Colbert’s Replacement Beats Jelly Roll-led ‘Kimmel’ in Key Demo
'Comics Unleashed' rerun smokes far-Left showcase, anti-Trump monologue
CBS knew what it was doing by replacing “The Late Show” with “Comics Unleashed.”
“The Late Show” with Stephen Colbert was reportedly losing CBS $40 million a year, while Byron Allen’s stand-up showcase offered a more positive revenue stream.
The math wasn’t mathing, and the Tiffany Network had had enough. What would you do in that situation?
And, for a while, the ratings drop proved painful. “Comics Unleashed” drew far fewer viewers than Colbert’s “Late Show” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” – not to mention “The Tonight Show.”
That’s the price CBS was willing to pay to stop hemorrhaging cash.
A funny thing happened earlier this week. Monday’s “Comics Unleashed” episode topped “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in the 18-49 demographic, according to LateNighter.com.
a rerun of Comics Unleashed averaged 161,000 viewers in the coveted 18-49 demo. In comparison, an original episode of Kimmel, guest-hosted by Jelly Roll, drew 158,000 demo viewers in its first half hour, while a Tonight Show rerun drew 154,000.
A rerun, mind you, against fresh material.
For context, advertisers generally crave that demographic for establishing brand loyalty and access to disposable income.
“Comics Unleashed” lost the overall ratings battle to both Kimmel and “The Tonight Show” on NBC, but the 18-49 demographic told other stories, too. The show increased by nearly 85 percent in that demo over the prior week.
Allen’s show, coupled with “Funny You Should Ask,” appears to be growing in the ratings battles overall. That may change after Labor Day when Kimmel returns to his far-Left perch, but for now the Allen one-two punch may be more formidable than many originally thought.
Or, audiences are exhausted by the monologues brimming with stale, predictable anti-Trump barbs. It’s hard to blame them.
Roll’s monologues this week relentlessly targeted President Donald Trump while ignoring Democrats, per the Kimmel playbook. The blowback for the country crooner was so strong he responded on-air, suggesting Trump fans who didn’t like his barbs should stop listening to his music.
Good thing for him? A smaller than expected crowd heard his plea in real time.