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. The program premiered on CBS at 12:37 am ET on January 17, 2024, in the timeslot previously held by The Late Late Show,[1] and is a reboot of @midnight, which ran from 2013 to 2017 on sister cable network Comedy Central.[2][3][4][5] Upon its debut, it received generally positive reviews.[6][7][8]
| After Midnight | |
|---|---|
| Based on | |
| Developed by |
|
| Written by | Jo Firestone |
| Directed by | Sharon Everitt |
| Presented by | Taylor Tomlinson |
| Composer | Cory Wong |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 57 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Production locations | Paramount Studios Los Angeles, California |
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | CBS |
| Release | January 17, 2024 – present |
| Related | |
| @midnight | |
Production edit
@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.[9] Pre-production of the series was halted due to the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes.[10]
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.[11] 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.[12]
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.[13]
The show airs Mondays-Thursdays; a special football-themed episode aired on Super Bowl Sunday after CBS's coverage of Super Bowl LVIII, complete with a "halftime show" musical performance by Marc Rebillet.
Format edit
As with the original series, most episodes feature a panel of three celebrity guests as contestants, usually stand up comics and comedy podcast hosts; the 2024 Valentine's Day episode featured three "power couples".[14] The contestants participate 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", in which the contestants come up with answers for a fictional hashtag (as a parody of a currently trending topic); and "For The Win", a final challenge played between the top two scorers. A new recurring sketch, "The Talk Show Portion", was later added for viewers who want the show to change format to match other network late night shows. 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". As a prank on April Fools' Day 2024, the highest scoring contestant was actually the loser.
Prizes edit
Unlike @midnight, where contestants played to "win the Internet," 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 haunted dolls edit
One prize, an allegedly haunted doll that was originally a gift to Tomlinson from her brother which she says is supposed to be the titular character from The Wizard of Oz but looks more like author Mark Twain, has appeared multiple times due to winners returning it, becoming a running gag. The original doll is currently owned by Marcella Arguello, but a fan later sent in an identical doll, claiming it was the first one's twin brother.
Episodes edit
| No. | Winner | Runner-up | Last place | Original air date | Prize | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aparna Nancherla | Kurt Braunohler | Whitney Cummings | January 17, 2024 | Taylor's father's approval | |
| 2 | Sophie Buddle | Paul F. Tompkins | Carl Tart | January 18, 2024 | An extra year of life | |
| 3 | Robby Hoffman | James Davis | Max Greenfield | January 19, 2024 | Ketchup packets | |
| 4 | Chad Daniels | Milana Vayntrub | Kelsey Cook | January 23, 2024 | Almonds | |
| 5 | Atsuko Okatsuka | Josh Johnson | Doug Benson | January 24, 2024 | Broken rolling chair | |
| 6 | Guy Branum | Lisa Gilroy | Marcella Arguello | January 25, 2024 | Six-pack of socks | |
| 7 | Jon Daly | Moshe Kasher | Natasha Leggero | January 26, 2024 | Insulin | |
| 8 | Arden Myrin | Jerry O'Connell | Mary Lynn Rajskub | January 30, 2024 | Moshe Kasher's keys | |
| 9 | Suzi Barrett | Matt Walsh | Vanessa Gonzalez | January 31, 2024 | A Ziploc bag of ranch dressing | |
| 10 | Sasheer Zamata | Joyelle Nicole Johnson | John Hodgman | February 1, 2024 | Haunted doll | |
| 11 | Thomas Lennon | Kel Mitchell | Melissa Villaseñor | February 2, 2024 | A DVD of @midnight, Season 1 | |
| 12 | Wendi McLendon-Covey | Bianca Del Rio | Reggie Watts | February 6, 2024 | A beret | |
| 13 | Megan Gailey | Taylor Ortega | Jon Gabrus | February 7, 2024 | A pair of "not stolen" jeans | |
| 14 | Dusty Slay | Sarah Tiana | London Hughes | February 8, 2024 | A dental goody bag | |
