In July 2025, it was announced that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert would end after almost 11 years. At the time, CBS said that the show’s cancellation was “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night.” The final episode is scheduled to air on May 21. However, unlike what happened when David Letterman stepped away from the franchise in 2015, another host won’t be taking over for Colbert.
Instead, CBS will be moving Comics Unleashed, a half-hour comedy talk show hosted by Byron Allen, into the 11:35 p.m. time slot currently occupied by The Late Show. Comics Unleashed originally ran in the early-morning hours between 2006 and 2016 and was revived in 2023. It’s been following Colbert since After Midnight was canceled in 2025, and had previously done so as a temporary replacement for The Late Late Show with James Corden. Beginning May 22, two episodes of Comics Unleashed will air back-to-back in place of Colbert, and the comedy game show Funny You Should Ask—also produced by Allen—will be making its CBS debut in the 12:37 a.m. spot.
“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.” Comics Unleashed started producing new episodes last year for the first time in nearly a decade and was expected to add 132 half-hour shows to its catalog by 2026. Prior to that, earlier installments were rerun, showcasing a variety of popular comedians, from stand-up veterans to up-and-comers.
Funny You Should Ask, on the other hand, launched in 2017 on Comedy.TV. Hosted by Jon Kelley, it features a panel of comedians answering trivia questions in humorous ways. Contestants then have to guess whether their answers are correct. Regulars have included Jon Lovitz, Louie Anderson, and Howie Mandel. The series will arrive on CBS with more than 400 episodes under its belt.
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