# Ariel Dumas on Late-Night TV and Comedy

> Ariel Dumas, former Late Show head writer, transitions to The Tonight Show after Emmy win.
- Title: Ariel Dumas on Late-Night TV and Comedy · Vanity Fair
- Summary: Ariel Dumas, former Late Show head writer, transitions to The Tonight Show after Emmy win. Ariel Dumas, former Late Show With Stephen Colbert head writer…
- Keywords: ariel darnold, seahawks, seattle, nfl, Ariel, Dumas, Late-Night, Comedy, Vanity Fair
- Source: Vanity Fair — https://vanityfair.com/story/ariel-dumas-emmys-colbert-fallon-tv-late-night
- Author: Savannah Walsh
- Published: 2026-09-30T19:32:39.604+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: ariel darnold, seahawks, seattle, nfl
## Ariel Dumas
Ariel Dumas, former Late Show With Stephen Colbert head writer, has found a new gig on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
## Emmy Win
Dumas won the Outstanding Variety Series Award for The Late Show With Stephen Colbert at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards on September 14, 2026.
## Colbert's Praise
Stephen Colbert praised Dumas as the head writer of The Late Show and encouraged hiring his staff of 'tech avail' writers.
## Colbert's Acceptance
Colbert did not mention CBS as The Late Show's former network home in his Emmy acceptance speech.
## Late-Night Changes
The Late Show ended after its 2025-2026 season due to a financial decision amid CBS's parent company merger.
## Kimmel Incident
Jimmy Kimmel Live was briefly yanked from the air over comments about Charlie Kirk's killing.
## Dumas' Reaction
Dumas called the late-night changes 'nuts' and said it wasn't about viewership but free speech concerns.
## Taylor Swift
Dumas met Taylor Swift at NBC, where she received cookies and played SVU characters.
## Writing for Self
Dumas wants to spend more time writing for herself after years of writing for others.
## AI Resistance
Dumas is firmly against AI taking creative jobs and making art, praising human-driven shows like Widow’s Bay.
## Romantasy Goal
Dumas aims to adapt Sarah MacLean's historical romance series with comedy.
## Fallon Transition
Dumas is only on day three of The Tonight Show and is still adjusting to the new environment.
## Late-Night Future
Dumas believes late-night comedy will continue but in different forms as the industry evolves.
## Comedy in AI Era
Dumas emphasizes the need for human creativity in comedy amid AI advancements.
## Next Steps
Dumas plans to write a romantasy comedy series inspired by Sarah MacLean's historical romances.
## Key takeaway

Ariel Dumas, former Late Show With Stephen Colbert head writer, now works on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon following her Emmy win.