Byron Allen Says Key to Replacing Stephen Colbert Is Timeless, Apolitical Comedy

Byron Allen says late nights on CBS are going to look A LOT different when Stephen Colbert steps aside after Thursday's show ... and he says the key to replacing Colbert will be a comedy show that's light on politics and heavy on timeless, inclusive humor.

The billionaire comedian and media mogul joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday and told us about his vision for filling Colbert's vacated time slot with a couple new shows.

When Colbert goes dark after his final episode, his weeknight hour on CBS will be replaced by "Comics Unleashed With Byron Allen" and another show Byron produces, "Funny You Should Ask."

Byron says folks should anticipate jokes that are evergreen, inclusive, and focused on timeless concepts ... as opposed to celebrities, current events, and politics. Like we said, BIG changes.

Colbert's made fun of Donald Trump and made light of politics for years ... but the way Byron sees it, audiences are exhausted by political humor and want something different ... and that's where he and his comics from all walks of life come in.

We pushed back a bit on what folks find funny ... but Byron's clearly got his mind made up here. The guy's made a fortune in media, so he must be doing something right.

Byron also gave us his pitch to CBS on why he was the best fit to replace Colbert ... and it sounds like money played a big role too.