David Letterman Discusses CBS’s Decision to Replace ‘Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ with Byron Allen’s ‘Comics Unleashed’
David Letterman has reacted to CBS’s decision to replace The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, moving instead to Byron Allen’s Comics Unleashed. This transition comes as CBS prepares for its late-night schedule changes when Colbert signs off in May.
CBS announced the time slot change, indicating that Allen’s show will advance to an earlier time, beginning on Friday, May 22. This decision marks a significant shift in the network’s late-night programming.
“They don’t want to spend any money, so they’re going to make money,” Letterman remarked. “They charge Byron Allen some reasonable price. He sells all the advertising for his Comics Unleashed, and it’ll be, I think, 90 minutes or two hours of comics talking about funny stuff.”
Letterman further expressed his view on Allen’s show, stating, “The show is a pretty good idea. It’s all panel. Nobody’s doing any stand-up, except they’re seated doing stand-up.”
Comics Unleashed, which has been airing at 12:35 a.m. after After Midnight with Taylor Tomlinson, will transition to an 11:35 p.m. slot for the 2026-27 season as part of an expanded time-buy agreement. The roundtable-style show has featured various comedians, including Sebastian Maniscalco, Tiffany Haddish, Gabriel Iglesias, Cedric the Entertainer, and Nate Bargatze.
Commenting on the show’s legacy, Allen stated, “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. 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.”
For further insights, view Letterman’s comments in the video below.
