Anticipation for Colbert's Late Show

[A Boston Gal]

So.....no more Dr. Rev. Stephen T. Colbert?? What do we think? Personally? Thrilled for him, sad for myself and other TCR fans.

[walnutqueen]

Oh noooes.  :-(

[daisycat]

Oh my GAWD. I hate this more than anything. He's needed right where he is. I agree with A Boston Gal in that I'm happy for this opportunity for him - seriously couldn't happen to a nicer, more talented guy - but... just... no. TCR is an amazingly original offering, and this is the end of something that was perfection.

[roseha]

Stephen has been brilliant on TCR, obviously, but nine years is a long time and this gives him an opportunity to try new things without having to travel which with a family I think he doesn't want to do. It's a great opportunity.  I imagine he will try to bring some of his people with him.  All the best.

[formerlyfreedom]

New spot to talk about Stephen's move to CBS' Late Show with...Stephen Colbert -let's take the Anticipation over to the new forum folks! And thank you for all your posts here!

[Charlotte Vale]

I tried to like The Colbert Report, really I did. I know he is just an actor playing an obnoxious jerk--but the character is such an obnoxious jerk I could never get past that and enjoy the show.

Heck, I haven't even watched The Daily Show in a  good two or three years. Just got out of the habit during one of the many strikes/vacations and never picked it up again.

[April Bloodgate]

Charlotte, this will be a great opportunity for you to give Colbert another chance. I assume he will be doing the show as himself, not the character, and the real Colbert is so likable. I'm excited to see more of the real him.

[daisycat]

Colbert is brilliant and I'm proud to have seen TCB live - it was amazing. He did the entire show in one take, which was pretty awe-inspiring.

To paraphrase Wil Wheaton, "...he's trading this important show for a place where he'll basically lob softballs to celebrities who are just there to promote things."

[A Boston Gal]

Yes, I agree, TCR is an important show, but let's not assume Stephen will morph into Larry King with this new gig. I am cautiously optomistic about this, or at least, trying to be.

[Athena]

I really hope so. I feel protective of Stephen in a way too since I've watched him since TDS. I'm really glad he has this new opportunity, but I'm not sure if he's the right fit.

In either case, I will miss the Report. When John Oliver left TDS, I was also wondering when Stephen was going to get a change. Nine years is a long time to play a character.

[Captanne]

I'm not worried about Colbert smokin' the Late Show.  He's a terrific entertainer and a very, very clever guy.  

What saddens me is that The Colbert Report is a stroke of genius and is going to be over -- it uses satire on so many levels and so intelligently.  I'll miss the character, the writing, the crazy creative ideas the team had and, most importantly, the constant calling out of the bullshit this country is capable of trying to delude itself with.

I've said before, "I get my news from Jon Stewart.  I get ~intelligent, layers of wit~ from Stephen Colbert."  Sometimes the craft in TCR took my breath away it was so intricate and well played.

Edited April 10, 2014 by Captanne

[Victor the Crab]

Colbert is brilliant and I'm proud to have seen TCB live - it was amazing. He did the entire show in one take, which was pretty awe-inspiring.

To paraphrase Wil Wheaton, "...he's trading this important show for a place where he'll basically lob softballs to celebrities who are just there to promote things."

I saw him live too. About three years ago. They told us, before he came out, to make a lot of noise because he loves it and he feeds off of it.

So after Stephen came out and did a lap around the audience - where I stuck my hand out and he grazed my fingertips - he stood in the middle of the audience to soak in the applause and the chants of STEE-PHEN, STEE-PHEN, STEE-PHEN. I was two rows up and sitting in an aisle seat. I had one foot in front of my seat and the other on the aisle steps, knees bent, fists pumping, and giving it all like a soccer supportert at a match.