| 15 | Pete Holmes | Nico Santos | Billy Eichner | February 9, 2024 | Haunted doll from episode 10 | |
| 16 | Maria Bamford | Kevin Smith | Wayne Brady | February 12, 2024 | Boxer shorts signed by Tom Brady | |
| Super Bowl-themed episode that aired the night of Super Bowl LVIII. Musical guest appearance by Marc Rebillet. | ||||||
| 17 | Rob Huebel | Vinny Thomas | Riki Lindhome | February 13, 2024 | $65 cash | |
| 18 | Lauren Lapkus | Ashley Nicole Black | Irene Tu | February 14, 2024 | A drinking bird | |
| 19 | Will Miles and Giulia Rozzi ("Wiulia") | Brian McElhaney and Nick Kocher ("BriTANicK") | Chris Thayer and Anna Seregina ("Chrannis") | February 15, 2024 | A coupon for a massage from Taylor's ex-boyfriend | |
| Valentine's Day-themed episode, featuring three "power couples". | ||||||
| 20 | Marc Maron | Brendan Hunt | Zainab Johnson | February 27, 2024 | An "I Voted" sticker | |
| 21 | Jenny Zigrino | Dulcé Sloan | Caitlin Peluffo | February 28, 2024 | A trip to Loomis, Nebraska | |
| 22 | Tig Notaro | Mae Martin | Fortune Feimster | February 29, 2024 | A bonnet | |
| Features the cohosts of the Handsome podcast. | ||||||
| 23 | W. Kamau Bell | Anjelah Johnson | Nish Kumar | March 1, 2024 | Haunted doll from episode 10 | |
| 24 | Monét X Change | Adam Ray | Rob Riggle | March 5, 2024 | A Newton's cradle | |
| Guest appearance by Jeff Probst; the Talk Show Portion (and the remainder of the second act) was replaced by a Survivor "Tribal Council". | ||||||
| 25 | Esther Povitsky | Haley Joel Osment | Kurt Braunohler | March 6, 2024 | A pair of five-pound dumbbells | |
| Kurt Braunohler became the first contestant to return for another appearance. | ||||||
| 26 | Ron Funches | Blair Socci | Adam Pally | March 7, 2024 | Four AAA batteries | |
| 27 | Zach Noe Towers | Beth Stelling | Mo Welch | March 8, 2024 | Taylor's "best tooth" | |
| 28 | Jason Sklar | Randy Sklar | Rob Haze | March 12, 2024 | A closeup shot during the end credits | |
| The Sklar brothers became the first set of siblings to compete on the show. | ||||||
| 29 | Pink Foxx | Chris Grace | Flula Borg | March 13, 2024 | A rotisserie chicken | |
| 30 | Matt Rogers | Caroline Rhea | James Davis | March 14, 2024 | Night-vision goggles | |
| 31 | Reggie Conquest | Jordan Temple | Paul F. Tompkins | March 15, 2024 | A slice of pie (for Pi Day) | |
| 32 | Chloe Radcliffe | Matt Braunger | Chris Fleming | March 26, 2024 | A wet lock of Taylor's hair | |
| 33 | Shane Torres | Amy Miller | Kyle Kinane | March 27, 2024 | A handmade pine cone owl | |
| 34 | Dewayne Perkins | Phoebe Robinson | Guy Branum | March 28, 2024 | A jar of pennies | |
| 35 | Jourdain Fisher | Zach Zimmerman | Arden Myrin | April 2, 2024 | A contract to host After Midnight | |
| As this was the April Fools' Day episode, the panelist with the highest score (Arden) was eliminated. | ||||||
| 36 | Maggie Winters | Vinny Thomas | Jack Martin | April 3, 2024 | A giant teddy bear | |
| 37 | Laurie Kilmartin | Jackie Kashian | Maria Bamford | April 4, 2024 | New Year's Eve 2009 sunglasses | |
| Laurie advanced to FTW after Maria voluntarily lost enough points to be eliminated. | ||||||
| 38 | Affion Crockett | London Hughes | Trevor Wallace | April 5, 2024 | A fabric sampler | |
| 39 | Dulcé Sloan | Dustin Nickerson | Amir K | April 9, 2024 | Solar eclipse viewing glasses | |
| The elimination game, "Try to Go Home Early," eliminated the player with the highest score (Amir). | ||||||
| 40 | Jackie Fabulous | Loni Love | Dan Levy | April 10, 2024 | A foul ball | |
| 41 | Joel Kim Booster | Greta Titelman | Sandy Honig | April 11, 2024 | A catalytic converter | |
| 42 | Doug Benson | Diona Reasonover | Echo Kellum | April 12, 2024 | A basket of doughnuts and beer | |
| 43 | Hari Kondabolu | Liz Miele | Dave Hill | April 16, 2024 | A coupon for an all-you-can-eat shrimp buffet | |
| 44 | Felipe Esparza | Morgan Murphy | Marcella Arguello | April 17, 2024 | A page of Taylor's diary | |
| The haunted doll made a special appearance when it was given to Marcella, who happily accepted it. | ||||||
| 45 | Patty Guggenheim | Betsy Sodaro | Utkarsh Ambudkar | April 18, 2024 | A pamphlet about urinary tract infections | |
