Post-Stephen Colbert, CBS still wants an original late-night show

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CBS hasn’t given up on producing an original late-night show — despite easing Stephen Colbert out the door.“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” ends next month after CBS canceled the popular program, citing financial pressures.The network’s top two executives told reporters during a press briefing in Hollywood on Wednesday that the network still wants to be a player in the 11:35 p.m.

hour.CBS struck a one-year deal with media mogul Byron Allen to bring his “Comics Unleashed” syndicated show to the prominent time slot once occupied by David Letterman until Colbert took the mantle a decade ago.

President Trump, in social media posts, has taken credit for getting Colbert, whom he dislikes, tossed off the air.Colbert’s final broadcast will be May 21.Beyond the stop-gap arrangement with Allen, network executives acknowledged they don’t have a long-term plan for the late-night hours — but development executives are working on it.“We are still going to develop other ideas, other concepts,” said George Cheeks, whose role as chair of TV Media at Paramount includes running CBS.He added that Allen’s programs, including “Funny You Should Ask” at 12:35 a.m., will allow the company to immediately turn a small profit — an increasingly critical mandate as CBS prepares to absorb the high cost of keeping NFL football on its schedule.

Hollywood Inc.Allen will supply two late-night programs to CBS, which is selling its time to the media mogul.“If we are going to go back into that space, we have to go back into that space with a different financial model,” Cheeks said, in contrast to a show set in a theater with a band, live audience and large group of writers and support staff to stage a nightly show with numerous guests.“I grew up in late night — I believe in late night,” Cheeks said.

“The reality is that the reach is still there, but the reach is ...