After we stopped cheering and sat down, Stephen came up to me with his hand out and shook my hand for that great support I gave him. When he got to his chair to start the taping, he took off his WRISTSRONG bracelet he was wearing and fired it off to me. I still have it to this day. I still get excited thinking about all that. It's something I will cherish greatly, especially as time goes on.

[Kromm]

I've been expecting this for days.  Nobody else made sense, Colbert is riding high after how well he resolved the "Cancel Colbert" thing, and Ferguson (assuming CBS ever really wanted him at 11:30) didn't really seem to want it.

Colbert is brilliant and I'm proud to have seen TCB live - it was amazing. He did the entire show in one take, which was pretty awe-inspiring.

To paraphrase Wil Wheaton, "...he's trading this important show for a place where he'll basically lob softballs to celebrities who are just there to promote things."

Even the best gig can start to feel static.  I get why he might be ready for a change.

[Skyfall]

John Oliver jumped ship a bit too early. Wonder if HBO will let him do a show on CC if they come knocking. Otherwise @Midnight will most likely get bumped up and cause mass confusion. xD

[Kromm]

NY Times piece (including some words from Dave Letterman on all of this--Dave seems extremely happy with the choice):

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/11/business/media/stephen-colbert-to-succeed-letterman-on-late-show.html

[Zalyn]

I'm feeling pretty morose about this.  First, because The Daily Show and The Colbert Report are pretty much the only things that can make me laugh nowadays; there is no more witty comedy that appeals to me other than those shows.  Jon looks like he's getting ready to move on as well...

Also, I am deeply concerned that late night is going to suffocate him.  I know that Letterman revolutionlized late night for his time, but other than the occasional interview or the Battlestar Galactica list, it's a waste of time for me to watch.  Seeing what happened to Conan O'Brien makes me very pessimistic.  I also frankly hate the "late night show" format - the bands playing is like a throwback to lame variety shows.

I wish Stephen the best on this, seriously.  But I feel like an era is ending in public discourse and satire.  People are losing their understandings of what satire is and what its effect is, and that makes me sad.

[trow125]

I think this topic should have been titled "Death of a Nation."

Seriously though, I think it's GOOD that Jimmy Fallon has been so successful in late night (his ratings are huge) with his musical numbers and celebrity games, because late night does NOT need two Jimmy Fallons. I really hope Colbert will keep some of his political edge because it could differentiate him from Fallon. 

My worst case scenario is that Colbert at 11:30 will = Letterman at 11:30. I was a massive "Late Night" fan and there is just no comparison to what Dave was doing in the mid- to late-80s on NBC and what the CBS show has become. There's a reason I went from obsessive Dave enthusiast to watching his show 3-4 times a year at most.

[walnutqueen]

I watched a PBS show called "Generation Like"; one of the salient points therein was that these Gens are unfamiliar with the connotations of the term "sellout".  I do not begrudge "success", I sadly bemoan it.

Go in peace. Stephen, for all you've given, with my eternal thanks - but, You, Sir, are not a Gladiator.

 

I say this with love, and as someone who would  sell out quicker than you could say "unlimited cat food and vet bills".

[Kromm]

I'm feeling pretty morose about this.  First, because The Daily Show and The Colbert Report are pretty much the only things that can make me laugh nowadays; there is no more witty comedy that appeals to me other than those shows.  Jon looks like he's getting ready to move on as well...

Also, I am deeply concerned that late night is going to suffocate him.   

Okay, but before the condolences I do think it's worth keeping in mind that a,) Colbert is probably pretty tired of doing the same thing for almost a decade and might have wanted to retire from that anyway and b.) this notion of doing a regular talk show is certainly no new one to him--watch the Oprah interview a few years ago and hear him talk about Johnny Carson and it's easy to realize he's been wanting this (and maybe even planning for it) for most of his life.

[Milburn Stone]

On last night's show he handled the "bombshell" with his typical brilliance. Spent the time talking about Letterman's retirement, and then how "whoever takes his place is going to have some mighty big shoes to fill!!!" Heh.

