James Corden's 'Late Late Show' To Be Replaced On CBS Ahead Of Imminent Departure
By Fiyin Olowokandi on February 9, 2023 at 12:30 AM EST
Plans are being made ahead of James Corden's exit from CBS' "The Late Late Show" franchise, scheduled for mid-2023 following his run since 2015.
His leave will mark the end of the franchise after nearly three decades, and it is set to be replaced by a revamped version of an old Comedy Central program.
James Corden's 'Late Late Show' Will Be Replaced By A Reboot Of '@Midnight'
CBS is making new changes to the late-night scene with a possible reboot of "@midnight" to replace "The Late Late Show with James Corden."
The Comedy Central series, "@midnight," ran for 600 episodes from 2013 to 2017 and has been picked up for the 12:30 a.m. time frame, as revealed by Deadline. In addition, Stephen Colbert will executively produce the remade show, a manifestation of the comedy company Funny or Die, which is behind the original show on Comedy Central.
This would give Colbert an extra hour of late-night as he already executively produces Comedy Central's "Tooning Out the News" and "Hell of a Week with Charlamagne Tha God."
Meanwhile, it was reported that Chris Hardwick, the host of the original "@midnight," will not be involved in the reboot.
George Cheeks, CBS President and CEO, has been in charge of the search for a stand-in for "The Late Late Show," with the network being open to various formats, further from the typical talk shows that are fairly priced.
They sought to reduce the cost of the show from the initial $60 million a year it takes for creation to about $35 million a year for its successor. Since last year, CBS has been looking to freshen up the landscape when Corden leaves, and several runners were taken into account. However, "@midnight" was eventually chosen.
This will be the latest feat within Paramount Global, with CBS rebooting the old late-night setup from a cable network on the Viacom part of the merged brand. Per reports, it is highly likely for "@midnight" to fascinate younger viewers who usually watch online or via videos on social media.
The first incarnation of the original Comedy Central series was an internet-based panel game show where three guests played in several unplanned games. Some games included tweet-themed Hashtag Wars, Rapid Refresh, where players choose an answer based on an Internet meme or headline, and Live Challenges, where competitors wrote responses during the commercial break.
Although the games are expected to change in the reboot, the general format of the show will remain the same. Also, given "@midnight's" broadcast, NBC's "Late Night with Seth Meyers" will be the only talk show in the 12:30 a.m. time slot, competing with the panel game program.
NBC may withdraw from the 10 p.m. scripted slot in the future, but despite the overall changes, CBS will remain the owner of the late-night landscape.
Last October, Corden opened up to The Times about the reason behind leaving "The Late Late Show," months after shocking fans with his exit announcement. The show host shared that he had made plans to leave Los Angeles and return to the United Kingdom with his family, to be more invested in his kids' lives.
The English native, who is a father to Max, Carey, and Charlotte, recalled when he had to cancel the 2021's summer holiday due to work which upset his children. This ultimately made him realize that he had a limited number of summers to spend with them before they grew up and spent more time with their mates.
Like his fond childhood memories, Corden did not want to miss the early years with his kids, hence his decision to quit.
The English TV Producer Says He Plays A Character While On 'The Late Late Show
Amid his impending exit, Corden has been getting vulnerable with his fans and audience. The 44-year-old recently confessed to fans about not being his real self on "The Late Late Show," admitting that he is "performing" and "playing a character."
He opened up on "NBC10 Boston's Today," saying, "I guess I see it all as a performance, really. I see it all as a character that I'm sort of playing."
He further explained, saying, "Like, it would be odd if I got home and opened the fridge and was like, 'Look who's here tonight! Stick around; we'll be right back!" Corden's departure from the late-night franchise does not mark his permanent exit from television as he is currently working on the Amazon Prime Video series "Mammals."
