After Midnight (TV series)
After Midnight | |
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Based on | |
Developed by |
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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 | 80 |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Production locations | Paramount Studios Stage 30 Los Angeles, California |
Production companies |
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Original release | |
Network | CBS |
Release | January 17, 2024 present | –
Related | |
@midnight |
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 time slot previously held by The Late Late Show,[1][2] and is a reboot of @midnight, which ran from 2013 to 2017 on sister cable network Comedy Central.[3][4][5] Upon its debut, it received generally positive reviews.[6][7][8]
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.[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,[14] complete with a "halftime show" musical performance by Marc Rebillet.[15]
On June 11, 2024, CBS Entertainment President Amy Reisenbach announced that the network had renewed After Midnight for a second season through 2025.[16][17][18]
Format
As with the original series, each episode features a panel of three celebrity guests as contestants, usually stand up comedians or comedy podcast hosts and sometimes comedic actors; the 2024 Valentine's Day episode featured three "power couples".[19] 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. Beginning May 20, 2024, the show opened with Tomlinson delivering a monologue similar to those of other network late night shows.[20]
Prizes and punishments
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). Some later prizes were more valuable, such as a pair of boxer shorts signed by Tom Brady, $65 in cash, and a pair of night vision goggles; other episodes have awarded desirable food items such as a cooked rotisserie chicken or a basket of doughnuts and beer.
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.
The haunted dolls
One prize, an allegedly haunted doll, was originally a gift to Tomlinson from her brother; Tomlinson says the doll is supposed to be Frank Morgan's version of the title character from The Wizard of Oz but looks more like author Mark Twain. The doll has become a running gag, appearing multiple times due to winners returning it. While the original doll was given to Marcella Arguello as a consolation prize, a fan later sent in an identical doll, claiming it was the first one's twin brother. Arguello brought the doll with her on a subsequent appearance, where fellow contestant Sarah Tiana said it looked more like former president John Adams.
Episodes
No. | Winner | Runner-up | Last place | Original air date | Prize | |
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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 | A 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 | The haunted doll | |
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 | The haunted doll | |
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 | |
The "Ruin this Party" segment featured an appearance by the show's audience warmup comedian, Percy Rustomji. | ||||||
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 | |
"Hashtag Wars" became the elimination game for the first time prior to the restructuring of the show's format on 5/21. | ||||||
57 | Colton Dunn | Jess McKenna | Ana Gasteyer | May 16, 2024 | The haunted doll's twin brother | |
58 | Bassem Youssef | Jay Jurden | Todd Barry | May 17, 2024 | A top hat | |
59 | Rory Scovel | BenDeLaCreme | Harvey Guillén | May 21, 2024 | A pair of 3D glasses | |
Beginning with this episode, most new episodes open with a monologue by Tomlinson. Additionally, the "Talk Show Portion" was moved to the third segment, while "Hashtag Wars" became the elimination game. This was also the last episode using the "FTW" moniker, and the authors of the FTW responses were revealed before the vote. | ||||||
60 | Nat Faxon | Stephanie Courtney | Jim Rash | May 22, 2024 | A bag of shredder trash | |
Faxon was declared the winner at the end of Hashtag Wars in the penultimate segment; FTW was replaced with "An Honest Moment". All three contestants were once members of comedy troupe The Groundlings. | ||||||
61 | Aasif Mandvi | Penn Jillette | Andy Richter | May 23, 2024 | A copy of Barbra Streisand's album Wet | |
FTW was replaced with "Touch Some Grass". | ||||||
62 | Thomas Lennon | Sarah Tiana | Marcella Arguello | May 24, 2024 | A lime | |
FTW was replaced with "The Gorgeous Pour". The prize of a lime tied in with the episode's sponsorship by Jose Cuervo margaritas. Arguello brought back the haunted doll she had accepted during her previous appearance. | ||||||
63 | Jack McBrayer | Jackie Tohn | Alex Edelman | June 4, 2024 | A bag of microplastics | |
FTW was replaced with "Not Interesting". Featured a special appearance by Tatyana Ali. | ||||||
64 | John Ross Bowie | Timothy Simons | Franchesca Ramsey | June 5, 2024 | A snake nut can | |
FTW was replaced with a foot race to the Paramount water tower in the studio's lot. | ||||||
65 | Aparna Nancherla | Sasheer Zamata | Joe Lo Truglio | June 6, 2024 | A rubber band ball | |
FTW was replaced with "Pay the Bill", which included the participation of Joe, the eliminated panelist. | ||||||
66 | Brian Simpson | Kelsey Cook | Blair Socci | June 7, 2024 | An inspirational poster | |
FTW was replaced with "The Plug Off". All three contestants, and Taylor, wore black suits with white shirts and black neckties. | ||||||
67 | Carl Tart | Mary Elizabeth Ellis | Scott Aukerman | June 11, 2024 | A t-shirt with the caption, "Sarcasm is my second language" | |
FTW was replaced with "Screen Time Show Down". | ||||||
68 | Paul F. Tompkins | Morgan Murphy | Guy Branum | June 12, 2024 | A keychain with the name Sarah | |
