Comics Unleashed

<h2 id="format">Format</h2>
Each episode begins with Allen delivering a short, usually topical monologue, after which he introduces the night's <a href="/facts/Disc_jockey/5YYYRqPB">DJ</a> and the panel of four comedians. Allen sets each comedian up with a prescribed, usually generic premise, at which point the comedian delivers a <a href="/facts/Monologue/GsLFFTxg">monologue</a> from their stand-up routine. The monologues by different comedians seldom tie into each other, but the structure of the show puts the monologues in the loose framework of a <a href="/facts/Panel_show/7NWeMXQl">panel discussion</a> <a href="/facts/Talk_show/sLLJNdg9">talk show</a>.
Several episodes of the series in first-run featured an all-<a href="/facts/African_Americans/pTgcAdo8">Black</a> panel under the title Comics Unleashed: Hot Chocolate, though they were eventually presented as regular episodes in subsequent airings.
Allen has described Comics Unleashed as his passion project.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1">1</a>

<h2 id="broadcast-history">Broadcast history</h2>
First-run weekly episodes were originally produced from 2006–07, with repeats still airing in some markets, generally in the very <a href="/facts/Late_night_television/Mf3meKEQ">late-night</a> to overnight hours under arrangements made for the various series of Entertainment Studios, with some notable carriers having included <a href="/facts/CBS_News_and_Stations/IIDq3cEa">CBS Television Stations</a> (which scheduled it as a lead-out for <a href="/facts/The_Late_Late_Show_(American_talk_show)/VNMuTERo">The Late Late Show</a> on <a href="/facts/CBS/BhMsVoej">CBS</a> <a href="/facts/Owned-and-operated_station/E2jeTvqg">owned-and-operated stations</a>).<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2">2</a> Back-to-back episodes also aired in <a href="/facts/Prime_time/6NYMrYPL">prime time</a> on <a href="/facts/MyNetworkTV/aznXoFme">MyNetworkTV</a> before it became a programming service.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3">3</a> The program continued to air on broadcast syndication despite not producing any new episodes after its original 2006–2007 run until new episodes were produced for the 2014–2025 season.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4">4</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5">5</a>
In September 2023, CBS announced that it would air back-to-back episodes of Comics Unleashed on its late-night lineup beginning September 18, following <a href="/facts/The_Late_Show_with_Stephen_Colbert/BnxjgPTd">The Late Show with Stephen Colbert</a>. The program served as a temporary replacement for The Late Late Show (which had ended following the series finale of <a href="/facts/The_Late_Late_Show_with_James_Corden/1n86G4K4">The Late Late Show with James Corden</a>) until the premiere of its replacement, <a href="/facts/After_Midnight_(TV_series)/NkAWRAxX">After Midnight</a>, in January 2024, as it had been delayed due to the <a href="/facts/2023_Hollywood_labor_disputes/hrpQlgkI">2023 Hollywood labor disputes</a>. Roughly half of the run featured previously unaired first-run episodes.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6">6</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7">7</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8">8</a> Allen's company provided the program under a <a href="/facts/Time_buy/ghstgwqq">time buy</a> arrangement where it purchased the time slot from CBS, and then aired the show and sold commercial time to advertisers.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9">9</a>
On May 27, 2025, CBS announced that it would again air back-to-back episodes of Comics Unleashed on its late-night lineup beginning September 22, as a replacement for After Midnight, which will end due to host <a href="/facts/Taylor_Tomlinson/vkwlDIB5">Taylor Tomlinson</a> resigning from the program to focus on stand-up comedy and other projects; reruns of After Midnight will continue until September 19.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10">10</a> The program is once again part of a time buy arrangement; prior to the announcement, CBS had indicated it might discontinue airing network programming in that time slot entirely.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11">11</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12">12</a> The purchase agreement was announced shortly before a settlement in <a href="/facts/Entertainment_Studios_Networks/VjYHf8De">Allen's long-running lawsuit</a> against <a href="/facts/McDonald%2527s/Assda4qC">McDonald's</a> was announced, which included McDonald's accepting a mandatory purchase of airtime on Allen's programs.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13">13</a>
Variety reports that some new episodes will be produced for the CBS network run.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14">14</a>

