LSSC: Season One All Episodes Talk

[formerlyfreedom]

A place to discuss particular episodes, arcs and moments from the show's run, as they happen.

 

Please remember this isn't a complete catch-all topic -- check out the forum for other topics and show-related talk.

[nowandlater]

I know it makes sense that Emily Blunt be on before Stephen Breyer, but she's not that big a movie star. And though he's not that famous a Supreme Court justice, it's so unusual to have one on late-night TV.

 

But I get it: Most people care about the celebrity, and this isn't The Colbert Report. Ditto Friday's show.

[Ruby25]

The fact that he's having people like Stephen Breyer on at all indicates he's actually going to be trying to interview them, unlike Kimmel or Fallon, so that's good.

 

I also like that he's going to have the American in Paris performance. Looks like he will be promoting Broadway shows, which not a lot of late night shows do (he did the same thing on Colbert occasionally).

Edited August 31, 2015 by Ruby25

[Ruby25]

Oh crap. Joe Biden's going to be on Sept 10th. I wouldn't mind, except I really hope he's not coming there to announce his candidacy (I don't want the Democrats to be divided in the presidential race).

[nowandlater]

The fact that he's having people like Stephen Breyer on at all indicates he's actually going to be trying to interview them, unlike Kimmel or Fallon, so that's good.

 

In defense of Kimmel, he's a good interviewer, unlike Fallon. Sure, he doesn't usually have politicians on, but he's done a good job with Bill Clinton and President Obama in the past year and a half.

 

From EW, 2011:

http://www.ew.com/article/2011/03/25/jimmy-kimmel-live

 

What do I mean by open-minded? Kimmel is probably the only late-night host who’s interviewed Kim Kardashian and not spoken to her as though she’s merely a lucky no-talent — he wants to figure out why a no-talent got this lucky. A Lost fanatic, he’s also not embarrassed to let you know he keeps tabs on The Bachelor and American Idol. He mocks them, sure, but his ad-lib asides make it clear he’s not just using his cleverly edited clips as ratings juice; he’s invested in figuring out the appeal of such pop phenomena. In his interview segments, he really listens; like with Craig Ferguson, you never get the feeling Kimmel is reading off his staff’s list of questions. And, intriguingly, this former cohost of The Man Show fares better with female guests.

 

Edited September 1, 2015 by nowandlater

[trow125]

I agree that Jimmy Kimmel is a smart guy with a savvy take on pop culture -- I watched his show regularly for several years, though I haven't caught it as often since it moved to 11:30 -- but he does do that "pre-interview talking point" thing that I really, really hope Stephen avoids. "So have you been on vacation recently?" [star tells well-rehearsed anecdote about his vacation] Or he'd ask somebody if they'd ever done commercials, and when they said yes, he'd "just happen" to have some old embarrassing clip ready to roll. I always felt that Stephen's improv background was one of his great strengths as an interviewer on TCR and I hope he can make the show feel spontaneous and loose.

[nowandlater]

I agree that Jimmy Kimmel is a smart guy with a savvy take on pop culture -- I watched his show regularly for several years, though I haven't caught it as often since it moved to 11:30 -- but he does do that "pre-interview talking point" thing that I really, really hope Stephen avoids. "So have you been on vacation recently?" [star tells well-rehearsed anecdote about his vacation] Or he'd ask somebody if they'd ever done commercials, and when they said yes, he'd "just happen" to have some old embarrassing clip ready to roll. I always felt that Stephen's improv background was one of his great strengths as an interviewer on TCR and I hope he can make the show feel spontaneous and loose.

 

To be fair, Letterman, who was known for being less dependent on the cards, did have videos/photo(s) cued up related to a guests anecdote. I mean, it's better to have it than to not have it.

 

While I hope Colbert does spontaneous interviews, it's really difficult to do that these days.

 

There are many talk shows, and the celebrity guests have to have something interesting/non repeating to say for each one.

 

Add in the fact that dozens of blogs -- including ones from Time Magazine to the Wall Street Journal -- are poring over these interviews to find something ineresting/newsworthy so that they could get clicks.

