The Clock Strikes Twelve on ‘After Midnight’

The clock has struck twelve on After Midnight. The CBS late-night panel show will take its final bow this summer. The Hollywood Reporter has the announcement, which comes despite a recent announcement that the series had been renewed for a third season. Host Taylor Tomlinson has opted to return to touring and stand-up comedy.

The series has been the follow-up to Stephen Colbert‘s Late Show for the past two seasons: Colbert is also a producer on the series. In a statement, Tomlinson said, “Hosting After Midnight has genuinely been the experience of a lifetime, and I’ll be forever grateful for the opportunity to be part of this incredible journey. Though it was an extremely tough decision, I knew I had to return to my first passion and return to stand-up touring full-time.” The series premiered in 2024, taking over the post-Late Show spot from James Corden‘s The Late Late Show. It is currently averaging about 700,000 on-air viewers this season over seven days, not including streaming. It will not be replaced by new CBS programming; the station may turn the time slot back over to its affiliates. The final episodes of the series will air in June; no date has yet been announced for the show’s series finale.

What Is ‘After Midnight’?

After Midnight is the successor to @midnight, the panel series hosted for four seasons between 2013 and 2017 by Chris Hardwick on Comedy Central. It features a panel of three celebrity guests, typically comedians or actors, who answer questions related to recent news or social media trends; points are awarded for the comedic quality of their answers. The winner at the end of the show is typically given some sort of gag prize, which has ranged from a rotisserie chicken to boxer shorts signed by Tom Brady. A recurring gag is an allegedly haunted doll, purportedly of the Wizard of Oz (although it’s said to resemble Mark Twain, instead), which has been awarded to multiple contestants. The last-place contestant is subjected to a comedic punishment.

Tomlinson has released three popular Netflix stand-up specials; the most recent, Have It All, was released last year. She is also set to write a film based on her life, which will be directed by Paul Weitz, and is writing Actually, Nevermind, a collection of autobiographical essays.

The final episodes of After Midnight will air in June on CBS; no date has yet been announced for the series finale. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.