| 46 | Josh Sharp | Aaron Jackson | Jon Lovett | April 19, 2024 | The rights to the name Jennifer | |
| 47 | Gillian Jacobs | Caitlin Reilly | Pete Holmes | April 23, 2024 | A finished coloring book | |
| 48 | "Weird Al" Yankovic | Drew Carey | Thomas Lennon | April 24, 2024 | A lumbar support pillow | |
| 49 | Daniel Franzese | Lisa Ann Walter | Michelle Collins | April 25, 2024 | A pet rock | |
| 50 | Moshe Kasher | Chloé Hilliard | Jason Ritter | April 26, 2024 | The email address of a disloyal Jamba Juice employee | |
| 51 | Chris Redd | Pat Regan | Catherine Cohen | May 7, 2024 | A plastic bag full of plastic bags | |
| 52 | Sydnee Washington | Atsuko Okatsuka | Mike Birbiglia | May 8, 2024 | A pair of bongo drums | |
| 53 | Hannah Berner | Brandon Kyle Goodman | Heather McMahan | May 9, 2024 | A skipping stone | |
| 54 | Jessica Kirson | Steph Tolev | Eddie Pepitone | May 10, 2024 | A gas station bathroom key | |
| 55 | Laura Ramoso | Johnny Pemberton | Michaela Watkins | May 14, 2024 | A birth control packet with only the placebo pills left | |
| 56 | Rich Eisen | Katherine Blanford | Bert Kreischer | May 15, 2024 | A bag of the end pieces of a loaf of bread | |
| 57 | Colton Dunn | Jess McKenna | Ana Gasteyer | May 16, 2024 | The haunted doll's twin brother | |
References edit
- ^ White, Peter (January 4, 2024). "'After Midnight' With Taylor Tomlinson Lands CBS Premiere Date". Deadline Hollywood. from the original on January 4, 2024. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
- ^ Madarang, Charisma (November 2, 2023). "Taylor Tomlinson to Host CBS' 'After Midnight,' Produced by Stephen Colbert". Rolling Stone. from the original on November 2, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- ^ Steinberg, Brian (November 1, 2023). "'After Midnight,' CBS' New Late-Night Entry Produced by Stephen Colbert, to Debut in 2024". Variety. from the original on November 2, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- ^ del Rosario, Alexandra (November 1, 2023). "Taylor Tomlinson to host 'After Midnight' on CBS, filling 'Late Late Show' slot". Los Angeles Times. from the original on November 2, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- ^ Squires, Bethy (November 1, 2023). "Taylor Tomlinson to Host After Midnight, After Midnight". Vulture. from the original on November 2, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- ^ Pandya, Hershal (January 17, 2024). "After Midnight Desperately Wants to Make the Internet Fun". Vulture. from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
- ^ Lawler, Kelly (January 17, 2024). "Late-night host Taylor Tomlinson tries something new with 'After Midnight.' It's just OK". USA Today. from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
- ^ Horton, Adrian (January 17, 2024). "Taylor Tomlinson: can the standup comedian shake up late-night TV?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie; White, Peter (February 7, 2023). "'The Late Late Show With James Corden' To Be Replaced With '@midnight' Reboot Exec Produced By Stephen Colbert On CBS". Deadline. from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
- ^ White, Peter (June 14, 2023). "CBS Boss George Cheeks Opens Up About @midnight Reboot: "12:30am Is Ripe For Reinvention"". Deadline. from the original on June 28, 2023. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
- ^ White, Peter (November 1, 2023). "'After Midnight': CBS Sets Showrunners & Team For 'The Late Late Show With James Corden' Replacement". Deadline. from the original on November 2, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- ^ Porter, Rick (November 1, 2023). "CBS' 'Late Late Show' Replacement 'After Midnight' Names Host, Creative Team". The Hollywood Reporter. from the original on November 2, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- ^ White, Peter (November 1, 2023). "Taylor Tomlinson To Host CBS' 'After Midnight'". Deadline. from the original on November 2, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
- ^ "Watch After Midnight Season 1 Episode 19: 2/14/24 (Will Miles, Giulia Rozzi, Brian McElhaney, Nick Kocher, Anna Seregina, Chris Thayer) - Full show on CBS". CBS. February 14, 2024.
External links edit
- Official website
- After Midnight at IMDb