@midnight
A late-night Internet-themed panel game show revived on CBS.
Last updated
@midnight with Chris Hardwick (originally and often shortened to @midnight) is an American late-night Internet-themed panel game show that aired on Comedy Central from October 21, 2013, to August 4, 2017. The series was notable for its Emmy recognition, receiving a nomination for Outstanding Interactive Program at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards and a nomination and win for Outstanding Social TV Experience at the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards. It was revived by CBS in 2024 under the title After Midnight, hosted by Taylor Tomlinson.
Lore & Background
The show was created after an initial pilot called "Tweeter Dome" hosted by Thomas Lennon; it was revamped with Chris Hardwick as host and trialed at The Meltdown Comics store backroom. Lennon remained as co-executive producer throughout the run. The series was shot on Stage 2 of Hollywood Center Studios, where I Love Lucy was originally filmed. The format featured three guests competing in Internet-themed improv games such as "Rapid Refresh," "Hashtag Wars," and "Live Challenges," with a final round called "FTW (For the Win)." The winner was said to "win the Internet for the next 23.5 hours." The show ended after mutual agreement among Comedy Central, Chris Hardwick, and Funny or Die on July 18, 2017, with the final episode airing on August 4, 2017.
In February 2023, CBS considered reviving the series to replace The Late Late Show after James Corden's tenure, with Stephen Colbert as executive producer and Hardwick not involved. Pre-production was halted due to the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes. On November 1, 2023, CBS announced the revival as After Midnight, with Taylor Tomlinson as host and Jack Martin and Eric Pierce as showrunners.
Reader's Guide
The series was notable for its interactive and social-media-driven format, which earned it Emmy recognition in the interactive and social TV categories. During its original run, it averaged 453,000 viewers in the 18–49 demographic, outperforming Bravo's Watch What Happens Live, E!'s Chelsea Lately, and TBS's The Pete Holmes Show, and had the youngest audience of any late-night television show.
Its highest-rated week (February 17, 2014) drew 731,000 total viewers and tied The Daily Show as the most-watched late-night cable program in the 18–34 demographic. The revival, After Midnight, was positioned as a cost-effective replacement for The Late Late Show, with CBS CEO George Cheeks noting the network's desire to experiment and the integrated support from Stephen Colbert's The Late Show. The show's legacy includes its influence on Internet-themed panel games and its successful transition to a new network and host.
Ranked in
More in American Television Series Revived After Cancellation
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: @midnight (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced