As Stephen Colbert exits, the future of late-night TV talk shows dims

by

During Disney’s presentation to advertisers, Jimmy Kimmel expressed support for Stephen Colbert, who recently left CBS, in his yearly address to the advertising community.

Losing your job is tough enough, Kimmel pointed out, but just picture being replaced by the owner of the Weather Channel!

Byron Allen, who owns the Weather Channel, found the joke amusing when it was shared with him on a recent call. He said he’s a fan of Jimmy Kimmel.

Comedian Byron Allen, known for his confidence, is taking over a late-night slot on CBS. Starting Friday, episodes of his show “Comics Unleashed,” which features up-and-coming stand-up comedians, will air at 11:35 p.m., replacing “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”

Jay Leno’s success is impressive, but it also highlights a potential problem for traditional late-night talk shows. With the rise of streaming, this long-popular TV format may not be able to continue as it has in the past.

As a big fan of late-night, I was shocked when CBS canceled Stephen Colbert’s show. They said it was losing them around $40 million a year, claiming fewer people are watching traditional late-night TV now that streaming is so popular. But honestly, a lot of people in the industry don’t buy that explanation. The rumor is Skydance Media, which is trying to buy Paramount (the company that owns CBS), didn’t want Colbert constantly criticizing Trump. Apparently, they thought silencing him would make it easier to get the deal approved by regulators – and sure enough, the FCC signed off just days after the cancellation was announced. It just feels… suspicious, you know?

Anyone who’s worked on a late-night TV show recently will tell you the format is facing serious financial difficulties. Traditional late-night shows – the ones with live audiences, big writing and production staffs, and well-paid hosts – are struggling to stay relevant as fewer people watch traditional TV and advertising money dries up. CBS has been the first to respond, but other networks are considering abandoning the format entirely.

Nielsen data shows that viewership of “The Late Show” has decreased by 20% among adults aged 18-49 since 2022. Overall advertising spending on late-night talk shows also fell, dropping from $519.7 million in 2017 to $209 million in 2025, according to Guideline.

Ted Harbert, a former television network executive involved in the beginnings of shows like “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” believes that late-night television is struggling due to the rise of digital technology. He stated, “Nothing lasts forever, especially in television,” emphasizing the changing landscape.

Comedy clips from TV shows are incredibly popular online, reaching huge audiences through social media. However, the money earned from people watching those clips doesn’t come close to the revenue networks make from live TV viewers.

For the past decade, late-night talk shows have used YouTube to join national discussions and promote their programs. However, Chris Harbert argues that the idea that these short online clips – like funny moments or interview highlights – would actually bring people back to watching the full shows on TV was a mistake.

He explained that the shows were hurting their own ratings by releasing short clips online after they originally aired on television. Viewers, he noted, generally preferred watching a few quick, five-minute segments to watching the entire show.

Late-night talk shows used to be incredibly profitable because they were popular with young adults – a group advertisers pay a lot to reach. However, that same young audience was the first to switch to streaming services and stop watching traditional TV, which relies on people tuning in at specific times.

Hollywood Inc.

Ana Navarro, originally from Nicaragua, has become the most visible Republican voice criticizing President Trump, appearing on shows like ‘The View’ and CNN’s ‘NewsNight,’ as well as her new online show, ‘Bleep! With Ana Navarro’.

Daniel Kellison, who previously worked as a producer on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and “The Late Show with David Letterman,” pointed out that Jimmy Kimmel’s TV ratings have actually gone up this year, despite being criticized by the Trump administration for his critical comments.

Despite recent fluctuations, the general direction remains a decline. Kellison thinks CBS canceling Colbert might be an attempt to satisfy Donald Trump, but he also acknowledges that this type of show needs to change with how people consume media now.

He believes there will always be people interested in discussing politics and life, and that shows covering these topics will continue to evolve. He feels it’s up to creators to find new and effective ways to present them.

CBS is looking to create its own late-night show in the future, but for the next year, it’s letting Allen take over that time slot. Allen’s company will pay CBS for the airtime, handle all production costs, and sell the advertising – and Allen will also host the show. This arrangement will ensure CBS doesn’t lose money during that time.

“Comics Unleashed” has been airing at 12:35 a.m. ever since CBS stopped producing “After Midnight” last year. Once “After Midnight” shifts to an earlier time, it will be replaced by “Funny You Should Ask,” another comedy show hosted by John Kelley that features a quiz format.

Allen grew up admiring late-night television, and fondly remembers visiting the NBC studio in Burbank with his mother, who worked as a tour guide. He often watched Johnny Carson film “The Tonight Show” and considered Carson a hero and mentor. At 18, Allen even had the chance to perform stand-up comedy on the show himself.

Allen requested CBS delay the premiere of “Comics Unleashed” to May 22nd, a date chosen to honor the anniversary of Johnny Carson’s last show in 1992. However, he’s practical when it comes to the financial considerations of scheduling the show at that time.

I’m so thrilled to hear Allen say that “Comics Unleashed” is finally turning a profit! Nielsen numbers show the show’s audience has really been growing – a fantastic 26% since October, especially considering it airs at 12:35 a.m. It’s great to see hard work paying off.

Jimmy Kimmel claims CBS is replacing Stephen Colbert with Tim Allen’s show because “Comics Unleashed” avoids political jokes that might upset the White House, especially as Skydance Media nears a deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery.

Jimmy Kimmel joked that CBS seems to be intentionally scheduling less controversial content at 11:35 p.m., like reruns of the 2007 comedy show ‘Comics Unleashed’ with Paula Poundstone and Andy Dick, to avoid upsetting the president.

Hollywood Inc.

Okay, so here’s the deal: things are getting pretty interesting – and a little scary – over at CNN and the Discovery Channel. Paramount just bought Warner Bros. Discovery, and it sounds like they’re planning some big changes. From what I’m hearing, there’s a lot of pressure to cut costs, meaning layoffs are likely. And honestly, it sounds like there’s even pressure to make the news more appealing to Trump, which, as a movie buff who loves a good story, feels…wrong. It’s a messy situation, and I’m keeping a close eye on how it all plays out.

I’ve noticed a lot of big names got their start on ‘Comics Unleashed’ – over a thousand comedians have been on that show! While you won’t find folks like Poundstone or Dick in that lineup, it’s not about the comedy itself. The show just made a business decision to steer clear of political humor, and I respect that.

The podcast guests focus on timeless stories and everyday experiences, which is why episodes remain popular even years later. They avoid mentioning specific products, events, or anything else that would quickly become outdated.

You know, when we started filming the very first episode twenty years ago, I told everyone my goal was to create something as timelessly funny as ‘I Love Lucy.’ I really want people to be able to watch these shows now and still laugh at them twenty years down the line – that’s what I’m aiming for.

Allen announced that his company plans to create 130 new episodes of “Comics Unleashed” for the 2026-2027 television season.

Recent late-night hosts have focused a lot on politics because it’s been successful in attracting viewers.

When Stephen Colbert began hosting “The Late Show” in 2015, ratings initially struggled. Viewers were familiar with his character from “The Colbert Report” on Comedy Central, but weren’t as familiar with Colbert himself as a host.

On the night Donald Trump unexpectedly won the 2016 presidential election against Hillary Clinton, Kelly Kahl, a CBS Entertainment executive at the time, texted Chris Licht, the executive producer of “The Late Show,” saying it was “great news for the show.”

Colbert developed his signature comedic style on the show, which quickly became the most-watched program and has remained popular ever since.

Read More

2026-05-21 12:32