BOW ON TOP

CBS Hands Colbert’s Replacement Massive Primetime Gift

Byron Allen’s show is getting a major nod from the network.

Stephen Colbert’s timeslot replacement is getting a major push in the form of a primetime special.

CBS announced on Wednesday that Byron Allen, the billionaire who purchased The Late Show’s airtime for his Comics Unleashed and Funny You Should Ask series, will get a 20th anniversary special for the former to air on Sept. 29.

The comedy series, which Allen hosts and executive-produces, features a rotating group of stand-up comedians who perform bits and swap stories. It began airing nightly in The Late Show‘s vacated 11:35 p.m. slot after the show was canceled in May.

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The network announced that it would not renew Colbert’s contract just days after he called its parent company’s payout to Donald Trump to settle his 60 Minutes lawsuit a “big fat bribe.” Paramount insisted that the move, which not only axed Colbert but also ended The Late Show franchise altogether, was a “purely financial” decision.

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Allen, 65, whose Comics Unleashed previously aired immediately after Colbert at 12:35 a.m. ET, purchased the time in April for “tens of millions.” The network’s ratings plummeted immediately—but the media mogul told the L.A. Times he was “not fazed” by his show’s 85 percent decline in viewership.

CBS appears to feel similarly, and with good reason. Allen’s time buy is a financial boon for the network, which is pushing the program further with the upcoming two-hour primetime special, which it said will “honor” the show’s 20th anniversary and its “lasting place in the world of comedy.” The comedians who will appear on the program have not yet been announced.

Allen’s Allen Media Group owns The Weather Channel, a controlling stake in BuzzFeed, and several other television programs and digital networks.

Comics Unleashed Anniversary Special with Byron Allen will also stream live on Paramount+.

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Eboni Boykin-PattersonEntertainment Reporter

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