first time in thirty years that CBS has not had its own 12:30 late-night show.
Comics Unleashed is neither produced nor owned by CBS. Produced by Allen Media Group, the show had been syndicated to a roster of stations that included many CBS affiliates (often airing after The Late Late Show).
Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen will take its place in the 12:37 AM slot the night of Monday, September 22nd on CBS. It will also stream on Paramount+.
byron hasnt taped new episodes of this show since 2014. when he was the gap filler between corden and midnight i think there were several instances of episodes playing featuring long-dead celebrities. i get that he is almost definitely paying CBS for the timeslot (like he does with specials across NBC and CBS) but honestly i’d rather CBS just gave up the hour. or at the very least tape some new shit.
Isn’t Byron Allen’s “influence” all over the networks with his ownership of so many tv properties? Why give him a bigger forum than he already has. Is CBS THAT desperate?
I would rather watch an hour of the under- desk pedal machine commercial. I always thought that the previous run of Comics Unleashed was a fluke. Like, even the quality of film isn’t good. It looks washed out…. much like the comics on that show. Save Busy Phillips from QVC…. get Jon Lovett or Bob the Drag Queen to do a show.
With CBS unwilling to spend money on a 2nd “late show”, we are not getting Busy Phillips or Chelsea Handler hosting the 1237am time slot.
And no way CBS bothers to show reruns of either Letterman or Ferguson.
Sad, I wish they would bring back Craig Ferguson