TBTL #4702 “Byron Now, Pay Later”
April 9, 2026

Episode Overview

On this Thursday edition of TBTL, Luke Burbank and Andrew Walsh blend playful banter with real-life updates and thoughtful reflection on today’s comedy landscape. Center stage are Andrew’s new puppy adventures, the saga of late-night television’s decline (specifically, the surprising replacement for Colbert), and a trove of listener celebrations. The mood is equal parts cozy and irreverent, rich with inside jokes, dog talk, and affectionate teasing.

Key Discussion Points

1. Andrew’s New Puppy Lucy: Day One Adventures

Timeframe: 03:33–32:31

• Name Reveal:
  Andrew and Genevieve’s new puppy is named Lucy. They did not intentionally choose a name similar to “Luke”, but the resemblance amuses both hosts.

  • “I didn’t even realize until I said it right now how close Lucy is to Luke.” – Andrew (07:17)

• Puppy Arrival & Impressions:
  Lucy is settling in, showing a preference for snuggling and demonstrating some natural puppy trepidation. She’s particularly bonded with Genevieve at first, making Andrew briefly nervous about “imprinting,” but after an all-night cuddle session, everyone’s heart is melting.

  • “Honestly though, like, I feel like my ovaries just dropped.” – Luke (07:55)

• First Night’s Sleep & Training Woes:
  Andrew describes the fitful first night—snuggling on a too-small couch, shifting positions, and dealing with accidents as Lucy gets used to her new home.

• Potty Training Tactics:
  Initial efforts to get Lucy to pee outside met with confusion, but after Andrew “demonstrated” outside (“I peed in the bushes... she looked at me and she was like, what is going on with this guy?” – Andrew 22:26), Lucy caught on.

  • “She woke me up nibbling me … at 6 a.m. she was, like, all over me, like, time to get up, time to get up.” (23:01)

• Crate and Separation Anxiety:
  The hosts weigh strategies to prevent Lucy from developing bad habits or too much dependence, while Andrew muses on how Bingo (the cat) might help Lucy learn to chill alone.

• Dog & Cat Introduction Plans:
  Bingo and Lucy haven’t officially met, but early signs are promising. The plan is to introduce them slowly, using a baby gate. Andrew’s hopeful they'll eventually bond.

  • “I think they’re gonna get along famously.” – Luke (27:36)

2. Home, Architecture, and Neighborhood Tangent

Timeframe: 10:45–13:14

• Andrew describes a beautiful, ritzy green space near Edmonds (“like a large amoeba”), leading to musings about the “Edmonds bowl” and a fantasy about Mad Max-style apocalypse scenarios.

3. Dazzling Donors Segment

Timeframe: 32:31–41:43

• Listener Kwaku Tago plugs Wolf Contracting LLC, his design/build residential construction company, and gets a robust, humorous endorsement by the hosts.

  • “Tens are not going to do tens dirty because tens will find out.” – Andrew (37:02)
  • “If there’s anything I needed done in any part of my life and I had a chance to use a 10…it just isn’t. The only one I wouldn’t use personally would be therapy…” – Luke (38:13)

• Doug Prindle’s Dazzling Donor Request:
  The segment veers into a wild audio montage of listener-and-show in-jokes, drops, and obscure references, leading into “Barbaro Thursday.” Pure TBTL flavor.

4. Top Story: The End of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert & Rise of Comics Unleashed

Timeframe: 41:43–59:45

• Colbert’s Departure:
  Luke expresses dismay over CBS’s move to end the Late Show—ostensibly for cost reasons, but the hosts speculate about politically motivated undercurrents due to Colbert’s anti-Trump stance.

  • “…it was very hard to ignore the fact that at his sort of maximum criticism of Trump, you also had the FCC coming down on Jimmy Kimmel. And in a way on Colbert…” – Luke (44:22)

• What’s Next: Byron Allen’s Comics Unleashed
  The new placeholder is described as a low-budget, formulaic "panel" show where comedians are prompted to do their acts, not organic comedy—a “comedy infomercial.”

