CBS to sell late-night hours to Byron Allen (Comics Unleashed) as Colbert show ends

[IcyPeas]

They're replacing Colbert with this?

— Parker Molloy (@parkermolloy.com) 2026-04-06T21:35:43.000Z

Paramount Skydance-owned (PSKY.O), CBS will move Allen's comedy talk show, "Comics Unleashed", to the slot under a time buy agreement, with the series ​airing two back-to-back half-hour episodes nightly beginning May 22, ​the network said.
...
A time buy, a common practice in ⁠late night and early morning hours, is when a network ​sells a specific block of airtime to an outside producer ​or company, rather than filling that slot with its own programming.

The agreement is for the 2026-2027 TV season and will take CBS from financially challenged ​to profitable in late night.

[Intractable]

1. We should neither watch nor post the clips on DU.

F*ck 'em!

[Initech]

4. Yup, I refuse to give Ellison's CBS a minute or dime of my time and money.

May those sick psychopaths go bankrupt. They belong in prison for aiding and abetting Netanyahu's illegal genocide.

[Intractable]

6. I think Ellison knew he would lose money on CBS, and bought it anyway to get in good with Trump.

Potentially to make it up with other deals and mergers.

[Initech]

7. Yup, because the only domestic issue Trump cares about is what's on TV tonight.

And that nobody says anything that might hurt his precious little feelings.

[Uncle Joe]

2. Their view of the world reminds me of an old "Soviet Union" Wendy's commercial

Thanks for the thread IcyPeas

[Coventina]

10. This is one of my all time favorite commercials!!

Very nice!

[oasis]

18. Nice!👍

[newdeal2]

3. Never watched it surprisingly

I’m not sure if it’s funny or not, but CBS is making money off of this vs. investing money in original content. Shows how conservative they will play it now. Bad news for HBO and CNN.

[edhopper]

5. Selling off time for pennies

the time buy will return a small fraction of what Late Night ad revenue was.

[msongs]

8. maybe the new programming will be be an improvement? never seen colbert nt

[eShirl]

15. he should call it "Comics Leashed"

[Norbert]

9. The show you watch only when you can't find the remote

It's like replacing a Monet with an Elvis in velvet.

Kimmel should get the lion's share of Colbert's ratings.

[Coventina]

11. I plan on switching to Kimmel when Colbert ends.

[Xolodno]

13. Kimmel may not be on for much longer.

His contract was ending and he signed up for a one year extension despite saying a number of times he's ready to leave. In another post, I'm speculating he only took the extension to give ABC time to work with Colbert. And they both have the same agent.

[Coventina]

16. If Colbert moves to ABC, and Kimmel is ready to quit, I'm good with that!!

Thanks for the inside scoop!

[Xolodno]

12. I wonder if ABC is looking to snag Colbert.

Not to long ago Kimmel announced his contract was being renewed for one more year as his current one was about to expire. Plus he's expressed interest in finally hanging it up. That extension could be a favor for ABC to negotiate and work out details with Colbert to take over Kimmel's spot. They both even have the same agent.

Not to mention, also see if CBS gives up in this game of chicken they created. Now it looks like they are not. Personally, I think CBS buying Time Warner is really going to hurt along with the programing changes on CBS. I wouldn't be surprised in a few years to shore up CBS, they sell Time Warner in pieces for an injection of funds.

[TommyT139]

17. He's already got his next gig.

Stephen Colbert is writing a new Lord of the Rings movie, to be released after Hunt for Gollum.

https://www.npr.org/2026/03/25/nx-s1-5760799/stephen-colbert-lord-of-the-rings

[eShirl]

14. I was going to make a "That's Incredible!" joke, but it turns out Byron Allen was on "Real People" instead

late 70s to mid-80s

[sarisataka]

19. It sounds like "Comics Leashed" would be a more appropriate title nt

[LudwigPastorius]

20. I have no problem with Byron Allen, but...

that show BLOWS.

C-list standup comedians sitting around in an "informal" setting telling stale, canned jokes...

CBS would probably get better ratings with a repeating, half-hour "male enhancement" infomercial.