<h2 id="external-links">External links</h2>
<ul><li><a href="http://www.es.tv/show/comics-unleashed/">Comics Unleashed official site</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0890935/">Comics Unleashed</a> at <a href="/facts/IMDb_(identifier)/uWrqVYVy">IMDb</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1">White, Peter (May 27, 2025). "As 'After Midnight' Ends, 'Comics Unleashed With Byron Allen' Returns To CBS Late-Night Slot". Deadline. Retrieved May 27, 2025. <a href="https://deadline.com/2025/05/comics-unleashed-with-byron-allen-cbs-late-night-2-1236411297/" target="_blank">https://deadline.com/2025/05/comics-unleashed-with-byron-allen-cbs-late-night-2-1236411297/</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:2">Block, Alex Ben (March 13, 2013). "'Comics Unleashed' Renewed on CBS Stations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 14, 2023. <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/comics-unleashed-byron-allen-renewed-428487/" target="_blank">https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/comics-unleashed-byron-allen-renewed-428487/</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:3">'Comics Unleashed' lands on MyNetworkTV, The Hollywood Reporter, April 1, 2009. Archived April 19, 2013, at archive.today <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i7288557915e143d057a495b1f7b95044" target="_blank">http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i7288557915e143d057a495b1f7b95044</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:4">"Comics Unleashed renewed for two "seasons" despite no new episodes since 2007?". The Comic's Comic. August 5, 2011. Retrieved September 13, 2023. <a href="https://thecomicscomic.com/2011/08/05/comics-unleashed-renewed-for-two-seasons-despite-no-new-episodes-since-2007/" target="_blank">https://thecomicscomic.com/2011/08/05/comics-unleashed-renewed-for-two-seasons-despite-no-new-episodes-since-2007/</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:5">"Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen taped new episodes for Fall 2014!". The Comic's Comic. August 25, 2014. Retrieved February 19, 2019. <a href="http://thecomicscomic.com/2014/08/25/comics-unleashed-taped-new-episodes-for-fall-2014/" target="_blank">http://thecomicscomic.com/2014/08/25/comics-unleashed-taped-new-episodes-for-fall-2014/</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:6">Knolle, Sharon (September 11, 2023). "CBS Bringing Back Byron Allen's 'Comics Unleashed' to Late Night". TheWrap. Retrieved September 13, 2023. <a href="https://www.thewrap.com/cbs-bryon-allen-comics-unleashed-fall-schedule/" target="_blank">https://www.thewrap.com/cbs-bryon-allen-comics-unleashed-fall-schedule/</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:7">Petski, Denise (September 11, 2023). "'Comics Unleashed With Byron Allen' Joins Fall CBS Late-Night Line-Up". Deadline. Retrieved September 11, 2023. <a href="https://deadline.com/2023/09/comics-unleashed-with-byron-allen-cbs-late-night-1235543726/" target="_blank">https://deadline.com/2023/09/comics-unleashed-with-byron-allen-cbs-late-night-1235543726/</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:8">White, Peter (November 1, 2023). "'After Midnight': CBS Sets Showrunners & Team For 'The Late Late Show With James Corden' Replacement". Deadline. Retrieved January 3, 2024. <a href="https://deadline.com/2023/11/after-midnight-cbs-showrunners-1235589897/" target="_blank">https://deadline.com/2023/11/after-midnight-cbs-showrunners-1235589897/</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:9">Carter, Bill (May 30, 2025). "Inside the Unusual Deal That Brought Byron Allen to CBS' Post-Colbert Slot". LateNighter. Retrieved June 13, 2025. <a href="https://latenighter.com/news/inside-the-unusual-deal-that-brought-byron-allen-to-cbs-post-colbert-slot/" target="_blank">https://latenighter.com/news/inside-the-unusual-deal-that-brought-byron-allen-to-cbs-post-colbert-slot/</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:10">White, Peter (May 27, 2025). "As 'After Midnight' Ends, 'Comics Unleashed With Byron Allen' Returns To CBS Late-Night Slot". Deadline. Retrieved May 27, 2025. <a href="https://deadline.com/2025/05/comics-unleashed-with-byron-allen-cbs-late-night-2-1236411297/" target="_blank">https://deadline.com/2025/05/comics-unleashed-with-byron-allen-cbs-late-night-2-1236411297/</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:11">Carter, Bill (May 30, 2025). "Inside the Unusual Deal That Brought Byron Allen to CBS' Post-Colbert Slot". LateNighter. Retrieved June 13, 2025. <a href="https://latenighter.com/news/inside-the-unusual-deal-that-brought-byron-allen-to-cbs-post-colbert-slot/" target="_blank">https://latenighter.com/news/inside-the-unusual-deal-that-brought-byron-allen-to-cbs-post-colbert-slot/</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:12">White, Peter (March 26, 2025). "'After Midnight' Canceled After Two Seasons On CBS; Network Will Stop Programming 12:30am Slot". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 26, 2025. <a href="https://deadline.com/2025/03/after-midnight-canceled-cbs-taylor-tomlinson-1236351453/" target="_blank">https://deadline.com/2025/03/after-midnight-canceled-cbs-taylor-tomlinson-1236351453/</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:13">Franklin, McKinley (June 13, 2025). "McDonald's Settles $10B Discrimination Lawsuit Brought by Byron Allen's Media Company". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 14, 2025. <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/byron-allen-mcdonalds-settlement-discrimination-lawsuit-1236291018/" target="_blank">https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/byron-allen-mcdonalds-settlement-discrimination-lawsuit-1236291018/</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:14">Steinberg, Brian (May 27, 2025). "'Comics Unleashed' Returns to CBS Late-Night Schedule Following 'Midnight' Cancellation". Variety. Retrieved June 13, 2025. <a href="https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/comics-unleashed-cbs-late-night-schedule-taylor-tomlinson-1236410428/" target="_blank">https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/comics-unleashed-cbs-late-night-schedule-taylor-tomlinson-1236410428/</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
</ol>

Comics Unleashed open-in-new

Comics Unleashed