James Corden’s Late Late Show to be replaced by @midnight reboot with Stephen Colbert producing

James Corden‘s replacement is reportedly already in place for when he ends his stint on The Late Late Show in the spring of this year.

CBS plans to scrap the late-night talk show hosted by the 44-year-old British comic actor in favor of rebooting the Comedy Central game show @midnight, Deadline reported on Tuesday.

It had previously been reported over the summer that CBS was looking to move on from the talk show format in favor of a game show, with @midnight being bandied about as a possible inspiration.

Now, the network appears to have just tried to revive the show instead of creating a new property.

Stephen Colbert, who hosts CBS flagship late-night talk show The Late Show, will reportedly be producing the revival. 

Changing it up: With James Corden planning to step down from The Late Late Show in the spring, CBS plans to replace his show with a revival of the comedy game show @midnight, Deadline reported on Tuesday; seen in 2018

Left behind: Comedy Central aired @midnight from 2013–2017 with comedian Chris Hardwick hosting. Hardwick, who was accused of sexual abuse in 2018, will reportedly not be involved with the reboot

However, Chris Hardwick, who hosted the original @midnight, is not expected to have a connection to the upcoming show, which he agreed to end with the show’s 600th episode.

A year after the show ended, Hardwick’s ex-girlfriend Chloe Dykstra accused an unnamed ex of subjecting her to sexual and emotional abuse, before blacklisting her in the entertainment industry after their breakup.

Although she didn’t not name Hardwick, the timing and details of her Medium post suggested she was referring to him.

A report from an investigation into Hardwick’s alleged conduct that was conducted by a law firm hired by AMC — where he hosts the Walking Dead aftershow Talking Dead — concluded that it could not confirm Dykstra’s claims, though she said she had not participated with the investigation and did not ‘believe in an eye for an eye.’

CBS’ move to scrap The Late Late Show comes 28 years after the series debuted in 1995. It was originally hosted by Tom Snyder, with Craig Kilborn, Craig Ferguson and Corden later taking the hosting spot.

The network is replacing the show as ratings for late-night talk shows have steadily decreased in recent years.

The new version of @midnight will be produced by Funny or Die, which also produced the original series, which aired on Comedy Central from 2013 to 2017.

Colbert is expected to produce while continuing to host The Late Show earlier in the evening. He will also continue to produce the Comedy Central series Tooning Out The News and Hell Of A Week with Charlamagne Tha God.

Bigger workload: The Late Show host Stephen Colbert with reportedly produce @midnight, along with Funny or Die, which produced the original; seen in January 2022

Having a laugh: In the original, Hardwick awarded points to the three contestants as they played humorous games testing their knowledge of the internet, social media and pop culture

Scrapped: CBS seems to be giving up on the 12:30 a.m. talk show timeslot all together. Corden was the fourth host after the series began in 1995; seen with Gwyneth Paltrow on January 9

Part of CBS’ decision to go with a game show was in an attempt to decrease the cost of The Late Late Show’s 12:30 a.m. timeslot

The network was reportedly spending just over $60 million for the show as is, but it now hopes to spend around $35 million per year.

Part of the decline of late-night talk shows has been attributed to a lack of interest from younger viewers, who tend to just watch clips afterward on social media.

CBS apparently believed the format of the long-dormant series could draw back some of those younger viewers, and the competition format might also add some intrigue.

In the original, Hardwick would award points somewhat arbitrarily to the three contestants as they played humorous games built around their knowledge of the internet, social media and pop culture. 

Although the individual games are likely to be replaced by updated competitions, Deadline reported that the show’s format should be the same as its Comedy Central incarnation.

Corden currently plays opposite Seth Meyers with Late Night on NBC, its Tonight Show follow-up, though he is poised to be the last talk show host in the 12:30 timeslot after Corden steps down. 

End of an era: Corden currently plays opposite Seth Meyers with Late Night on NBC, its Tonight Show follow-up, though he is poised to be the last talk show host in the 12:30 timeslot after Corden steps down; seen in 2021

James Corden’s Late Late Show to be replaced by @midnight reboot with Stephen Colbert producing
Source: Viral Buzz Philippines