After The Late Show With Stephen Colbert ends — as in, one day after — CBS will usher in its next era of late night programming.
The network will air Comics Unleashed With Byron Allen in the 11:35 p.m. beginning May 22, followed by another Allen-produced series, the comedy game show Funny You Should Ask, at 12:35 a.m. The Late Show will sign off on May 21.
Comics Unleashed has been airing in the later spot this season and also aired there during the 2023 writers’ and actors’ strikes.
Notably — especially for CBS’ bottom line — Allen is buying time from the network to air the two shows, with his company, Allen Media Group, selling the available ad spots in the two hours. The change will likely see CBS turn a profit in late night.
“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, founder, chairman and CEO of Allen Media Group, 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 has publicly expressed his interest in the 11:35 spot. “Let me be clear … if they are looking for a show, my hand is already up,” Allen said in October 2025, two and a half months after CBS announced it was ending The Late Show. “Fifty years I have been waiting for this moment, definitely I am going for it.”
Comics Unleashed, hosted by Allen, features a group of comedians doing short sets on topics provided by Allen. The show is something of a hybrid between a talk show and a stand-up showcase. Jon Kelley hosts Funny You Should Ask, a game show in which two contestants answer trivia questions with input from a group of comics.
Allen, Carolyn Folks, Jennifer Lucas, Jodi Miller and Peter Steen are executive producers of both shows. Dylan King also exec produces Comics Unleashed, while Bob Boden, Scott Satin and Eric Charbonnel are EPs of Funny You Should Ask.
