Key Points
Byron Allen’s Comics Unleashed series officially took over Stephen Colbert’s Late Show time slot on CBS on May 22.
Allen says his comedy roundtable series, which launched in 2006, is “not trying to hold on to [Colbert’s] audience.”
The founder of Allen Media Group has promised “no politics” on Comics Unleashed.
Byron Allen isn’t too concerned over how his replacement series for The Late Show With Stephen Colbert will fare with audiences.
Allen does not see himself as a substitute for Stephen Colbert and has plans for an entirely different kind of entertainment for late-night audiences, he told NPR ahead of Comics Unleashed With Byron Allen taking over The Late Show‘s long-held time slot on CBS.
“At the end of the day, I’m not trying to replace Colbert,” Allen said in the interview. “I am not trying to hold on to his audience because Comics Unleashed has been around 20 years and has its own audience.”
Byron Allen on NPR’s Newsmakers
Credit: npr/Youtube
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“Not everyone’s going to love me,” Allen added. “Not everyone’s going to love the fact that I’m not being racist or antisemitic or sexist.”
The founder of Allen Media Group’s comments come amid speculation that The Late Show was not only canceled after 33 years due to financial reasons, but because both Colbert and the show’s political humor had drawn the ire of President Donald Trump.
When asked by NPR’s Ailsa Chang whether anyone from CBS or Paramount has discussed “boundaries not to cross or topics to avoid” on Comics Unleashed, Allen replied, “absolutely not.”
“I have absolutely not had any conversations with anybody at CBS or Paramount about what to say or not to say,” Allen continued. “Do you know that I’ve been taping this show here since July or August and somebody from CBS just came by to say hello and thank us. Visited the set one time, came by to say ‘We just want to see a taping because we haven’t been here.'”
“When we’ve sent the episodes over, they barely give notes,” Allen added. “CBS has not given me any notes, any feedback about don’t be political… I started the show 20 years ago, and we’ve been crushing it for 20 years.”
Stephen Colbert on ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’
Credit: Scott Kowalchyk/CBS
Regardless of the network’s guidance, or in this case absence of guidance, Allen has previously shared he plans to differentiate himself from Colbert by avoiding politics in comedy
“No politics,” Allen said in a recent interview on CBS Mornings. “You come, you laugh… We’ve had on a thousand comedians — every shape and size, you name it. I want to bring people together using comedy.”
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