Stephen Colbert set to write new ‘Lord of the Rings’ film
Stephen Colbert announced he’s set to write a new “Lord of the Rings” film as “The Late Show” nears its end.
CBS has revealed the future of its nightly time slot after the end of “The Late Show.”
The network announced on April 6 that “Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen” will move into its 11:35 p.m. slot after “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” concludes on May 21.
The comedy talk show, which premiered in syndication in 2006, is hosted by Byron Allen and features a rotating panel of comedians performing their material. It currently airs on CBS immediately after “The Late Show.”
Starting May 22, CBS will air back-to-back, half-hour episodes of “Comics Unleashed” Monday through Friday, the network said. This will be followed by back-to-back episodes of the comedy game show “Funny You Should Ask,” which is also produced by Allen, in the 12:37 a.m. time slot.
“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.”
CBS canceled “The Late Show” in July, ending the long-running late-night comedy institution previously hosted by David Letterman. But the network had until now not revealed what it planned to air in the show’s time slot.
Paramount, the parent company of CBS, previously said that canceling “The Late Show” was “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night” and was “not related in any way to the show’s performance, content, or other matters happening at Paramount.”
Though Colbert’s “Late Show” is known for its pointed political humor, Allen told The Los Angeles Times last year that he wants comedians to bring non-political material to “Comics Unleashed.”
“I tell the comedians we’re shooting ‘I Love Lucy,'” Allen said. “Something that’s evergreen. So I don’t want to hear any political humor. Just be funny, family-friendly and advertiser-friendly.”
CBS briefly replaced James Corden’s “The Late Late Show” with “Comics Unleashed” starting in 2023 after Corden stepped away from late-night. This time slot after “The Late Show” was later occupied by the comedy game show “After Midnight,” which was canceled in 2025 and replaced by “Comics Unleashed” again.
Colbert’s final episode of “The Late Show” is scheduled for May 21. He has not revealed his final guests. The comedian recently announced his next major gig after the show ends: He will write a new “Lord of the Rings” film with his son.