 

The result is these interviews have to be somewhat produced. It's a really tricky job. Hopefully, Colbert can deal with that minefield.

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

On another note, the first Friday of the new late-night war will pit Amy Schumer on Colbert vs. Donald Trump on Fallon.

 

So CBS and NBC are continuing the Friday night late-night tradition, which has been abandoned by everybody else (including the shows that follow Colbert and Fallon).

 

Personally, I hate it. Friday night is part of the weekend. Sure, I could DVR them. But I'm gonna want to watch those interviews when they air. Or close to it. My point is I hope the putting of high-profile guests on Friday nights doesn't become a regular thing.

 

Colbert told Howard Stern (I think he said this on the Stern show) that he's going to actually tape the Friday shows on Fridays at least for this fall. Then he may move to the Letterman schedule of taping two shows on Thursday.

Edited September 1, 2015 by nowandlater

[Victor the Crab]

Craig Ferguson was known to let fly whatever was on his mind to his guests when he was hosting The Late Late Show, and tore up his cards after he and his guest arrived at the desk. I'd like to see Stephen's mind fly like that when he debuts next Tuesday, as well as when he did that on TCR.

[nowandlater]

Holy fuckin shit. This is going to be good!!!!

 

Also, don't miss this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/06/arts/television/stephen-colbert-the-late-night-hope.html

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDcK3cbrn30

[trow125]

If you're DVR'ing the premiere, make sure you set it to run long; I saw this note on the CBS Press page:

the Tuesday, Sept. 8 broadcast of THE LATE LATE SHOW will have a revised start time, 12:44 AM-1:44 AM, ET/PT, following the premiere of THE LATE SHOW with STEPHEN COLBERT.

[nowandlater]

If you're DVR'ing the premiere, make sure you set it to run long; I saw this note on the CBS Press page:

 

Set my DVR last night. And it already allowed for the 12:44 am end time. BUT, I'd recommend extending it for half an hour. Just in case.

 

The Letterman finale was extended. Then when it ran, it was extended even more, and a lot of people missed out on the end.

[LADreamr]

The band looks like it's going to be so much fun.

[formerlyfreedom]

The band looks like it's going to be so much fun.

 

I was first saw Jon Batiste and Stay Human perform when they appeared on The Colbert Report in July 2014. I immediately bought their Social Music - GREAT stuff. I can't recommend them enough, and I was thrilled when Stephen announced his bandleader. Jon and Stephen seem to really get each other, and I think we're in for a real treat.

[LADreamr]

Also, jazz has its own sense of humor, and New Orleans Jazz has its own, again. They're going to play great off each other. I hope Jon can get some more NOLA jazz peeps on the show. I'd love to see John Boutte.

[Kromm]

I never watch live but just tuned in (about 15 minutes in).  So I missed the intro and monologue, but tuned in for the middle of the post-monologue desk bit.

[Kromm]

Okay, TWO desk bits. I was lukewarm about the first desk bit (the half I saw of it) with the ummm. Demon/Hummus Sponsor humor... but I love this second bit about Oreos/Donald Trump.

 

He's kind of doing a little bit of The Daily Show here (vs. The Colbert Report).

 

(Okay, as the bit went on it got funnier and funnier--and more outrageous.)

 

And this is a GREAT band.

Edited September 9, 2015 by Kromm

[ebk57]

Oreos are definitely better than hummus!  (And I love hummus...)

 

Totally agree about the band!!

[ebk57]

An awkward pause... makes me miss Craig.

[Kromm]

Jeb! Time.

 

Well this is going to be interesting. Seatgate and exclamation points are sure to be talking points.

[bmoore4026]

Well, I thought this was a good first episode.  The bit with the demon skull thing was stupid, but the rest was nice.

 

I'm glad they're not deviating far from what Stephen is famous for.  I couldn't handle it if he was trying to be more like Letterman.

[ebk57]

It's Brittany Howard!  And Mavis Staples! And Buddy Guy!!  And...other people that I feel like I should recognize...

[Kromm]

What the heck happened to Mavis Staples voice?  Is she sick, or did time finally catch up with her?