The winner was determined by having the panelists appeal to the audience via PowerPoint presentations. | ||||||
69 | Dave Holmes | Jessica Lowe | Kevin Nealon | June 13, 2024 | An Oxford English to Portuguese dictionary | |
One of the segments was a parody of The Dating Game, which featured a special appearance by Drew Afualo. The winner was determined by hitting a piñata and guessing the correct color of the balls inside of it. | ||||||
70 | Eliot Glazer | Jenna Ushkowitz | Kate Micucci | June 14, 2024 | Taylor's signature scent | |
FTW was replaced with "Animal Off". The weekend's upcoming 77th Tony Awards, which would air on CBS and include Taylor presenting an award,[21] were referenced several times. | ||||||
71 | Solomon Georgio | Sherry Cola | Debra DiGiovanni | June 18, 2024 | A copy of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 for PlayStation | |
FTW was replaced with a challenge to find Croatia on a map. | ||||||
72 | Patton Oswalt | Terry Crews | Joe Manganiello | June 19, 2024 | A copy of the script of We Bought a Zoo signed by Tomlinson | |
FTW was replaced with a challenge to summarize Adam Sandler's filmography in one sentence; after doing so, Oswalt was declared the winner because his sentence was shorter. | ||||||
73 | Ashley Nicole Black | James Davis | Laurie Kilmartin | June 20, 2024 | Tomlinson's smartphone | |
In the opening segment, Tomlinson announced that the episode was intentionally rigged for Laurie to lose, as she was a white woman playing against two Black contestants on the African American holiday Juneteenth. Percy Rustomji, the show's audience warmup comedian, appeared in the "Spin Class" segment. The haunted doll made a cameo in a promotional video from the show's TikTok account, in which Tomlinson answered the question, "What is a toy that scares you?" | ||||||
74 | Reid Scott | Lisa Gilroy | Kimia Behpoornia | June 21, 2024 | A honorary bachelor's degree from "After Midnight University" | |
For the first time, the loser, Kimia, got to pick the winner based on who gave a better horoscope reading for her. Featured a special appearance by bagpipe player Dave Champagne. | ||||||
75 | Rory Scovel | Rhys Darby | Baron Vaughn | July 9, 2024 | A printed photograph of fireworks from Taylor's iPhone. | |
76 | Colton Dunn | Randy Sklar | Jason Sklar | July 10, 2024 | A pair of glass doorknobs | |
77 | Chrissy Teigen | Sandy Honig | Adam Pally | July 11, 2024 | A treasure map | |
78 | Punam Patel | Richie Moriarty | Betsy Sodaro | July 12, 2024 | A wet tennis ball | |
All three contestants star on the CBS sitcom Ghosts. | ||||||
79 | Danny Tamberelli | Kel Mitchell | Lori Beth Denberg | July 16, 2024 | A save the date to a wedding of Taylor's friend | |
All three contestants starred on the Nickelodeon sketch comedy show All That. | ||||||
80 | Leo González | Kristen Schaal | Flula Borg | July 17, 2024 | The friend half of a friendship duo necklace. | |
81 | Alaska 5000 | Gillian Jacobs | Chris Fleming | July 18, 2024 | A pair of knockoff "Joosi" shorts |
References
- ^ White, Peter (January 4, 2024). "'After Midnight' With Taylor Tomlinson Lands CBS Premiere Date". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 4, 2024. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
- ^ del Rosario, Alexandra (November 1, 2023). "Taylor Tomlinson to host 'After Midnight' on CBS, filling 'Late Late Show' slot". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 2, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- ^ Madarang, Charisma (November 2, 2023). "Taylor Tomlinson to Host CBS' 'After Midnight,' Produced by Stephen Colbert". Rolling Stone. Archived 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. Archived 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. Archived 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. Archived 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. Archived 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. Archived 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. Archived 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. Archived 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. Archived 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. Archived from the original on November 2, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- ^ White, Peter (November 1, 2023). "Taylor Tomlinson To Host CBS' 'After Midnight'". Deadline. Archived from the original on November 2, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
- ^ White, Peter (January 21, 2024). "'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' & 'After Midnight' To Air On Super Bowl Sunday". Deadline. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
- ^ Watch After Midnight: Marc Rebillet Performs Epic Live Halftime Show - Full show on CBS. February 11, 2024. Retrieved June 11, 2024 – via CBS.
- ^ White, Peter (June 11, 2024). "'After Midnight' With Taylor Tomlinson Renewed For Season 2 At CBS". Deadline. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
- ^ Porter, Rick (June 11, 2024). "'After Midnight' Scores Season 2 Renewal at CBS". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
- ^ "Paramount Press Express | CBS RENEWS "AFTER MIDNIGHT," HOSTED BY TAYLOR TOMLINSON, FOR THE 2024-2025 BROADCAST SEASON". Paramount Press Express. June 11, 2024. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Riccardo, Nick (May 21, 2024). "After Midnight Tinkers With Format, Adds Monologue". LateNighter. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
- ^ Culwell-Block, Logan (June 12, 2024). "Update: Best Play Nominee Stereophonic Will Perform at the 2024 Tony Awards After All". Playbill. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
External links
- CBS game shows
- 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