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Byron Allen announced Saturday that his show, “Comics Unleashed,” will avoid politics when it moves into Stephen Colbert’s Friday late-night slot on CBS — arguing the show should focus on laughs rather than partisan commentary.
“What I’m doing with ‘Comics Unleashed,’ we don’t talk about politics. We don’t talk about anything that’s topical,” Allen told CNN’s Michael Smerconish. “We don’t do anything that’s racist or sexist or antisemitic or homophobic. Just be funny and don’t offend.”
Smerconish pressed Allen on whether viewers would look for political leanings in the program, which arrives one night after Colbert ends his 11-year run as host of “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.”
“A lot of eyes are going to be on your program to see, well, what are the political leanings? What can they read into it?” Smerconish asked.
Byron Allen said “Comics Unleashed” will avoid politics when it moves into Stephen Colbert’s late-night CBS time slot. (Scott Kowalchyk/CBS/Getty Images; Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
Allen said he wants the show to follow Norman Lear’s example by using comedy to bring people together, claiming his goal is to reach viewers regardless of how they vote.
He compared his approach to an apolitical business model associated with NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan.
“I don’t care who you vote for. I don’t care,” Allen said. “I’m here to make people laugh. You’re going to vote who you’re going to vote for, no matter what I say. It doesn’t matter. It’s not my business, do what you do. I’m here to make you laugh.”
Allen told CNN that his goal for “Comics Unleashed” is to make viewers laugh without focusing on topical or partisan issues. ((Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images))
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The comments mark a sharp contrast with Colbert’s run on CBS, where political monologues and criticism of President Donald Trump became a part of the show’s identity.
Colbert, who took over the franchise from David Letterman in 2015, announced in July 2025 that CBS would end “The Late Show” after the current season.
Colbert’s final show will air on May 21, 2026.
Allen has also praised Colbert while preparing to take over the time period, telling Variety that the late-night host is an “American treasure.”
CBS announced in July that it had canceled “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and that it would end in May 2026. Liberal critics have accused CBS and Paramount of ending the show to appease Trump and receive approval for a long-planned merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media. (Screenshot/CBS)
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“I really like Stephen Colbert. I think he is a magnificent human being… He’s a super talent, I believe he is an American treasure.”
CBS announced April 6 that “Comics Unleashed” will air Monday through Friday with back-to-back half-hour episodes beginning May 22. The network also said Allen’s game show “Funny You Should Ask” will follow.
Allen said in CBS’ announcement that he created “Comics Unleashed” to give stand-up comics a platform.
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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. “The world can never have enough laughter.”
