CBS to Replace James Corden’s ‘Late Late Show’ With Stephen Colbert-Backed ‘@midnight’ Reboot

CBS is dipping back into the recent past to fill the late night slot that’s soon to open up when its The Late Late Show With James Corden departs.

The network is set to replace the long-running Late Late Show franchise with a reboot of comedic panel game show @midnight, sources confirm to The Hollywood Reporter. Stephen Colbert, who hosts The Late Show for the network, is on board as executive producer of the revived program that aired 600 episodes on Comedy Central before signing off in August 2017.

Reps for CBS declined to comment.

@midnight, which launched in October 2013, aired Mondays through Thursdays on the basic-cable network, with host Chris Hardwick asking internet-themed questions to three comedian guests. Hardwick is not expected to have direct involvement in the new iteration of @midnight, which hails from Funny or Die and won two Emmys for creative achievement in interactive media social TV experience over the course of its initial run.

Aside from The Late Show, Colbert’s other producing credits currently include Tooning Out the News and Hell of A Week With Charlamagne tha God, both airing on Comedy Central.

Corden announced in April that he would be stepping down as host of the show in 2023 to pursue other projects. He has yet to announce an airdate of the final episode for his series that is known for interviewing multiple guests at once and for such staple segments as “Carpool Karaoke,” which spawned a spinoff series.

This has been a time of transition for late night, as Comedy Central’s The Daily Show is still without a permanent host following Trevor Noah’s exit late last year. Additionally, Showtime’s Desus & Mero and TBS’ Full Frontal With Samantha Bee ended their runs in 2022.

The Late Late Show first aired on CBS in January 1995 with a straight news focus under host Tom Snyder. It became more comedic with subsequent hosts Craig Kilborn, Craig Ferguson and now Corden, whose version launched in September 2014.

Last April, Corden explained on his show that he always saw hosting the program as “an adventure” that he didn’t expect to last his entire career. Corden is also known for his Tony-winning acting career and stars in the recent Amazon series Mammals.

“I never saw it as my final destination, you know?” he said at the time about The Late Late Show. “And I never want this show to overstay its welcome in any way. I always want to love making it. And I really think in a year from now that will be a good time to move on and see what else might be out there.”