Spring is a suspenseful season when it comes to network TV shows, and the 2025 TV schedule has already delivered a slew of renewals and cancellations. For CBS, that has meant guaranteeing the returns of shows like Justin Hartley's Tracker and the spooky comedy Ghosts as well as axing series like FBI: International and S.W.A.T. Now, another show has gotten bad news, but this one hasn't been a primetime staple. Instead, the network has cancelled one of its two remaining late night offerings, and there's no replacement on the way.
After Midnight, hosted by stand-up comic Taylor Tomlinson, has officially been cancelled after just two seasons. Unlike other CBS cancellations, however, this doesn't seem to have come as a surprise to the people involved. Per Deadline, Tomlinson wanted to return to stand-up comedy on tour, and she already has some of the funniest stand-up specials on Netflix. She spoke to the "extremely tough" decision to end the show, which reportedly had been expected to return through Season 3. 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. I appreciate CBS, Stephen Colbert, the producers, and the entire After Midnight staff and crew for all the love, support, and unforgettable memories.
The end of After Midnight isn't just the end of Taylor Tomlinson's era on CBS, but also the end of the 12:30 a.m. ET time slot on the network. The show had been added to the lineup to replace The Late Late Show after James Corden's departure, filling the slot directly after The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. This marks a big change in the late night TV landscape.
With the end of After Midnight, NBC will be the only broadcast network left with two late night talk show offerings on weekday evenings/early mornings. Despite budget cuts, Late Night with Seth Meyers still holds the time slot immediately following The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
And this is in addition to the various networks' biggest late night shows making cuts of their own; The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC), The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS), and Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC) are all only airing new episodes Monday - Thursday, rather than through Friday. Late Night with Seth Meyers is also airing four nights per week, and lost its house band due to budget cuts. Is it time to start taking Kimmel's claim that there might not "be any late-night television shows on network TV in ten years" more seriously?
For now, one thing we know with certainty is that Taylor Tomlinson is focusing on touring as she frees up her schedule without After Midnight. I'm curious to know if CBS considered at all cutting that post-Late Show slot before Tomlinson decided she wanted to leave, since it's a pretty big move to not order a replacement. If you want to check out some of her specials, you can find them streaming with a Netflix subscription now.
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