[A Boston Gal]

It was a pure pleasure to watch, Milburn!  In fact, the Boston Globe had a great article about Stephen from its TV critic: http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/2014/04/10/stephen-colbert-wise-choice-succeed-david-letterman/4CI9tD0YuJGAezC1RjGvFJ/story.html

[RabbitEars]

It took me a whole day of mourning, but I think I'm ready to let go. I still hate that we're losing an American treasure and gaining just another talk show host.

Colbert is a singular talent. I couldn't believe he pulled that off for 9 years. If the whole run is on DVD I would buy that right now and start watching all over again.
 

Edited April 12, 2014 by RabbitEars

[Kromm]

It took me a whole day of mourning, but I think I'm ready to let go. I still hate that we're losing an American treasure of a character and gaining just another talk show host.

In my opinion that's kind of defeatist thinking, and I hope it's just part of a process of coming around on the idea rather than something that will permanently get stuck in people's craws, lurking in the background waiting to become a self-fulfilling prophecy if some of his old show loyalists don't like how the first few weeks or months of his Late Show unfold.  

To me I honestly think his own fatigue with the fictional character, plus his own clearly expressed life-long desire to do this very job (at least that's how I interpret ANYONE who talks about Johnny Carson worship) is of key importance.  It means he's thought about this. He's planned it.  He won't inherently be selling out or compromising, because to judge that as happening would equate saying that his own ideas mean less than people's expectations (and catering to people's expectations is more "selling out" IMO than doing what you've planned).  The Colbert Report was epic, but he wouldn't have spent his whole life doing it no matter what, I think.  Better for him to improve the network talk show, as much as anyone can, than if he'd simply grown tired enough to retire to nothing.  

And there also seems to be a core belief that maybe he can't do anything else.  But I think even the small example of A Colbert Christmas is a good sign he can. Sure it's just one special and not identical to what he'd do on a Talk Show, but it's a sign that Colbert Report Stephen isn't his only possible shtick.

[Gilmel]

I think you can both be disappointed in the fact that he's going to host the late show so no longer be satirical Stephen and not think he's a sell out. Disappointed /= thinking he's a sell out. The two ideas aren't married to each other. I'm quite disappointed. The Colbert Report is unique and clever, and I enjoy satire far more than either straight comedy or straight, educated take-downs. I think this is a huge loss, regardless of when he decided to do it because, yes, he wasn't going to keep doing it forever.

But, I also have no interest in talk shows: daytime, late night, any of them. And I'm only vaguely interested in seeing what Stephen's like as host of the Late Show. If he makes a Tolkien reference every day, I may be there, but that's highly unlikely, and the format in general isn't one I'm interested in watching.

So, will he lose me as a viewer? Probably. But not because I think he's a sell out.

[Milburn Stone]

I'm quite disappointed. The Colbert Report is unique and clever, and I enjoy satire far more than either straight comedy or straight, educated take-downs. I think this is a huge loss...

I "feel your pain," gilmel, but until we see what he does with the show, I think you might be overreacting. For one thing, we don't know that satire won't be a very important part of what he brings to the talk show. He found a way to shape the "comedy news show" in his own image, creating something unlike anything that had been seen before; he may well find a way to do the same with the network talk show. My own feeling is that anyone who could do what he's done is capable of doing just about anything. Now, I don't know that I'm right about that. But I do know I'm willing to wait and see before despairing.

[Zalyn]

I think you can both be disappointed in the fact that he's going to host the late show so no longer be satirical Stephen and not think he's a sell out. Disappointed /= thinking he's a sell out. The two ideas aren't married to each other.

...But, I also have no interest in talk shows: daytime, late night, any of them. And I'm only vaguely interested in seeing what Stephen's like as host of the Late Show. If he makes a Tolkien reference every day, I may be there, but that's highly unlikely, and the format in general isn't one I'm interested in watching.

