Byron Allen made his mark as a standup comedian on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” at just 18 years old back in 1979. More than four decades later, he has transformed into a media tycoon, yet he continues to eye a coveted late-night opportunity.
At Wednesday’s Advertising Week event in New York, Allen expressed his eagerness to secure the 11:35 p.m. slot on CBS next year, following the conclusion of “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” as CBS announced its cancellation this past July due to financial considerations.
“If they’re searching for a show, I’m ready and waiting,” he told moderator Bill Carter. “For 50 years, I’ve been preparing for this moment. I’m absolutely going for it.”
Currently, Allen’s show, “Comics Unleashed With Byron Allen,” is scheduled on CBS at 12:35 a.m., a spot recently held by “After Midnight” and previously by “The Late Late Show With James Corden.” This arrangement poses minimal risk for CBS, as Allen purchases the slot and manages the advertising sales himself.
“I’m spending millions to establish my credibility at 12:35,” he stated. “I am leading in this time slot. If analytics count, we’re already ahead.” (Since Allen’s show operates as a time buy, its ratings are not readily available; therefore, Variety hasn’t verified this claim or the specific metrics he references.)
CBS has yet to disclose its plans for the late-night timeslot after Colbert’s show wraps up next May. Potential directions include reverting to reruns of dramas (“Crimetime After Primetime”), which were aired prior to “Late Show With David Letterman” starting in 1993. The network might also consider extending local news segments by half an hour or rerunning episodes at midnight. Alternatively, CBS could accept Allen’s proposal to transition “Comics Unleashed” to the 11:35 or midnight slot, should they favor an hour-long local news segment at 11 p.m.
As it stands, “Comics Unleashed” airs as two half-hour episodes each night: the first featuring a new installment and the latter showcasing a classic episode from the series’ extensive library. Between 2006 and 2016, the show recorded around 233 episodes before recommencing new productions for the 2025-2026 television season on CBS.
Following the conclusion of “The Late Late Show With James Corden” in 2023, Allen proposed the “Comics Unleashed” time buy to CBS as a fill-in for the 12:35 slot until the debut of “After Midnight,” which was set to launch in January 2024.
“I highlighted the significant opportunity available here,” Allen explained his approach to CBS. “I suggested, ‘Why invest $35 million in a new program at this hour? Let me provide you with the show, and I’ll willingly produce it; you can save that substantial amount and allocate it elsewhere.’ CBS agreed, stating that it was a logical decision. We conducted a 19-week trial in the fall of 2023, and it performed remarkably well.”
When Taylor Tomlinson, the host of “After Midnight,” decided to exit in early 2025, CBS canceled the show entirely, allowing Allen to reclaim the 12:35 slot.
“I argued that they could never surpass our show statistically. We had produced about 260 episodes by that time, featuring around 620 comedians who’ve graced our stage. I’ve continually gathered the best comedy writers in the world; they’ve crafted and refined the material across various venues. We film the show for close to an hour and then trim it down to 22 minutes. From the start, I insisted the content must be timeless—no topical or political commentary whatsoever. Zero tolerance for any racism, sexism, anti-Semitism, or homophobia; I want none of that… The advertising community has shown overwhelming support for us.”
Allen, who has pivoted from comedian to mogul, founded the Allen Media Group three decades ago, initially emphasizing syndicated content and subsequently branching into diverse media platforms. He now oversees a network of television stations (currently in the process of divesting them), numerous lifestyle channels, the Weather Channel, as well as digital outlets such as The Grio and HBCU Go.