  • “There was almost no area in which the comics were more leashed than on Byron Allen’s Comics Unleashed.” – Luke (46:44)
  • “This is the distilled version of [talk show set-ups].” – Luke (49:01)
  • “...this is the equivalent of turning on your radio…and you’re listening to the hunting show and they’re selling a lot of hunting products...” – Andrew (51:42)

• Byron Allen’s Business Model Explained:
  Byron Allen pays for the air time, then sells advertising himself. He’s become a billionaire by making and distributing ultra-cheap TV content.

• Ancient TV Lore & YouTube Dives:
  Andrew and Luke reminisce about the Byron Allen Show, sharing fondness for its very-90s style and clunky early graphics, then compare it (not favorably) to Colbert’s impact.

• Brief Mention of Allen’s Lawsuit:
  Byron Allen’s litigation against McDonald’s (alleging discrimination against Black-owned media) is summarized; case settled out of court.

5. Blursday (Listener Birthday) Messages & TBTL Nostalgia

Timeframe: 62:04–76:26

• Multiple Blursday messages and anecdotes, including:

  • Brian in Portland giving Blursday shout-outs to Nate (Tacoma) and Kristen, with Andrew and Luke riffing on the value of “real people, pedal steel people.”
  • Lisa thanks her friend Faren for introducing her to TBTL and wishes her a happy birthday.
  • Observations on how listeners should only consume other media after finishing their TBTL backlog (“…I would, well, no, I think we said this yesterday, I’m cool with our listeners consuming other media, but only after TBTL…” – Luke 66:08).

• TBTL Episode/Statistical Baseball Parlor Game:
  Andrew finds a news blurb about a “historically bad” baseball game Luke attended and the two retroactively try to sleuth out the stats, contemplating past Mariners futility.

6. Classic TBTL Tangents: Weed Dealer Named Farhad & Bread-Based Transactions

Timeframe: 75:32–78:52

• Andrew reminisces about covertly buying weed from a bread vendor named Farhad before legalization, humorously pondering if Farhad was more passionate about his bread or his weed.
  • “It was really great because then you would show up and you would pay him for the weed, but then you got the bread for free, essentially.” – Andrew (76:57)

7. Puppy Epilogue and Show Wrap

Timeframe: 80:02–81:31

• Becca (Andrew’s partner) is sent pictures of Lucy and immediately acknowledges she’s not a “foster” anymore (“That dog’s not going anywhere”).
  • “I'm having trouble picturing my life without her.” – Andrew (81:03)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You named your dog after me, that’s all. My heart is full.” – Luke (09:19)
• “If you need a kiss so bad, why don’t you kiss a potato like the rest of us?” – Andrew (01:04)
• “Tens are not going to do tens dirty because tens will find out.” – Andrew (37:02)
• “There was almost no area in which the comics were more leashed than on Byron Allen’s Comics Unleashed.” – Luke (46:44)
• “Just put on the Slap Chop Guy.” – Luke (58:46)

Episode Mood, Language, and Tone

The episode is classic TBTL: loose, warm, sharp-witted, nostalgic, self-effacing, and often veering joyfully from highbrow media criticism to the most granular, affectionate slice-of-life moments. Listeners will enjoy the playful, off-the-cuff style, peppered with callbacks, running jokes, and loving digressions.

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 03:33—32:31 | Puppy Lucy: Arrival, adjustment, crate training, cat introductions
• 32:31—41:43 | Dazzling donors
• 41:43—59:45 | Top Story: Late-night TV, Colbert, and Comics Unleashed
• 62:04—66:32 | Blursday messages (start)
• 66:32–72:30 | TBTL nostalgia & “worst baseball game”
• 75:32—78:52 | Farhad the bread/weed guy
• 80:02—81:31 | Lucy is here to stay; closing remarks

Listeners who missed the episode will get a dose of everything that makes TBTL singular: inside jokes, earnest updates, cultural hot takes, loving listener shout-outs, and the ever-present sense that, through all media and canine upheaval, the fun will continue to begin.