So, will he lose me as a viewer? Probably. But not because I think he's a sell out.

This is exactly how I feel. I am concerned that the talk show format (and network expectations) won't allow as much of the biting satire to be brought in.  And one thing that is sorely lacking in current culture is well done political satire that actually addresses real issues.  I have students who completely do not understand satire. And I would be hard pressed to find something current, satiric, and educational to show them when TDS and TCR go away.

I "feel your pain," gilmel, but until we see what he does with the show, I think you might be overreacting. For one thing, we don't know that satire won't be a very important part of what he brings to the talk show. He found a way to shape the "comedy news show" in his own image, creating something unlike anything that had been seen before; he may well find a way to do the same with the network talk show. My own feeling is that anyone who could do what he's done is capable of doing just about anything. Now, I don't know that I'm right about that. But I do know I'm willing to wait and see before despairing.

I appreciate that you're trying to be optimistic, Milburn, but given that none of us are fighting this decision nor are we trying to start a hashtag protest, it's inaccurate to say we're overreacting.  The unhappy comments here have been pretty measured and personally situated - "I feel bad to see this show go" or "I don't really watch late night talk shows, so I am not sure if there will be enough for me to enjoy, even if Stephen is there."  I'm pretty sure most of us will tune in to watch the first show or two at least, but we're allowed to be sad to see a favorite show go without any attached judgements at the star/s. 

As far as whether Stephen will be able to work miracles for late night, sure, there is a possibility. But it is also a fact that networks exert a lot of control not only directly but by pointing to Nielsen ratings and other rating systems that are outdated, inaccurate, and skew heavily to older, more conservative (politically and socially) viewers. There aren't any models right now for late night talk that are interesting to me, so Stephen would have to invent something if he wants to stand out.  Would CBS be willing to take a risk on that with a flagship show?  It'd sure be nice if they did, but I'm not holding my breath.

[Milburn Stone]

I appreciate that you're trying to be optimistic, Milburn, but given that none of us are fighting this decision nor are we trying to start a hashtag protest, it's inaccurate to say we're overreacting.  The unhappy comments here have been pretty measured and personally situated - "I feel bad to see this show go" or "I don't really watch late night talk shows, so I am not sure if there will be enough for me to enjoy, even if Stephen is there."  I'm pretty sure most of us will tune in to watch the first show or two at least, but we're allowed to be sad to see a favorite show go...

Maybe "overreacting" was the wrong word, and if I came across as saying "you're wrong to feel the way you feel," I apologize, because that's not what I was trying to say. Nobody's wrong to feel the way they feel. But I hate to see people feel bad! And I suppose I was just trying to say there's also the very real possibility of a rainbow in this situation, in addition to the rain.

[RabbitEars]

I don't begrudge Stephen's choice, but I haven't watched a traditional late night talk show in decades. Carson, Leno (ugh), Letterman, Conan, Fallon, none of them.

Not to say I don't enjoy snippets passed around on social media. Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, "History of Rap," "Friday" with Fallon & Colbert. But outside of that, I don't watch. The format is too slow, too uneven. The Report is the only show whose pace I enjoy.

I'm sure Stephen will do great. He's a fantastic interviewer in character, and he will no doubt be a good one out of character. I'm sure once in a while he'll do a must-see interview or sketch that I'll see passed around. Great. I hope he blows Fallon out of the water and puts Late Night at #1. But I am not the viewer he's looking for.

I have students who completely do not understand satire.

If it makes you feel better, Z, an awful lot of adults don't understand it either. Wait, that probably doesn't make you feel better.

[Zalyn]

If it makes you feel better, Z, an awful lot of adults don't understand it either. Wait, that probably doesn't make you feel better.

I can ignore the adults.  I have to see the students three times a week.  *starts twisting bedsheets*

[Kromm]

 

I have students who completely do not understand satire.