 

A bit disappointed he didn't pound Jeb! harder, but at least he got that shot about his mother in.

[mariah23]

Welcome Back Stephen! You've been missed!

[Cutty]

Liked the format. The interviews were a bit off, though I don't think that was Stephen's fault.

Really enjoy the intro and theme song.

[ebk57]

Who was the picture in Fallon's locker at the end? (I obviously have a problem recognizing people)

[Potanical Pardon]

Best debut of a host in recent memory for me.

 

I couldn't help but feel like he was in-character for the majority of the episode, though I guess I was expecting drastically different. Then again, everything was formatted as bits. Real Stephen looked like he was having the time of his life. I don't think I've ever witnessed a host of anything bask in the moment authentically before other than Conan during his tour. The band is even like a younger version of the Basic Cable Band/Max Weinberg 7.

 

Can't wait for more!

Edited September 9, 2015 by Potanical Pardon

[Lantern7]

Aw . . .  Stephen has a picture of Jon in his locker. Makes up for not having Jon in the audience, asking where the singing cats are. What? Some jokes are worth telling again, even if they're two decades apart.

 

Right now, I'm going to DVR The Nightly Show, and I'll do the same for @Midnight when it returns to its slot. I'll give Stephen a shot, though it's been ages since I strayed from Comedy Central's lineup. So far, I'm thinking it's The Colbert Report with a bigger budget, a house band, and less of an emphasis on politics. It should work out. I'll be pulling for Stephen . . .  I think his Ben & Jerry's ice cream is better than Jimmy Fallon's efforts.

 

ETA: I liked the Sabra bit. Felt very TCR to me.

[Saylii]

The monologue was pretty good. You could tell he's working with a different audience because there was one joke that fell horribly flat and I don't think he was expecting that.

The demon segment was horrible. The Oreo one was pretty good. The "Decision Strike" with George Clooney was good.

I felt his interviews were spotty. The question format he's adopting is a little weird. The Darfur to Amal segway was horrible.

Right now, it isn't a horrible show. But I'm hoping Stephen learns to blur the lines a little bit more between TCR Stephen and Late Night Stephen. You could easily tell when he was slipping into each persona. He's going to lose a lot of audience in the next month or so if he doesn't get better at it.

[Kromm]

I didn't think he was playing Colbert Report Stephen. If anything I saw more of Daily Show Stephen in there (and a bit of TDS approach during the Trump/Oreo bit--which was political but clearly from the other side than Colbert Report Stephen would have been talking about it from).

Missed the first 15 min, so gotta watch that and comment more on that later.

[LJonEarth]

I mean this is the best way possible, but that didn't feel like a first episode to me. It felt like an everyday middle of the week, some things work, somethings don't episode. I suppose his other show was so tight that everything always seemed to work. This felt to me like when I watch Letterman reruns. No nervousness or jitters, but it's not a whole 45 minutes that I would rewatch.

 

The strangest part for me was to see the seemingly scripted interview segment with Clooney. With most shows it seems like the host is in on the preprepared stuff or the guest is, but not both of them. It seemed too scripted. But I suppose they're trying to mix it up since a majority of talk show viewers are tired of standard interviews, hence Jimmy Fallon's popularity.

[kib]

Well now...

Nice effort out of the gate.  A little more screwball than I would have expected, but that's OK.  I laughed at the hummus bit for some reason, the set up was a little tedious but it eventually paid off. Also, nice touch with the sock on the doorknob when Clooney was interrupted having sex. 

Jeb!'s interview had the bejesus edited out of it, so I guess (unless we scurry off to the interwebs) we'll never know if Stephen got around to poking the bear.

The one thing I couldn't have been more pleased to see was the band number at the end.  Lots of artists that simply never find a place on network television sat in with the band, something I was deathly afraid we'd lose post-Letterman.

Solid start, looking forward to how it evolves once the endorphins settle into normal levels. 

