On The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Wednesday, the host unveiled the exciting news about the upcoming show that will follow his, introducing the newest addition to late night television, Taylor Tomlinson.
CBS announced Wednesday that the time slot previously occupied by The Late Late Show With James Corden will now be home to a fresh program titled After Midnight. Colbert highlighted that it takes inspiration from the late night panel game show @midnight, which used to air after his own show, The , on Comedy Central.
Furthermore, Colbert shared that Funny or Die and his own Spartina Industries will be producing the new show, set to debut early next year.
Humorously, Colbert quipped, “That’s right, I will be producing the show that’s on right after this one. If I’m able to stay awake that long.”
However, despite the major production team in place, Colbert emphasized that the program still needed a host.
“That is a tough gig to fill, I mean we’re still trying to find a good host for The Late Show,” he amusingly commented. “After Midnight, for this upcoming show, we’ll need someone who is, I don’t know, fun, likable, young, in touch with online trends and available every night of the week. So the search is on.”
Just then, an audience member, later revealed to be comedian Taylor Tomlinson, politely interrupted Colbert and expressed her interest in being the host. After a quick “focus group” session where the audience enthusiastically supported her, Tomlinson landed the job.
Tomlinson, who is currently on a national tour and has achieved success with her standup specials, Quarter-Life Crisis and Look at You, on Netflix.
During an impromptu interview, Tomlinson confessed that this would be her first “real job” since she had been doing standup, which she jokingly referred to as “not a job,” since she was 16.
Tomlinson also shared that she sought job interview tips on TikTok, which she humorously described as “Google for children,” during her conversation with Colbert. Moreover, she mentioned that she will be turning 30 on Saturday.
“Well, happy birthday! I got you a network show,” Colbert playfully remarked.
The original show, @midnight, hosted by Chris Hardwick, ran for five seasons from 2013 to 2017. Known for its internet-themed questions and recurring games within the game format, it garnered a dedicated audience.
After Midnight will be aired on CBS at 12:37 a.m. and will also be available for streaming on Paramount+.