 

If it makes you feel better, Z, an awful lot of adults don't understand it either. Wait, that probably doesn't make you feel better.

This is very relevant to the current situation.  A reasonable amount of the bipartisan upset from both extremes over Colbert getting the gig stems from actual adults who STILL don't understand he's playing a character--as clearly as people (including himself) have come out in the press at times stating flat out that it's a character.  

In a sense that's deeply sad, but it also speaks of a satire that's definitely playing for a targeted elite, as much as I hate to admit it.  I can't much respect people too dim to get it's satire (especially since they are inevitably radical dunderheads of some stripe), but on another level thinking about the issue has helped me realize that there's a real danger of that elite turning on Colbert when he moves onto something else.  So THAT'S more what I'm worried about.  I acknowledge that people here are definitely open minded about it and may distinguish between disappointment and turning on him, but that may not hold true for the whole current "Colbert Nation".  I fear he may ultimately wind up being held to an impossible standard.

I can also hope on some level that The Colbert Report's demise perhaps could leave an opening for something similar, but new, from someone else.  Colbert is a genius at it, and so will be hard to match, but maybe if there's now a new hunger for that content, someone will step up to fill the need (and it need not be in his old timeslot--it could be coming from anywhere).

[Ghost of TWOP Past]

I suspect Stephen will be a terrific talk show host, but it will be sad to loose one of the few shows that can call attention to the absurdities of politics and news from an outside perspective. I have no illusions of Comedy Central as a totally hands-off master, but they certainly do derive some editorial freedom from portraying themselves as good-naturedly subversive. Once at CBS, I doubt they'll let Colbert go beyond the Clinton-is-horny/Bush-is-stupid level of "political" humor. 

[Zalyn]

In a sense that's deeply sad, but it also speaks of a satire that's definitely playing for a targeted elite, as much as I hate to admit it.  I can't much respect people too dim to get it's satire (especially since they are inevitably radical dunderheads of some stripe), but on another level thinking about the issue has helped me realize that there's a real danger of that elite turning on Colbert when he moves onto something else.  So THAT'S more what I'm worried about.

I'm torn on this one. On the one hand, yes, it is expecting a bit much for all Americans to have read Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal" and get it.  On the other hand, the students I talk about are in college and enjoy the benefits of completing a litany of AP tests, including in English Literature and Language.  Some of them felt that Michael Pollan was too much reading...  that's not elitist, that's disappointment at continually sliding standards (oh, and their math sucks too, so it's not just that we've shifted to STEM).

And compared to the really elite satire (Dr. Strangelove, for example), by comparison Stewart and Colbert are throwing pies.

The other concern you bring up - that the elite potheads (ironic!) will "turn" on Colbert - is a bit confusing.  Unless they/we start a hashtag war, how would we "turn" on him, other than to just not tune in?  The thing is that we're not the target audience of late night talk shows, so it's the responsibility of CBS and Colbert to get the viewership of new people.  And many of the elite potheads aren't even going to be registered in ratings, so we're basically going to be invisible, no matter how much we try to support him. CBS won't care how many tumblrs and blogs we post calling him a "sellout" (I don't think he is one; I'm just trying to envision what that would entail).

I suspect Stephen will be a terrific talk show host, but it will be sad to loose one of the few shows that can call attention to the absurdities of politics and news from an outside perspective. I have no illusions of Comedy Central as a totally hands-off master, but they certainly do derive some editorial freedom from portraying themselves as good-naturedly subversive. Once at CBS, I doubt they'll let Colbert go beyond the Clinton-is-horny/Bush-is-stupid level of "political" humor. 

I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I didn't follow George Carlin much until just before he died, but now that I see what he did, I appreciate his work as social commentary.  Maybe it's a sign that I'm getting old and irrelevant (young Gen Xer), but there is little humor on television that actually is funny to me now.  The people I hear about are either focusing on idiot humor (a la Jackass) or on shock and offense (Tosh), probably a sign of the times. If that's all that's left, we're not going to see someone younger step up to take on this task of calling bullshit on politics and media. It's not just about humor, but also about critique. 

