REPLACEMENT FOR STEPHEN COLBERT’S 'LATE SHOW' TIME SLOT IS REVEALED

Another program will replace “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” on CBS after the late-night show ends its run in May.

Effective Friday, May 22, “Comics Unleashed” will take over the “The Late Show’s” 11:35 p.m. ET time slot with back-to-back half-hour episodes, Paramount, which owns CBS, announced April 6.

“Comics Unleashed” is hosted by Byron Allen, whose Allen Media Group produces the show. The roundtable program features Allen setting up a group of comedians on topics so they can make jokes. The show, which can currently be seen on CBS following “The Late Show” at 12:35 a.m. ET and 1:05 a.m. ET, debuted in syndication in 2006.

The comedy game show “Funny You Should Ask,” which currently airs at 1:35 a.m. ET on CBS, will then take over the 12:35 a.m. ET slot and air back-to-back 30-minute episodes, beginning May 22, as well. Hosted by Jon Kelley, that series premiered in 2017 and features comedians cracking jokes and answering questions to help contestants win money.

“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, whose TV debut came as a comedian on “The Tonight Show” when Johnny Carson was hosting in 1979, had been vocal in his desire to fill Colbert’s slot.

“Let me be clear … if they are looking for a show, my hand is already up,” he said in October, according to the Hollywood Reporter. “Fifty years I have been waiting for this moment, definitely I am going for it.”

Colbert shocked fans last July when he revealed his show was coming to an end.

“Before we start the show, I want to let you know something that I found out just last night. Next year will be our last season. The network will be ending the ‘Late Show’ in May,” Colbert said during a taping. “And, yeah, I share your feelings. It’s not just the end of our show, but it’s the end of ‘The Late Show’ on CBS.”

“I’m not being replaced, this is all just going away,” he added.

Colbert has hosted “The Late Show” since 2015, taking over from David Letterman, who hosted when the series launched in 1993. The final episode of “The Late Show” is set for May 21.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com

2026-04-07T14:11:16Z