After Midnight (TV Series)

''After Midnight'', stylized as ''@fter midnight'' or abbreviated ''@m'', is an American late-night comedy panel game show hosted by Taylor Tomlinson and executive produced by Stephen Colbert via his company Spartina Productions, Henry R. Muñoz III via his comedy studio Funny or Die, and '' The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' executive producer Tom Purcell. It premiered at 12:37 am EST on January 17, 2024, on CBS, in the former timeslot of ''The Late Late Show''. It is a reboot of '' @midnight''. Upon its debut, it received mixed-to-positive reviews.

Production

''@midnight with Chris Hardwick'', often shortened to '' @midnight'', is an American late night panel game show hosted by Chris Hardwick that ran from October 21, 2013, to August 4, 2017, on Comedy Central. In February 2023, it was reported that Comedy Central's current sister broadcast network, CBS, was considering a revival of ''@midnight'' to serve as a replacement for ''The Late Late Show'' after the end of James Corden's tenure. Pre-production of the series was halted due to the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes.

On November 1, 2023, CBS announced the revival under the title ''After Midnight'' for a premiere in early 2024, with Jack Martin retained as showrunner alongside Eric Pierce. The creative team is also composed of comedian Jo Firestone as head writer, with Spartina Productions' Carrie Byalick and Evelyn McGee Colbert, James Dixon, Tom Purcell, Funny or Die's Joe Farrell, Mike Farah, Whitney Hodack, Henry R. Muñoz III, and ''@midnight'' co-creator Jason U. Nadler serving as executive producers.

On that night's episode of ''The Late Show'', Colbert subsequently revealed stand-up comedian Taylor Tomlinson as the show's new host. She was chosen after auditioning alongside comedians Ricky Velez and X Mayo.

Format

As with the original series, each episode features a panel of three celebrity guests as contestants, participating in topical segments related to popular culture and social media to earn points from the host for responses and punch lines. In addition to several new games, the series retains some of the core segments from ''@midnight'', including the opening segment "Group Chat" (formerly "Rapid Refresh")—a segment discussing recent news headlines and viral videos, "Hashtag Wars", and "For The Win"—a final challenge played between the top two scorers. The winner receives a gag prize, which may be tangible or imaginary (early episodes featured old ketchup packets from Tomlinson's refrigerator, a damaged office chair, Tomlinson's father's approval, and an extra year of life). The player in last place is subjected to a humorous punishment such as being forced to give an apology speech or being sent to "horny jail". One prize, an allegedly haunted doll that was originally a gift to Tomlinson from her brother, was returned by the winner and rewarded to someone else on a later episode.

The 2024 Valentine's Day episode will feature three couples competing.

Episodes

References

External links

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CBS late-night programming
American panel games
2020s American late-night television series
2020s American comedy game shows
2024 American television series debuts
Television series by CBS Studios
Television series by Funny or Die
Television series reboots
American English-language television shows
Improvisational television series
Mass media about Internet culture
Television series about social media
Television series by Spartina Productions