CBS to replace Stephen Colbert’s ‘Late Show’ with Byron Allen comedy
CBS has announced “Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen” as a replacement for “The Late Show” starting May 22, following the departure of Stephen Colbert.
Stephen Colbert has revealed that he sent a letter of congratulations to Byron Allen after CBS announced that The Late Show would be replaced by the producer’s show Comics Unleashed.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published on May 6, the late-night show host reacted to the news that Allen-created comedy talk show “Comics Unleashed” will take over CBS’ 11:35 p.m. slot immediately after “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” ends later this month.
“God bless him. I know Byron. We met last year, actually. He’s a fascinating guy. Do you know his past with Carson?” Colbert told the magazine, referring to the fact that Allen became the youngest comedian to appear on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson when he was 18 years old.
“Anyway, when I found out, I wrote him a letter the next morning and said, ‘Hey, congratulations. I heard you had some time. That’s great. Wouldn’t it be nice if Mr. Carson wrote you a letter?'” Colbert joked. Carson was the host of The Tonight Show from 1962 to 1992 and died in 2005.
But when The Hollywood Reporter asked Colbert what he thought about “The Late Show” not being replaced by a traditional late-night show, Colbert simply said, “That doesn’t concern me.”
CBS canceled “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” in July 2025, describing the move as “a financial decision against a difficult background in late night.” In April, the network confirmed that Colbert’s time slot would be filled with “Byron Allen and Unleashed Comics.” The show, which began in 2006, is a series in which comedians take turns presenting their stories in a panel format. “Comics Unleashed” is already airing on CBS after “The Late Show.”
CBS is leasing the slot to Mr. Allen, who told the Los Angeles Times last year that the economics of “Comics Unleashed,” which covers production costs, were attractive to the network. “It’s not cheap,” he told the Los Angeles Times. “Zero.” In April, Paramount TV Media Chairman George Cheeks told reporters that while CBS was still developing other late-night programming ideas, Allen’s one-year deal would allow the network to “quickly get into the black with that slot.”
Colbert reveals ‘White Whale’ guest, addresses unhappy ‘Lord of the Rings’ fans
Other topics brought up in Colbert’s Hollywood Reporter interview included the guest he wanted to have on “The Late Show” more than anyone else: Pope Leo XIV. “The Pope is my Moby Dick,” he said, adding that he had even written a letter to the pope asking him: “Will you be on my show? We don’t have to talk about politics.”
Colbert also mentioned a project he has planned after The Late Show ends: writing a new installment of the Lord of the Rings series. He is working on the screenplay with his screenwriter son and Philippa Bowen, who co-wrote the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.
The Hollywood Reporter asked Colbert to respond to Lord of the Rings fans who are unhappy with his hiring and think he only got the job because he is a known fan of the series.
“It’s not worth bringing up for me, because all you can do as an artist is follow your heart and the techniques you’ve learned to turn this into a drama and not a fandom,” Colbert said. “And luckily I don’t have to do this alone. I have an amazing Sherpa in Philippa Boyen who cares about this issue as much as I do. And let me just say that every moment so far has been a joy.”
Colbert is currently in the final stages of his “Late Show” episodes, with the final episode scheduled to air on May 21st. “Comics Unleashed” will take over the CBS slot starting the next day. Colbert hasn’t revealed details about his last show, but he’s been going all out in recent weeks with guests like Oprah Winfrey and former President Barack Obama.
