CBS canceled The Late Show for “purely” financial reasons, but execs at YouTube still seem to think there’s money to be made in the beleaguered genre. The platform just announced its own late night show called Outside Tonight, hosted by comedian, writer, and actor Julian Shapiro-Barnum, per LateNighter. Shapiro-Barnum’s bona fides include Recess Therapy, an interview show he created in 2021 (hosted on YouTube, of course) that has attracted the likes of Michelle Obama, Amy Poehler, Charli xcx, and the TikTok corn kid, as well as Celebrity Substitute, which features famous people (Malala Yousafzai, Ed Sheeran, and more) posing as substitute teachers in a middle school classroom.
Outside Tonight was announced at YouTube’s first Creator Premieres showcase in New York City on Thursday, per Variety. Last year, the platform—which currently holds the largest share of monthly viewers across all streamers—updated the UI of its TV app to look a lot more like its competitors, allowing creators to organize their content into more regimented seasons and episodes for the first time. Building off that, this upfront-like presentation marks one of the company’s biggest pushes into the traditional TV market to-date, with advertisers attending to check out the company’s upcoming slate.
As Outside Tonight‘s name suggests, Shapiro-Barnum’s cityscape background will be real. YouTube is selling the series as a late night format “built for the digital age,” which will see Shapiro-Barnum conduct his interviews in public parks and on street corners, leaning into the sort of spontaneity and real-world unpredictability that has often evaded more traditional late night series. (Perhaps previous chaotic YouTube outdoor interview breakout Billy Eichner will make a few guest appearances.) Each episode will feature celebrity interviews, live music, audience-driven games, and what the platform deems “nonstop comedy.”
Outside Tonight will be joined by other newly announced exclusive content from creators like Ms. Rachel, Trevor Noah, Dhar Mann, Brittany Broski, and others who either got their start or already have a strong presence on the platform. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos may have called YouTube “a little bit of a farm league,” but with all these new announcements, it’s taking some pretty big swings.
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