 

 

[buttersister]

I was laughing myself silly when Stephen emptied the Oreo bag. Somewhere Anderson Cooper and that CNN All Trump All the Time Gang must have been spitting! Welcome back, Stephen. Your first guest was an actor with a fake movie. Some demon makes you pimp Sabra. (Not the best bit, but he did fully commit to it.) Les Moonves flips the Mentalist switch (felt like a Letterman homage to me). Stephen kicks the shit out of Jeb's Veto Corleone "joke." Reportedly the taping went two hours and they had to cut it down to this show, so there were some rough edges, but who cares? Was that Alabama Shakes with Mavis Staples, Buddy Guy, Ben Folds and Jon B. and Stay Human? I'm in. Seeing Jon, Jon's photo and Jon's exec producer credit was gravy.

[stonehaven]

I will say that no one can top Letterman for me..I got so used to his style..his band..and the tone that anything else just seems childish to me...and the entire do-over of the set threw me for a loop...I recognized the staircase that used to be by Letterman's desk and of the theatre itself but it looked way too CGI for my taste but I guess that's the trend...

 

I will say the shout out to Dave was awesome...and of course Biff Henderson....

 

I think he was too easy on Jeb but getting Jeb to admit that his brother didn't control his GOP brethren was fantastic(I'm a conservative but not a huge Jeb fan).

My biggest problem with the SC was his talking over the guests at some point..I will give him a break on that as it was probably nerves...

 

The Clooney bit was fun but I was hoping for some substantive talk on the refugee crisis..I  can understand if SC wanted to keep things light and fun his first week...and the movie parody was funny..

 

The end musical segment was cool..and it made me like the band more..although the rest of the music didn't do much for me..I gotta say I was thrilled to see the lead singer from St. Paul and the Broken Bones in that musical number..that felt like a Letterman shout out!

 

Overall, it was okay...I might watch again but it is NOT appointment viewing for me..none of the late night hosts are....

[Fisher King]

Jon Batiste and Stay Human are awesome. Love the opening theme.

I didn't expect perfection but it was pretty entertaining for the debut. Great to see the Ed Sullivan theater full of people again (along with a bit of a tug without DL) but I'm optimistic that the show's going to be great and worth the home on my DVR.

 

.

[opus]

I never watched TCR. Is this name chanting a carryover from there? Because I already hate it.

[ebk57]

Who was the picture in Fallon's locker at the end? (I obviously have a problem recognizing people)

 

I know, if you quote yourself, you'll go blind...

 

I figured it out.  In case anyone is interested, it's Stephen's picture from the cover of Time.  It's just such a...different...picture.  Yeah, I'm using that excuse for not recognizing it.

[brgjoe]

I enjoyed it.  I expected there to be a glitch or two at the start.  As mentioned before, a joke or two fell flat and there was an awkward pause or two during the monologue.  And I also agree that the Clooney interview was a bit..off.  Like it was mostly scripted. 

 

But all in all, I thought it was a solid debut.  Loved the Oreo's bit.  I even laughed at the Cursed Demon bit too.  But as I was laughing, I was wondering how that would be going over for "mainstream America".  Could picture some old couple tuning in at that moment and saying, "WTF is THIS!?"  But I still childishly giggled at the bit anyway.

 

Loved the band/music as well.  Though will have to admit, I will miss Paul Shaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Band. 

 

I think SC will do just fine.  Can't wait to see more episodes and how he will continue to make the show "his". 

[Dust Bunny]

I didn't love it. Happy for Stephen, that he has such a great gig. But it's too network-y for me, and I was hoping there would have been more of a change in format.

 

John Oliver has the best gig of anyone, I think. 

[futurechemist]

So by my count there were 3 separate "Stephen" chants, so that's good.  And he had energy.  But I don't think this show is for me.  Other than the cold open, none of the monologue or desk segments managed to keep my interest.  That's not a slight against Stephen, I don't like any of the main late night shows.  Even on the Daily/Nightly/Colbert shows, I'd skip the interviews/panels, so that knocks out the 2nd half of the show (and the interview with Jeb just seemed tame, without any real bite).  I suppose I prefer a more focused show, or at least more political or satirical in nature.  

 

Maybe from time to time I'll watch the first 20 minutes, but that's about it.