[Kromm]

I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I didn't follow George Carlin much until just before he died, but now that I see what he did, I appreciate his work as social commentary.  Maybe it's a sign that I'm getting old and irrelevant (young Gen Xer), but there is little humor on television that actually is funny to me now.  The people I hear about are either focusing on idiot humor (a la Jackass) or on shock and offense (Tosh), probably a sign of the times. If that's all that's left, we're not going to see someone younger step up to take on this task of calling bullshit on politics and media. It's not just about humor, but also about critique. 

I've actually found @Midnight a surprisingly good source of learning about comedians out there who do stuff other than Jackass or Tosh humor.  So I recommend you watch that show to try and find some actual funny people.  Chris Hardwick himself I don't find all that funny, but I wouldn't have known about people like Hannibal Buress, Ron Funches or Ali Wong without that show, or have remembered that people like Nikki Glaser, Andy Kindler, or Paul F. Tompkins are out there, and actually funny.

I hope going from Comedy Channel to CBS doesn't burn Colbert's bridges with the comedian community.  He needs to go back to Johnny Carson's style of having tons of stand ups on (Jay Leno totally betrayed that, and Conan, Kimmel, Fallon and Meyers have only done marginally better).

Edited April 14, 2014 by Kromm

[possibilities]

there also seems to be a core belief that maybe he can't do anything else.  But I think even the small example of A Colbert Christmas is a good sign he can.

I have a strong belief that he can do lots of things, and A Colbert Christmas is an example of the kind of thing he can do that I have no interest in seeing. For those of us who value his role as a political commentator, seeing him do clever musical theater or spoofs of insipid songs like "Friday" is not much comfort, even though we can acknowledge that he's perfectly capable in those arenas. I have no hunger for more xmas specials and silly celebrity appearances in bear suits or singing about cookies and milk, but I do have a hunger for genius, funny, insightful, activist commentary, and I believe that TCR really did change the debate on a number of very important issues, like SuperPAC shenanigans, which no one else was able to make interesting enough to get such widespread audiences to pay attention to.

 

It may be that he is able to do important work like that from his new position, but his ability to do other things does not mitigate the the loss of what he's been doing on TCR-- it's actually part of why I fear the change.

 

ETA: I also think the disappointment that we have lost one of the most powerful commentators is well-founded. All the media from CBS says they have made it clear to Colbert that he will have to "broaden his appeal" which clearly means that he is not going to be using his show to advocate for causes the way he did on TCR. For those who don't care about that, of coure he will probably be a great mainstream talk show host. But for thoe of us who don't care about mainstream talk shows, we've lost one of the very, very few shows doing what we valued. It was a rare thing, and losing it for something that's not the least bit rare is a real loss, even if he does that less rare thing exceptionally well.

Edited April 24, 2014 by possibilities

[Kromm]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkhF3AfJeUY

[Kromm]

Selfie with Dave:

 

[Milburn Stone]

I have no hunger for more xmas specials and silly celebrity appearances in bear suits or singing about cookies and milk, but I do have a hunger for genius, funny, insightful, activist commentary, and I believe that TCR really did change the debate on a number of very important issues, like SuperPAC shenanigans, which no one else was able to make interesting enough to get such widespread audiences to pay attention to.

 

 

I cannot dispute Colbert's brilliance in focussing attention on issues. I only wish I shared your implicit optimism that "changing the debate" does a darned thing to "change reality."

 

To take money in politics as an example, the reality I see is not one bit different from before The Colbert Report began, except in the direction of getting worse.

 

So, as far as actually changing the political landscape is concerned (as opposed to brilliantly satirizing it), he might as well host a network talk show. I wish I felt differently.

