# Colbert to replace Letterman on CBS's Late Show



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2014/04/10/cbs-late-show-david-letterman-stephen-colbert/7547269/


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Well. How about that?

I'll miss _The Report_ though. Hope he incorporates some of the better bits of it into the new format . . . . . .


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Yes, I will, too.  It will be interesting to see what he does in the new format.  I'll think he was a perfect choice, though Tina Fey would have been a close second.

I bet Jon Stewart/Comedy Central is really wishing Letterman had made the announcement a couple of months ago--they would have kept John Oliver.

Betsy


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Good Point. Oliver did a good job filling in for Stewart but I never cared for the bits he did on _The Daily Show_; and I've always liked Colbert better than either. I wonder if Stewart will loose viewers -- isn't Letterman's show at 11? Same time as Stewart? When Colbert makes the move it'll just be a half hour of Stewart vs a full hour of Colbert and he might lose out.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Good Point. Oliver did a good job filling in for Stewart but I never cared for the bits he did on _The Daily Show_; and I've always liked Colbert better than either. I wonder if Stewart will loose viewers -- isn't Letterman's show at 11? Same time as Stewart? When Colbert makes the move it'll just be a half hour of Stewart vs a full hour of Colbert and he might lose out.


No, the Late Show starts at 11:30, same as Colbert. (I think Oliver is hysterically funny, myself. )

Betsy


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

I like Letterman, but I don't like Colbert at all. Oh well. Tina Fey, that would have been interesting, maybe. 
Will we ever see a woman in that job at any of the networks? 

I will miss Letterman, even though he has been quite stale the last few years.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Atunah said:


> I like Letterman, but I don't like Colbert at all. Oh well. Tina Fey, that would have been interesting, maybe.
> Will we ever see a woman in that job at any of the networks?
> 
> I will miss Letterman, even though he has been quite stale the last few years.


I'd be surprised if he does much of his "Colbert Report" shtick on The Late Show. I would expect it to be one bit in the course of the whole show, like it used to be on The Daily Show. He also used to do other bits on TDS; I expect some of them to perhaps be revived.

Betsy


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

No, I think he'll, for the most part, drop his "Col-bare" persona and be more his "Col-bert" self. My son's met him when he's just been himself and he says he's really a nice guy. Still, I expect we'll see the odd 'sketch' and some of his a-political bits may still work -- like he's whole thing about how scary bears are!


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

This is interesting, but I wonder how well it will work. The reason he is funny is because he plays a character on the Colbert Report. As just Stephen, will he be as funny - or is he going to be in character on the show?


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

balaspa said:


> This is interesting, but I wonder how well it will work. The reason he is funny is because he plays a character on the Colbert Report. As just Stephen, will he be as funny - or is he going to be in character on the show?


Well, I've seen him in other bits, notably when he was on the Daily Show, and also when he's been interviewed as himself, and I thought he was plenty funny. I don't think the whole show will be in the Colbert Show personna. I guess we'll see in a year or so.

Betsy


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

I have actually never seen the Daily Show, or the Colbert report, outside a few short clips played on other shows. I have seen Colbert I guess when he was a guest on other shows so I don't know about the personas. 

Humor is such a strange thing. It either comes across to one personally or it doesn't. I am sure he will do fine in ratings, seem to have a lot of fans. Will they follow to such a format though? So it will be Colbert and Fallen going  head to head now instead of Leno and Letterman.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

I hope he does a better job of letting guests actually answer questions instead of talking over them.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

NogDog said:


> I hope he does a better job of letting guests actually answer questions instead of talking over them.


As compared to what he does on The Colbert Report? But that's his personna on the show, isn't it? Kind of a rude self-centered oaf? When he hosted The Daily Show when Stewart was on paternity leave, I don't remember him being like that. He was kind of gentle, maybe too gentle.

I saw an interview with him not long after he had started TCR where he said he didn't let his young kids watch the show as he didn't want them to be confused by Daddy acting so different.