[Kromm]

I didn't love it. Happy for Stephen, that he has such a great gig. But it's too network-y for me, and I was hoping there would have been more of a change in format.

 

John Oliver has the best gig of anyone, I think. 

 

 

So by my count there were 3 separate "Stephen" chants, so that's good.  And he had energy.  But I don't think this show is for me.  Other than the cold open, none of the monologue or desk segments managed to keep my interest.  That's not a slight against Stephen, I don't like any of the main late night shows.  Even on the Daily/Nightly/Colbert shows, I'd skip the interviews/panels, so that knocks out the 2nd half of the show (and the interview with Jeb just seemed tame, without any real bite).  I suppose I prefer a more focused show, or at least more political or satirical in nature.  

 

Maybe from time to time I'll watch the first 20 minutes, but that's about it.

Are you guys really saying you're giving up after ONE show?

 

Ack.

 

How was anyone ever going to live up to a one-in-and-done test?  Even weekly shows seem to get more chances than that!

[futurechemist]

Are you guys really saying you're giving up after ONE show?

 

Ack.

 

How was anyone ever going to live up to a one-in-and-done test?  Even weekly shows seem to get more chances than that!

No, what I'm saying is that this episode didn't make me think that Colbert's show will be much different than Letterman, Leno, Conan, Corden, Ferguson, Kilborn, Myers, none of whom could hold my interest in the interview segments.  And I honestly can't remember the last time I watched more than 5 minutes of any of those people's shows.  If in a few weeks, people tell me that Colbert's interviews are awesome, and are more like The Colbert Report than a generic network talk show, I'll come back to it.  But I'm not going to sit through the usual inane celebrity chatter just because Colbert was awesome on the Report, when even then I didn't stay for most interviews..  Likewise, if people tell me that Colbert's monologues are as entertaining and/or satirical as Stewart/Oliver/Wilmore/Colbert Report, then I'll be sure to tune in.  

 

Basically, Colbert has yet to show me that this will be a fundamentally new type of late night network talk show - maybe something like what Graham Norton does.  A very high bar to be sure, but that's what it would take to get me to watch routinely.

Edited September 9, 2015 by futurechemist

[Ruby25]

I love seeing Stephen again, but it did feel very network-y, with not a lot of change in format. Although I wasn't really expecting it either, but I guess I was hoping to be surprised. Still, it's only the first show, so I'm going to hold out hope for a while.

 

I was kind of hoping he would do something different than the typical desk and couch setup- like I don't know, do the guests part in a separate section like a Dick Cavett thing, so they can foster real conversations.

 

Jeb Bush is so lame. God, he's just the lamest Bush ever, and that's really hard to be.

[Muffyn]

I enjoyed it.  Stephen eating the oreos was great.  I loved him leaning back in the chair with a look of pure bliss (and I can't stand oreos).  He'll need a little time to get down the pacing, especially of the monologue.  He needs to learn how to roll through it when a joke fails since it can always happen.  While the Clooney interview felt scripted, I enjoyed the movie spoof.  

[Kromm]

I did finally see the front end of the show.  The monologue was okay.  That'll sharpen up, I'm sure. Stephen was Improv by trade, not stand-up, so it's an adjustment for him.

 

The theme song and credits were great. I also liked (was amused by) Stephen doing his own announcing (and in the clear in front of the audience). I doubt they'll play it that way going forward, since I'm sure the credits will lead the show from now on, but it was funny first time out to see that.

 

I do think there are things Stephen can do to make the show less "networky" (as people keep saying it is), but the flip side of that is that he won't DARE do it for a few months. He has to grab as many of those fuddy-duddy viewers who watched Leno because he felt as comfortable to them as later-day-Carson (when Carson got boring), and who now watch Fallon, because he's also unchallenging to them. I think he's going to have to Stealth-insert the innovative stuff over time, after the old farts decide they're either in or they're out.

[The Luvly Junkie]

I think it's very interesting how after the months of preparation, pre-show projects, and time, the first impressions of the premiere episode strays back into mainstream territory. I know some opinions on the format of late night talk shows varies, but really... 

