As former late night stalwart Stephen Colbert follows in David Letterman’s bearded foodsteps, his ex-time slot is apparently having little trouble attracting audiences. Kicking off its CBS arrival back in late May 2026, media mogul Byron Allen’s comedian-fueled Comics Unleashed has been a dependable winner for the network. To the point where the Late Show’s replacement is now starting to beat out direct competitors like Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel.
The current late night landscape is a bit more dismal than it used to be, with The Tonight Show currently airing repeats during Jimmy Fallon's summer hiatus. Jimmy Kimmel Live! is still airing new episodes, but the host has been on his own summer vacation for weeks now, with guest hosts such as Rosie O’Donnell and Jelly Roll filling in. For those reasons or others, it looks like more younger viewers are choosing to click over to Comics Unleashed as the 2026 TV schedule goes forward.
