Byron Allen lands shock CBS late-night takeover as ‘Comics Unleashed’ moves in

Byron Allen is set to take over a key late-night slot on CBS, as the network reshapes its lineup following the end of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

CBS confirmed that Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen will move into the 11:35pm slot after Stephen Colbert airs his final episode on May 21.

The long-running comedy talk show, which first launched in 2006, features a rotating panel of comedians performing stand-up material in a discussion format.

A major late-night shake-up

From May 22, CBS will air back-to-back half-hour episodes of Comics Unleashed from Monday to Friday in the newly vacated slot.

The programming block will continue with two episodes of Funny You Should Ask, another Allen-produced comedy game show, airing at 12:37am.

Allen welcomed the move, calling it a milestone moment for the format.

“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,” he said in a statement, thanking CBS for backing the expanded two-hour comedy block.

End of ‘The Late Show’ era

CBS cancelled The Late Show in July, bringing an end to a decades-long late-night staple that was previously hosted by David Letterman before Colbert took over in 2015.

Parent company Paramount Global said the decision was driven by financial pressures in the late-night space, stressing it was not related to the show’s performance or content.

Colbert’s final episode is scheduled for May 21, although details about his final guests have not been revealed.

A different direction for late night

Unlike Colbert’s politically driven monologues, Allen has previously said he aims to keep Comics Unleashed focused on “family-friendly” and non-political humour.

The move signals a clear shift in CBS’ late-night strategy, as the network pivots towards broader, advertiser-friendly comedy formats.

Colbert has already announced his next step, revealing he will co-write a new film set in The Lord of the Rings universe with his son.