The future of late-night television continues to shift, and few people understand that better than David Letterman. The former face of CBS’s Late Show is weighing in after the network’s decision regarding how it plans to move on from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Last week, CBS revealed it won't waste any time filling the 11:35 p.m. timeslot once The Late Show closes the curtain on May 21. Comics Unleased with Byron Allen will take over, with the panel comedy show getting back-to-back half-hour episodes.
David Letterman didn’t mince words when discussing the move, framing it less as a creative decision and more as a financial one. He shared his thoughts in a video posted to his official YouTube channel, saying “They don’t want to spend any money, so they’re going to make money,. 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.“
It’s a pretty straightforward assessment from Letterman, but one that cuts to the core of what’s happening across late-night. For decades, shows like The Late Show, hosted first by Letterman and then Colbert, defined the format. It featured large writing staffs, high-profile celebrity interviews, musical guests, and timely monologues. Apparently, that formula has become too expensive for CBS to bear.
CBS previously defended its decision to move on from Stephen Colbert by pointing to rising production costs and declining revenue. Others in the industry, including Jimmy Kimmel, questioned the network's math and argued that different factors contributed to the move.
That’s where Byron Allen and his business model come in. Rather than CBS fully funding production, the network effectively leases the time slot. Allen’s company produces the show and handles ad sales, reducing risk for CBS while still generating revenue. It’s a fundamentally different approach that prioritizes profitability.
Letterman sounds disappointed by the decision to go in a financial direction rather than a creative one. The late-night legend isn't throwing any shade at Byron Allen, but more so toward the network.
Comics Unleashed isn’t built in the mold of The Late Show. It features stand-up comedians in a panel format, trading jokes and stories rather than delivering the kind of topical, host-driven content audiences have come to expect from network late-night. It’s far less expensive to produce, which makes it perfect for CBS's new approach.
And for the likes of David Letterman, it’s a reminder that the show he helped build and the format he helped define are no longer the network’s top priorities.
Add us as a preferred source on Google