@midnight is an n internet-themed comedy game show that aired on Comedy Central. The series officially made its late-night premiere on October 21, 2013. The concept had its roots in earlier development: in 2010, Comedy Central taped pilots for a game show called Tonight’s Funniest, hosted by Chris Hardwick. The pilot episodes were not picked up, but they served as the inspiration for the game show’s premiere in 2013.
From the start, the show’s format was built around social media. Each episode opened with a “Rapid Refresh” segment, where panelists crafted funny responses to real trending internet topics for points. The recurring “Hashtag Wars” segment invited both in-studio panelists and Twitter users at home to riff on a shared comedic theme.
Near the end of each episode, the third-place contestant was eliminated. The two remaining comedians then competed in the “FTW (For the Win)” round — each writing a response to a Hardwick question, with the studio audience deciding the winner by applause.
Stand-up comedian and television personality Chris Hardwick served as the primary host and executive producer for all 600 episodes. The show relied on an enormous, rotating roster of frequent guest panelists rather than using traditional field correspondents. Regular, high-frequency contestants included popular comedians such as Doug Benson, Paul F. Tompkins, Ron Funches, and Nikki Glaser.
Comedy Central ultimately chose to end the series in 2017, with the final episode aired on August 4, 2017. The show is remembered for giving hundreds of stand-up comedians national television exposure at a time when few other formats provided that kind of platform. In 2024, CBS revived the concept as After Midnight, with Taylor Tomlinson hosting and Stephen Colbert as executive producer.