Betsy


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> As compared to what he does on The Colbert Report? But that's his personna on the show, isn't it? Kind of a rude self-centered oaf? When he hosted The Daily Show when Stewart was on paternity leave, I don't remember him being like that. He was kind of gentle, maybe too gentle.
> 
> I saw an interview with him not long after he had started TCR where he said he didn't let his young kids watch the show as he didn't want them to be confused by Daddy acting so different.
> 
> Betsy


I don't know: I've never seen him interview people when not playing that persona -- and it's the only thing about his current show that really irritates me: he'll ask an interesting guest an interesting question, then never really let them answer it in their own way and time. I guess we'll find out (and maybe he'll get some good coaching).


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## spotsmom (Jan 20, 2011)

Well, the man is incredibly smart.  I just think it's a strange move.  I realize he wants to move upwards, but I can't see him playing it straight.  I really, really like Jimmy Fallon!


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

NogDog said:


> I don't know: I've never seen him interview people when not playing that persona -- and it's the only thing about his current show that really irritates me: he'll ask an interesting guest an interesting question, then never really let them answer it in their own way and time. I guess we'll find out (and maybe he'll get some good coaching).


In another interview (I guess I'm a fan--I've apparently been stalking him across all media, LOL!), he said that he introduced himself to guests before the show and explained he was going to be a total, er, jerk when the interview started and they should just ignore that and play it as straight as they could.

Betsy


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Of course, I go to bed before any of them come on, though I always DVR Craig Ferguson.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

NogDog said:


> Of course, I go to bed before any of them come on, though I always DVR Craig Ferguson.


I really should DVR Ferguson. I always find him hysterical when I do watch him.

Betsy


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## Stephen T. Harper (Dec 20, 2010)

spotsmom said:


> Well, the man is incredibly smart. I just think it's a strange move. I realize he wants to move upwards, but I can't see him playing it straight.


It's going to be strange for sure. We've rarely seen him out of character. I've seen him interviewed as himself. He comes across as a really nice and humble person. He's also, as you said, extremely smart. That might make his interviews more interesting. Maybe he'll go for more of a conversational vibe? But I don't know what to expect from 1 hour a night of the real Stephen Colbert. I'll tune in just for the curiosity of it. But it's a lot for him to bite off. I bet he'll have some sleepless nights thinking, "what did I just sign up for?"


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

He may not play it straight.  Not playing it straight doesn't necessarily mean playing the Colbert of the Colbert Report, either.  He had several regular bits on The Daily Show.  I see him doing a lot of bits where he plays someone else, kind of like Carson used to do.  And some odd physical stuff--he ate some really strange things on TDS. 

It's going to be interesting.  He's, I guess, the oldest of the three 11:30 hosts now.  I've liked all of the late time hosts, pretty much, for different things.  They all have/had their strengths.

Betsy


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## Stephen T. Harper (Dec 20, 2010)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> He may not play it straight. Not playing it straight doesn't necessarily mean playing the Colbert of the Colbert Report, either. He had several regular bits on The Daily Show.


Yes, but it was all the same character, the incredibly self absorbed cable news correspondent/host. I'm sure he can do other characters too, but the Late Show isn't going to be political. So he's going to have to be himself, just like any other talk show host.

That's a lot of pressure - for him and CBS - when you consider how much they usually know what they are getting with guys like Dave, Conan, Jimmy Fallon, etc. The "real" Colbert is a compete unknown. Hmm&#8230; the more I think about this the more I definitely will want to see that first show. Those evil genius' got me again.


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

I don't think he'll do the show in character, but even so, he is incredibly funny. Some people that don't watch his show often don't realize he's playing an over the top character. Even he thinks his character is an idiot. I don't stay up that late to watch tv, but I'll most likely TiVo it.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Stephen T. Harper said:


> Yes, but it was all the same character, the incredibly self absorbed cable news correspondent/host.


Hmmmm.....that's not what I recall, but short of looking up a lot of clips, which I'm too lazy to do, I won't be able to prove it.  The "Colbert" bits that became The Colbert Report were definitely the most popular and most common, though. But he also had his God Machine bit, which I think of as separate (note it did not go with him to TCR), and I think he had a farmer or fresh vegetable stall guy of some kind. Maybe others, those are just off the top of my head.

