'The Late Late Show' Canceled After 28 Years

CBS will not hire a new host for The Late Late Show after James Corden finishes up his run later this year. Instead, CBS plans to revive the popular @midnight Comedy Central show to fill the 12:30 a.m. timeslot. The move ends a 28-year run for The Late Late Show, which launched in 1995 with Tom Snyder as host.

@midnight was a late-night panel game show hosted by Chris Hardwick. It aired on Comedy Central from 2013 to 2017, ending with 600 episodes. The new incarnation will be executive produced by The Late Show host Stephen Colbert, reports Deadline. Hardwick is not expected to be involved in the new version. CBS has not formally announced the news yet.

The new @midnight is expected to follow the same format as the original. Each episode featured three celebrity panelists, who were usually comedians playing Internet-themed games. These included Rapid Refresh, Hashtag Wars, and Live Challenges. During the last segment of each game, the two players with the most points played a final "FTW (For The Win)" round.

Corden announced plans to end The Late Late Show in 2023 during an April 2022 episode. His last show, which will also serve as the end of The Late Late Show, has not been scheduled yet. Corden started hosting the series in 2015, following Craig Ferguson's departure the year before. The Late Late Show debuted in 1995 with Snyder as the first host. Craig Kilborn took over in 1999, following his tenure at The Daily Show. Ferguson began his critically acclaimed run in 2005.

The news that CBS decided to replace The Late Late Show with a panel series is not completely unexpected. Back in June 2022, sources told Variety that the eye network was debating replacing the traditional talk show with a panel format similar to Bill Maher's 1997-2002 ABC series Politically Incorrect, Chelsea Handler's 2007-2014 E! show Chelsea Lately, or @midnight. Variety also noted that the new show might not have a live band or other familiar elements of late-night talk shows. Sources told Deadline that CBS also wanted the 12:30 a.m. show to cost about $35 million a year to make. (Corden's show cost about $60 million a year to produce.)

The Late Late Show's cancelation will leave NBC's Late Night with Seth Meyers as the only traditional late-night talk show on the broadcast networks at 12:30 a.m. ET. NBC has considered making a big change as well, with the idea of dropping the 10 p.m. ET scripted drama timeslot in the future. That could have ramifications for Meyers and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. ABC only has one late-night show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, which was already renewed through the 2025-2026 TV season.