Arsenio Hall's New Talk Show is a Go

The reigning Celebrity Apprentice, Arsenio Hall, is getting his wish. It was announced on Monday that CBS Television Distribution and Tribune Broadcasting are backing Hall's return to the late night talk show realm as of the fall 2013 TV season.

During the competition on Celebrity Apprentice, Hall, who beat out American Idol runner-up, Clay Aiken, often talked about how he was ready to get back to work. He became more vocal about it on the final episode of the Donald Trump show. News soon followed that some markets were definitely interested in seeing the comedian back on the scene.

Back when The Arsenio Hall Show aired, younger viewers in the 18 to 34 age group preferred him over Johnny Carson and other talk show hosts. Today, those same viewers are in the prime 35 to 54 age set most known for watching late night talkers. Still, the plan is not to have direct competition with the likes of Jay Leno and David Letterman. Instead, the still unnamed Hall project will air an hour earlier, at 11 p.m. pacific and eastern time, 10 p.m. central.

The show has already been sold to a number of markets, including key stations in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. It will air on broadcast stations versus cable, including The CW in cities such as Boston, Atlanta, and San Francisco.

TV analyst Shari Anne Brill opined about Hall to Variety, "He's someone who can appeal to a multicultural audience and can give just a different flavor to latenight."