Taylor Tomlinson Named Host Of CBS’s 'After Midnight'

 

The reported considerations are now way beyond plans. CBS has named the host, showrunners, the head writer and executive producers for After Midnight, the appropriately changed name of the revived Comedy Central game show @midnight. Although now it’s just being called the basis of After Midnight, which will officially premiere in early 2024. It takes the 12:37 AM timeslot that is currently held by Comics Unleashed following the end of the The Late Late Show franchise after 28 years in April. 

In fact, on Wednesday’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, host Stephen Colbert made the host announcement himself, as he was already reported as one of the executive producers. And in the front row of the audience was Taylor Tomlinson, one of the three finalists for the hosting gig, with other reported finalists X Mayo and Ricky Velez nowhere to be seen. Tomlinson was armed with cheeky banter to pretend to accept the gig on the spot as he announced her to be the real deal. They chatted it up as she became the unannounced second guest in an episode with Rep. Adam Kinzinger as first guest, and Willie Nelson the musical guest. The piece was originally tweeted out by the The Late Show Twitter at 9:14 PM Eastern and then the resuscitated @midnight account now reaffiliated with CBS at 9:18 PM, however theirs was deleted and tweeted again at 9:42 PM.

Tomlinson was a top 10 finisher in the 2015 season of Last Comic Standing and has since released two Netflix standup specials in March 2020 Look At You and 2022’s Quarter Life Crisis. X Mayo will next be seen in the film The Treasure of Foggy Mountain, starring Ben Marshall, John Higgins, and Martin Herlihy of Please Don’t Destroy. The film will be released on November 17 on Peacock.

Jack Martin showrunner of all four original seasons of @midnight, which originally ran between 2013 and 2017, will split duties as co-showrunner alongside Eric Pierce, executive producer of series including CBS’ The Challenge: USA and The Wheel. They and Colbert executive produce with Carrie Byalick, president of Colbert’s Spartina Industries, The Late Show EP Tom Purcell, Colbert’s wife Evelyn McGee Colbert and his manager James Dixon of Dixon Talen. Additional executive producers include Joe Farrell, Mike Farah, Whitney Hodack and Henry R. Muñoz III from Funny Or Die and Jason U. Nadler of Serious Business, who co-created @midnight. Original and since-disgraced host Chris Hardwick is not involved.

“We are thrilled to be reunited with our friends at Funny Or Die,” said Stephen Colbert. “My hope is that, every night, After Midnight will be just as ridiculous as the internet is every day. Plus, the original @midnight aired after The Colbert Report, so welcoming this new show to 12:30 feels like coming home.” Colbert also remarked upon this circumstance during the The Late Show segment.

Funny Or Die is proud to partner once again with CBS Studios, Spartina Industries and our longtime friend and collaborator Stephen Colbert,” added Funny Or Die owner Muñoz. “Now that we are all old enough to stay up until after midnight, I’m excited for this show to harness the power of comedy and laughter to bring us all together.”

Source: Deadline (1, 2)