CBS is preparing for its next late-night show, as it hires the key creative team for “After Midnight,” which will take over the 12:35 a.m. ET spot in early 2024. The show is inspired by Comedy Central’s comedic game show “@midnight” and will undergo a name change. The network has brought on Jack Martin, a veteran of “@midnight” and the current showrunner of CBS’ game show “Raid the Cage,” as well as Eric Pierce, known for his work on shows like “The Challenge: USA” and “Hollywood Game Night,” as showrunners for the new series. “After Midnight” is produced by CBS Studios, Stephen Colbert’s Spartina Industries, and Funny or Die. Noted writer and comedian Jo Firestone, known for her work on “The Tonight Show” and “Joe Pera Talks With You,” is the head writer of the show.
Executive producer Stephen Colbert expressed his excitement about working with Funny or Die again and his hope that “After Midnight” will be as ridiculous as the internet is every day. He added that the new show feels like coming home since the original “@midnight” aired after his previous show, “The Colbert Report.”
In addition to Martin, Pierce, and Colbert, the executive producers of “After Midnight” include Spartina Industries president Carrie Byalick, “The Late Show” executive Tom Purcell, Evelyn McGee Colbert, James Dixon of Dixon Talent, and Funny or Die’s Joe Farrell, Mike Farah, Whitney Hodack, and Henry R. Muñoz III. Jason U. Nadler, co-creator of “@midnight,” is also part of the team.
Funny or Die’s owner, Muñoz, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership, highlighting how excited he is for the show to use comedy and laughter to bring people together.
CBS found success with a reboot of “@midnight” as a replacement for “The Late Late Show With James Corden” in early 2023. This decision was made after Corden announced he was ending his tenure on the show. Colbert’s “Late Show” returned to the air in early October after the end of the writers’ strike. Recently, CBS has been airing episodes of Byron Allen’s “Comics Unleashed” in the post-“Late Show” spot.
Comedy Central aired over 600 episodes of “@midnight” from 2013 to 2017. The show featured comedians engaging in banter and riffing on internet and pop culture trends in a game-show format hosted by Chris Hardwick. Currently, a host and premiere date for “After Midnight” have not been announced.
The addition of “After Midnight” to CBS’ late-night lineup indicates the network’s commitment to providing diverse and entertaining programming during the late-night hours. With a talented creative team and the inspiration from “@midnight,” the show has the potential to capture a wide audience and bring its unique brand of comedy to late-night television.