 

I've followed this belief since the premiere episodes for Larry and Ollie-Scone's premiere, that not everything is perfect in the first run, and it's too soon to conclude that Stephen's new gig cannot surpass his TCR gig. Like his setup, there will be people who will either gradually leave or be introduced to the show, so consider that the show will not follow its predecessor or any project Stephen was in, but be more of an extension. 

 

I will say, his Trump segment is true to form with just enough absurdity post-TCR. It was just the right pinch of satire for everyone, unless you're a Trump fan or you hate Oreos.

 

I never watched TCR. Is this name chanting a carryover from there? Because I already hate it.

 

        Aw, but that's the best part. When Stephen was playing his high-status, conservative idiot counterpart it worked with TCR's set up. Maybe if you checked out TCR clips you can understand the context. Give it a chance, for nostalgia's sake. :)

[Kromm]

I'm okay with the video wall (and by extension that ceiling), because I can already think of some innovative ways they could use it.

I will say, his Trump segment is true to form with just enough absurdity post-TCR. It was just the right pinch of satire for everyone, unless you're a Trump fan or you hate Oreos.

Trump's silent majority of Republicans voting for him still have to be laughing at him a lot. Because really the whole thing with him seems like the world's biggest practical joke.  It's like Sanjaya on American Idol getting overwhelming support for so long, before they eventually turned on him.

[nowandlater]

I admit, I wasn't totally into it.

 

I'm a Kimmel fan (and a Conan fan, and a Letterman fan). And the reason I like Kimmel (and I actually watch his show, not the morning-after clips) is because it makes me feel comfortable.

 

I kind of felt uncomfortable with Colbert (and I used to watch TCR).

 

Random thoughts:

 

--The desk is HUGE. There's just so much separating  Colbert from the guests. They should be a lot closer.

 

--With Letterman and even with Kimmel, you get great conversations in a limited time frame. Colbert's interviews didn't really feel like conversations.

 

--The set makes it feel like they're in a studio in CBS Television City, instead of an actual theater (except for when they pan up, of course).

 

--The NY Times reports that the taping took 2 hours due to many glitches.

 

--George Clooney was the first guest on The Rosie O'Donnell Show in 1996 and Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2003. I think it's time to retire the Clooney as first guest thing, unless he has someone else to promote.

 

--I can see the "Stephen! Stephen!" chants getting annoying.

 

Anyways, it's the first show. Things are bound to improve (except I don't see the "Stephen!" thing going away.

[AnnieGirl]

I never watched TCR. Is this name chanting a carryover from there? Because I already hate it.

It sure is. Hate to tell you, I'm pretty sure it's here to stay.

Loved the show! Poor Jeb! There wasn't much of a clap-clap for him and silence by the time he sat down.

In CA there were 19 commercials between Clooney and Jeb! segments. OMG, I thought it was never going to end. Speaking of commercials, I'm in the commercial for the new Steve Jobs movie that aired before the last segment. (Okay, it's a crowd scene but I'm there dammit).

Edited September 9, 2015 by AnnieGirl

[Human]

I watched purely because it was Stephen Colbert and I'm a long time fan, but I knew that I had no intention of keeping up with a late night network talk show.  It's just not my thing, and Stephen was clear that he didn't intend to revolutionize or even moderately revamp the format.  There were some genuinely funny moments, that oreo skit had me in stitches.  It's just that this type of comedy is too safe for my tastes.  It's mindless entertainment and I already have too much tv on my plate each week to tune in just for the sake of supporting my man Stevie.  

[ABay]

No one has mentioned the Star Spangled Banner opening? Jon! I can't believe that choked me up. Seeing Jon, not the anthem.

 

It took Larry Wilmore months to get the format right on The Nightly Show. Stephen has more experience hosting his own show and I expect it won't take him as long, but it will take time. I didn't love the opening stand up bit but it did differentiate this show from TCR.

 

TVLine has an extra bit of the Jeb! interview where Stephen asks the raffle winner's question and a bit about Trump, with Bush being Trump.

Edited September 9, 2015 by ABay