The departing ‘Late Show’ host talked about Detroit native Byron Allen getting his timeslot on CBS.
Stephen Colbert reacts to Detroit native taking over ‘Late Show’ slot
Colbert congratulates Byron Allen as Comics Unleashed replaces The Late Show at 11:35 p.m. after Colbert’s finale.
Departing “Late Show” host Stephen Colbert is wishing veteran comic and Detroit native Byron Allen the best of luck with his soon-to-be former timeslot.
Allen’s “Comics Unleashed” will air in “The Late Show’s” 11:35 p.m. time slot after “The Late Show” ends its run on May 21. The show will air back-to-back half-hour episodes, abandoning the traditional talk show format that has long been the norm.
“God bless him. I know Byron. We got to know each other last year, actually,” Colbert recently told The Hollywood Reporter.
“He’s fascinating. You know his history with Carson?” He’s referring to the time in 1979 when Allen became the youngest comedian to ever perform on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.”
“Anyway, when I found out, I wrote him the next morning, and I said, “Hey, congrats. I heard you got the time. Good for you. Wouldn’t it be lovely if you could drop Mr. Carson a note?”
Who is Byron Allen?
Byron Allen is a comedian and a film and television producer who was born in Detroit in 1961. He moved to Los Angeles with his mother in 1968, following her divorce. He was later discovered by comedian Jimmie ‘JJ’ Walker and began his long career in the entertainment industry.
What is Byron Allen best known for?
Allen, 65, has racked up a ton of credits over the course of his career, including as the host of “The Byron Allen Show,” which ran from 1989-1992, and later “Entertainers with Byron Allen,” which has been on the air since 2000.
He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2021.
agraham@detroitnews.com
