Before Taylor Tomlinson was associated with CBS’ new late-night series After Midnight, he had little connection to the world of broadcast television and the ebb and flow of late-night programming. She is best known as an aspiring comedian who has found success with stand-up specials on Netflix and video clips on TikTok.
How did a comedian known for her digital presence carve out a place in the world of linear media?
CBS executives have been looking for someone to take over the network’s 12:30 p.m. slot for months, but with the realization that the late-night television business is changing. The production of the new show is said to have cost significantly less than that of James Corden on “The Late Late Show”, a program that has run on CBS since 1995 with several hosts. “It really needs to be all broadcasters in this space.” We think carefully about what we spend, how we spend and how we invest. “You can’t be tied to some of the old elements of the format,” CBS CEO George Cheeks told Variety earlier this year.
It’s no secret among employees and executives involved with Late Night that the format’s business is declining. The shows have been designed in recent years to attract young people to television, but these consumers are moving toward new streaming behaviors that are less tied to watching shows at a specific time and date. Hosts like Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert continue to generate headlines and digital memes, and are still building sizable live audiences that networks — and their distribution partners and advertisers — covet. However, fewer, and the number of hosts has become smaller in recent years.
Tomlinson will join a group that has noticeably slimmed down. NBC got out of the business of airing a show at 1:30 a.m. months ago. Warner Bros. Discovery, which once starred both Conan O’Brien and Samantha Bee, has decided to leave the late-night silliness to Adult Swim. Comedy Central, which once offered three different late-night programs Monday through Thursday, now only has the venerable “Daily Show” and has spent nearly a year trying to find a suitable host.
There’s no question that CBS is trying something different. The new movie “After Midnight,” based on the Comedy Central show “@midnight,” should be something that will appeal to young viewers. During the show, a host – it was once Chris Hardwick – leads a group of three comedians through a fast-paced series of games that tap into many of the hottest digital conversations of the day. During Hardwick’s tenure, discussions could revolve around anything from Apple’s latest emoji to a tweet from Ted Nugent to YouTube videos of a squirrel drinking a milkshake.
CBS’ “Cheeks” wanted to bring in someone who wasn’t another white male comedian. “One of the opportunities we see with the 12:30 spot is the chance to expand the possibilities when it comes to format and talent to ensure we have diversity both behind and in front of the camera,” said he told Variety.
But CBS and the show’s producers also insisted that the host wasn’t just going through the motions. According to a person familiar with the matter, candidates were asked how familiar they were with the “@midnight” format – part of an attempt to ensure that the network doesn’t just hire a celebrity or famous face who wants to use the show, expand your profile without much effort.
Both CBS and a spokeswoman for Taylor declined to comment.
Tomlinson turns 30 this weekend, making her the youngest late-night presenter on TV today. “I’m 59,” Colbert told Tomlinson earlier this week when CBS announced her as host of the new show. “You’re more than a Taylor Tomlinson younger than me.” Executives felt that Tomlinson was sufficiently established with a certain audience and possessed poise and competence beyond her years. CBS also felt that she would be generous with the comedians who would attend the program, an important part of her new role.
Colbert is also said to have been significantly involved. The presenter wanted to develop happy, silly fare with his production company Spartina Industries. “If I want to talk about something that’s going on in the world, I can do that on the show every day,” Colbert told Variety last October. Spartina is designed to “have fun with funny people and tell stories that I won’t tell on my show myself,” he added. He believes his fans “generally like silly and clever things at the same time.” Among the efforts Colbert has supported are a weekly Comedy Central program led by Charlamagne Tha God and a celebrity pickleball tournament co-produced with Funny or Die and shown on CBS. Spartina is also part of a team developing author Roger Zelzany’s fantasy series The Chronicles of Amber.
“After Midnight” has a large number of supporters. The Spartina team also includes Carrie Byalick, president of Spartina Industries; Tom Purcell, executive producer of “The Late Show”; Evelyn McGee Colbert, Colbert’s wife; and James Dixon of Dixon Talent, who serves as an agent for Colbert and other late-night greats like Jimmy Kimmel and Jon Stewart. They are joined by executive producers Joe Farrell, Mike Farah, Whitney Hodack and Funny Or Die’s Henry R. Muñoz III. Serious Business’ Jason U. Nadler, who co-created “@midnight,” is also an executive producer. Jack Martin, showrunner for all four seasons of @midnight, and Eric Pierce will serve as co-showrunners and executive producers. Comedian and writer Jo Firestone will be co-executive producer and head writer. Alexx Wells will also serve as co-executive producer.
At some point, however, the series’ production history will be less important than Tomlinson’s relationship with viewers. In stand-up performances, she has demonstrated the ability to respond quickly to audience reactions, often making jokes about romantic ups and downs and therapy. She has been open about her personal life, including the death of her mother when she was young and dealing with mental health issues. In one of her routines, Tomlinson tells the audience that she has “that round, healthy face that people think they should build a life with.” CBS can only hope that’s the case.