Edited April 24, 2014 by Milburn Stone

[Kromm]

So, as far as actually changing the political landscape is concerned (as opposed to brilliantly satirizing it), he might as well host a network talk show. I wish I felt differently.

For me it simply comes down to "did y'all expect him to do it forever?"

 

Seen in that light it kind of changes the talk to "if he's not doing the political show, does that mean he should be doing nothing at all?"

 

I don't think Colbert would ever come out and say anything as provoking to his fans as "I was tired of doing it anyway", but I think his eagerness to jump on the CBS job speaks for itself in illustrating he probably was.  If that hadn't come along, since he was due for a new contract negotiation this year anyway, I wonder how many (or few) years they would have squeezed out of him anyway.

[formerlyfreedom]

I do think we can all agree that the loss of The Colbert Report is a shame. I am curious to see what Colbert does with a show at CBS; and I also wonder what's going to happen to the timeslot now. But let's rejoice that we have the show for awhile yet!

[Captanne]

I'm probably not in the minority (I'm usually not) but I don't watch many late night shows or even chat shows at all.

 

I won't be tuning in to see Colbert on the -- Oh, God, whatever this show is he's doing, The Late, Late, Late Something or Other for Letterman who doesn't like Leno or O'Brian, Kimmel Fallow Thing?  I dunno.  I can't be bothered.

 

I'll miss The Colbert Report.  That is all.

[TV-junkie]

If John Oliver can step up the wackiness with his new show and Stephen Colbert brings his brand of comedy into his new one, we might be better off after all ...

[formerlyfreedom]

Discuss The Minority Report over at this post.

[green]

Too bad a gem of a show is ending and this genius of a guy got co-opted into taking over a show that just promotes this or that ego tripping performer's whatever.  I won't be watching ever.  To me the whole Johnny Carson style crap is just that.  Crap.  Fluff.  Late night shows  conjure up "stale" more then any other word.   Endless visions of boring self-promoters from the "entertainment" industry being patted on their endless backs. Sorry, I like Stephen's talents but hate them being wasted here.  Won't watch even one of his new shows.  Not out of anger towards him but out of the fact that I hate hate hate HATE all late night talk shows pereiod.

 

I'll miss The Colbert Report.  That and The Daily Show have been the only true humor on TV.  Unique both and they have changed people's lives, promoted activism especially among the younger generation that haven't know or experienced mass movements and such in their lifetime and this is basically all they have as a springboard into that world.

 

Sometimes what you do matters.  Sometimes a "promotion" is actually a demotion in what is really important in life.  And that's what I see in going from an advocate of anything from the way vets are treated to the way the NSA violates our freedoms to the corruption in politics to now showcasing Flip Famous' "heee-larious" new flick about farting and such like ilk.

[fauxphysician]

I have a question-- is Stephen/TCR doing a subtle countdown to the end of the Show on Comedy and the move to CBS? (Bear with me please) At the beginning of each show, we see Stephen dropping through various banners and then planting his flag. As far as I've been able to tell, the messages on the banners do not change...except for one, and that one from time to time will have some new saying or bon  mot on it. A couple of weeks ago, I noticed that it said, "98". Last night it said, "90".   Has anyone else noticed this ?  If so, does anyone know the answer or significance? Feel free to tell me if I'm over thinking! thanks

[formerlyfreedom]

I have a question-- is Stephen/TCR doing a subtle countdown to the end of the Show on Comedy and the move to CBS? (Bear with me please) At the beginning of each show, we see Stephen dropping through various banners and then planting his flag. As far as I've been able to tell, the messages on the banners do not change...except for one, and that one from time to time will have some new saying or bon  mot on it. A couple of weeks ago, I noticed that it said, "98". Last night it said, "90".   Has anyone else noticed this ?  If so, does anyone know the answer or significance? Feel free to tell me if I'm over thinking! thanks

 

They talk about it over in this thread, @fauxphysician, and I think the consensus has been that yes, it's a countdown.