No, it won't be political, at least not much more than the late night shows are now. (They all do some political jokes). But a lot of his bits even now on TCR aren't political even though they're presented through the lens of the Colbert Report personna. His take on the Super Bowl (the Superb Owl) was hysterical.

It will definitely be interesting.

Betsy


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I can't view these on the iPad, will have to check them out when I get back on the desktop:

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2014/04/10/stephen_colbert_out_of_character_rare_videos_show_what_he_might_be_like.html

Betsy


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> I really should DVR Ferguson. I always find him hysterical when I do watch him.
> 
> Betsy


You might enjoy this. I just discovered it recently on Amazon Prime streaming:


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I haven't had a chance to read or listen to much of what the various 'people who write about telivision' have had to say, though what I have heard has been mostly fairly positive.  

You know, he's basically a sketch comedian -- started out at Second City TV where a lot of folks got their start.  I think his CR persona will be on hand sometimes, but I think he can be a genuinely good interviewer just on his own.  And funny.  I bet we'll see, now and then, something akin to 'Formidable opponent' where he does a 'point/counterpoint' thing against himself.  He could also do his "The WORD" commentary.

It will be interesting to see what he and Fallon come up with to poke at each other -- they are genuinely good friends and I can see them using that.  They've been on each others' shows several times -- before Fallon was the Tonight How host -- but it worked because his show actually taped earlier and that made them available to cameo for each other.  CBS and NBC might frown on that level of 'cross contamination'.


Hey . . . . just had another thought . . . there was a molehill that got inflated last week when someone tweeted out a quote from the show out of context and a bunch of people who didn't know the deal started a #cancelcolbert movement.  Looks like it might have worked.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Thanks, Nogdog, I'll check it out!

LOL, Ann, good point. The #Cancel Colbert campaign worked!

The Washington Post quotes Colbert this morning as saying:


> I won't be doing the new show in character, so we'll all get to find out how much of him was me. I'm looking forward to it.


The article also says Letterman had a hand in the selection process.

Betsy


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

By the way, NogDog, the New York Times article this morning says that Craig Ferguson is likely to leave the Late Late Show since he was passed over for the Late Show job.

"The dominoes are falling," according to Bill Carter, the Times TV reporter.

Betsy


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> By the way, NogDog, the New York Times article this morning says that Craig Ferguson is likely to leave the Late Late Show since he was passed over for the Late Show job.
> 
> "The dominoes are falling," according to Bill Carter, the Times TV reporter.
> 
> Betsy


I'm a bit dubious about that, as I don't think he'd have been comfortable doing the 11:35 slot if it meant he had to do a more "normal" talk show -- but then maybe he thought his "deconstructed talk show" format could have worked there?


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

NogDog said:


> I'm a bit dubious about that, as I don't think he'd have been comfortable doing the 11:35 slot if it meant he had to do a more "normal" talk show -- but then maybe he thought his "deconstructed talk show" format could have worked there?


Yeah, I'm not sure either--there aren't that many other places to go. It doesn't seem to me that he'd go to Comedy Central. It would be a smarter move, seems to me, to stay there and see how well Fallon and Colbert do. 

Betsy


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

NogDog said:


> You might enjoy this. I just discovered it recently on Amazon Prime streaming:


Thanks for posting that. I just finished watching it. I don't often watch talk-shows, but I probably have watched Ferguson more than the others.

Mike


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Yeah, I'm not sure either--there aren't that many other places to go. It doesn't seem to me that he'd go to Comedy Central. It would be a smarter move, seems to me, to stay there and see how well Fallon and Colbert do.
> 
> Betsy


Apparently Jimmy Fallon made a comment on his show last night welcoming "Jimmy Colbert" to the late night line up.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Apparently Jimmy Fallon made a comment on his show last night welcoming "Jimmy Colbert" to the late night line up.


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

I heard today that Craig Ferguson may lose his show, now. That kind of sucks - I like him.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

What? Ferguson? The only guy I really like in late television? Oh come on.   I hope that doesn't happen.


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