Anybody else wondering how this might play out? I like Colbert but political satire is a HUGE part of his game. It’s a good bet CBS is not gonna want him to do so much of it because it alienates too many viewers. Also, he’s really not very good at doing interviews. He’s gotten better at it over the years but he still asks a lot of purely silly questions designed solely for the laugh. Here, he’s going from a show where guest interviews is 1/3 of a half hour to a show where it’s about 2/3 of a full hour. Plus, even though he admits his persona on his current show is deliberate satire, he REALLY is pretty damn full of himself. That part is no act!
Have you been watching these last few episodes of CR? He is already starting to pivot - commenting on stuff in a more talk-show short of way. I can’t really describe it, but it seems clear to me - yeah, I know. :smack:
Actually, I haven’t noticed that. Just this past week he did a segment going after Sean Hannity. That’s the kind of thing he WON’T be able to do on CBS
I’m not sure that’s true. Everyone in the nighttime talk show loved to attack Leno, and this seems to be the same type of issue.
But the main thing I’m noticing is that his character is slipping and becoming more liberal. He’s saying more bad things about conservatives without as much satire. I hadn’t made the connection to CBS until this thread.
In short, Stephen Colbert is taking over The Late Show, not Stephen Colbert. In other words, the person, not the character or persona, is going to be on CBS.
Edited to add, here is the thread from when the announcement was first made.
I don’t like watching celebrity interviews, and that’s pretty much the core component of any of the late shows. I love Colbert, but I don’t see myself following him to CBS.
Those late night guys always went after each other. And yes, they also swipe at politics from time to time, but not on the level as Colbert normally does. Conservatives don’t watch his show or The Daily Show AT ALL (unless it’s to complain about them). If they decided to tune out his show on CBS, it’s likely gonna reflect poorly in his ratings.
Seriously (heh). His are the only interviews I will watch because they are just goofy, not fake camaraderie or fake serious. Everyone else’s make me vaguely uncomfortable.
IMO, Jon Stuart gets the same amount, if not more, laughs during his interviews WITHOUT all the silly, pointless, questions. You get the story AND the laughs. Colbert’s style often disrupts the interviews.
I think I remember when the announcement was originally made, industry insiders were commenting on how much talent Colbert has, and how we only see a bit of it in the Colbert Report format. If that’s really true, then he should do fine.
Johnny Carson did tons of political satire. Colbert won’t do it in character, but it will be there.
I noticed the change in interviewing also, including more long two segment interviews, which he never did before.
My question is how he’s going to work with the stock company talk show hosts have - bandleader, announcer, etc. Except for very rarely appearing characters, he’s been a one-man show.
For one thing, in order to be successful in showbiz, you have to be somewhat of a narcissist. Ya just do. That said, I don’t see Colbert being any more full of himself than anyone else in his business.
Also, keep in mind, Colbert has a LOT of talents that the world hasn’t seen yet because he’s restricted to the “Colbert” character. According to Jon, the man has range, and is very talented.
Could anyone ever tell what Carson’s political leanings were? He was a little before my time but I don’t think I ever knew. While there was probably still a lot of political polarization in his day, I doubt if it was as open as it is today.
Core, yes, but the current late night shows devote the first 25-30 minutes to the monologue and skits, and reserve the last segment for a comic or band. You are just about guaranteed to get more minutes of Colbert being Colbert than on his show today. Not just a little more, but probably 100% more.
Again. The character Stephen Colbert plays on The Colbert Report is a character. He is not Stephen Colbert. My worst nightmare (of the next five minutes) is that this blinkered confusion is actually representative of a large number of Americans.