[Milburn Stone]

Too bad a gem of a show is ending and this genius of a guy got co-opted into taking over a show that just promotes this or that ego tripping performer's whatever.  I won't be watching ever. 

 

First of all, IMO, Letterman actually gets across some stinging political satire in his monologue and sometimes behind the desk. He just does it with a well-timed punchline instead of developed 5-minute bits. If one is going to mourn the death of political satire, one might well mourn the loss of Letterman as much as the demise of The Colbert Report. 

 

Second, I yield to no one in my awe of Stephen Colbert, and I have confidence he'll be able to make his new gig as much of a forum for political satire as he wants it to be. 

[Kromm]

First of all, IMO, Letterman actually gets across some stinging political satire in his monologue and sometimes behind the desk. He just does it with a well-timed punchline instead of developed 5-minute bits. If one is going to mourn the death of political satire, one might well mourn the loss of Letterman as much as the demise of The Colbert Report. 

 

Second, I yield to no one in my awe of Stephen Colbert, and I have confidence he'll be able to make his new gig as much of a forum for political satire as he wants it to be. 

While I think people certainly have the right to base their expectations on whatever internal meters they have, I will say that overall I've been surprised how much (both in the media and places like this) people have expressed frustration/giving up on Colbert even before Day 1 of the new show.  Certainly there's no way it will be the same, and the Late Night Talk formula has indeed overall proven to be bleak when it comes to being intelligent (PROOF: that Letterman was always punished in the ratings vs. Leno, because Leno pandered to the least common denominator and Letterman didn't).  That said, CBS may not be expecting ratings domination, nor demand it.  They were okay eventually with Letterman and the bar he maintained.  They were okay with the oddball nature of Craig Ferguson and his show and accepted his ratings.  So it's entirely possible that Colbert maintaining a bit of an edge, and perhaps risking pissing off some old folks and Red State stalwarts, is okay with them.

[Fremde Frau]

Milburn Stone and Kromm, you bring up some great points about Letterman. I never watch late night shows, so I didn't realize how political he can be or how much leeway CBS has allowed him and Craig Ferguson. Colbert is such a master of satire, I don't doubt his monologues will be full of bite, even out of character.

 

One of my concerns is the whole "late night wars" thing, which I'm only familiar with through vague mentions in the press, such as how the Comedy Central guys have not been affected by it in the same way that others on network TV have been. The only "late night war" I know of directly was between Conan, Colbert, and Stewart over Huckabee, and that was all a joke. Then again, when Letterman announced his retirement, I noticed people speaking about Conan's poor treatment by network. How much of a concern is the shuffling around and backbiting on network? Are those wars basically a Letterman/Leno thing that is now in the past, or is it still an issue, given that the networks themselves are always battling over ratings?

[trow125]

It has been stated in the press that the "Tonight Show" producers are insisting that celebrity guests appear with Jimmy Fallon first before they go on any other show, and based on my observation of the lineups, that definitely appears to be the case. (For instance, Tom Cruise is appearing on Fallon tonight, and will appear on "The Daily Show" tomorrow. He did go on Kimmel earlier, but that might be a geography thing, and I would guess NBC would be willing to make an exception for a celebrity of his status.) As long as Fallon stays #1, I presume celebrities and their managers/studios will continue to go along with that. The biggest celeb on Letterman this week is Hugh Jackman, and I am sure he's coming on primarily to promote the Tony Awards, airing this Sunday on CBS.

 

Barring some kind of miracle turnaround in the ratings, Colbert will not have the juice to get the biggest names to appear on his show; even if celebs like him personally, business is business, and NBC is historically the late night ratings leader. Which is good news, I think, for those of us who don't want Colbert's "Late Show" to be just another late night talk show.

[Kromm]

NBC has ALWAYS been the network to do booking crap like that.  Bill Carter gets to do a book about it every few years.