The iconic late-night talk show will air its final episode on May 21 after CBS announced its cancellation last summer.

Stephen Colbert details note he wrote to Byron Allen after learning Comics Unleashed would replace The Late Show

The iconic late-night talk show will air its final episode on May 21 after CBS announced its cancellation last summer.

By Marina Watts

Marina Watts

Marina Watts is a news writer for with seven years experience covering entertainment, pop culture and celebrity news. Her previous work appears in PEOPLE, Bustle and Newsweek.

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May 6, 2026 2:07 p.m. ET

Stephen Colbert; Byron Allen. Credit:

- Stephen Colbert revealed what he wrote in his letter to Byron Allen after he learned that CBS would replace *The Late Show* with Allen's *Comics Unleashed*.

- Allen was the youngest comedian to perform on *The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson*.

- The last episode of *The Late Show With Stephen Colbert *airs on May 21.

Stephen Colbert is reflecting on his imminent departure from late night.

The *Late Show With Stephen Colbert* host addressed its conclusion and the series that might replace it — Byron Allen's *Comics Unleashed* — in a new interview.

"God bless him. I know Byron," Colbert said when asked about CBS' plans for filling the *Late Show*'s time slot in a cover story with *The Hollywood Reporter*. "We got to know each other last year, actually. He's fascinating."

"You know his history with Carson?" Colbert continued, referring to Allen being the youngest comedian ever to perform on *The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson*, which he did when he was only 18 years old. "When I found out, I wrote him the next morning and I said, 'Hey, congrats. I heard you got the time. Good for you. Wouldn't it be lovely if you could drop Mr. Carson a note?'" (Carson died in 2005 at 79.)

As for *Comics Unleashed* being "better or worse" than a more traditional late-night show filling his show's slot, Colbert said simply, "It's none of my business."**

Stephen Colbert on 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' in September 2025.

Scott Kowalchyk/CBS

CBS announced on April 6 that *Comics Unleashed With Byron Allen* would take over the network's 11:35 p.m. ET/PT time slot after *The Late Show* ended. The roundtable talk show would be followed at 12:35 a.m. with *Funny You Should Ask*, a game show produced by Allen.

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"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 at the time. "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."**

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Less than two weeks later, however, Paramount's chair of TV media, George Cheeks, who oversees CBS, hinted that *Comics Unleashed*'s time in the old *Late Show *slot may be temporary. "We landed on it for a couple reasons,” Cheeks said at a press conference, Deadline reported. "First off, we did a one-season deal. So, we are still going to develop other ideas, other concepts. But to go into immediate profitability in that slot made a lot of sense for us right now."

Cheeks added, "Byron's been a great partner to us at 12:30, so we feel confident he will continue to be a great partner for us at 11:30, as well."**

Stephen Colbert on 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' in March 2026.

Scott Kowalchyk/CBS

CBS announced last July that *The Late Show* would conclude its historic 33-year run in May 2026 at the end of the broadcast season, retiring Colbert's show and the franchise as a whole. "We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable," the network said in a statement at the time. "We are proud that Stephen called CBS home. He and the broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late-night television."**

The statement continued, "This is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night. It is not related in any way to the show's performance, content, or other matters happening at Paramount."

After the shocking news broke, Colbert told his late-night audience, "It is a fantastic job. I wish somebody else was getting it. And it's a job that I'm looking forward to doing with this usual gang of idiots for another 10 months. It's going to be fun."

The last episode of *The Late Show With Stephen Colbert *airs on May 21 at 11:35 p.m. ET/PT.**

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