Overwhelmed by the explosion of news reports, interviews and articles that have swept across the media since CBS announced that Stephen Colbert would succeed David Letterman as host of ‘The Late Show’? Well don’t worry, Colbert News Hub has you covered. We’ve done our best to compile all the breaking news and information surrounding the newest late night shuffle up. As more news and information becomes available over the coming days and months, we will continue to update this post with the latest developments.
Stephen Colbert to be the Next Host of ‘The Late Show’; ‘Colbert Report’ to End in Eight Months
“Comedy Central is proud that the incredibly talented Stephen Colbert has been part of our family for nearly two decades. We look forward to the next eight months of the ground-breaking Colbert Report and wish Stephen the very best.”
Source: TV by the Numbers.
Stephen Colbert to Replace Letterman
“Stephen has always been a real friend to me [David Letterman]. I’m very excited for him, and I’m flattered that CBS chose him. I also happen to know they wanted another guy with glasses.”
Source: Entertainment Weekly.
Les Moonves Says Colbert Was His and Letterman’s Top Choice
Les Moonves says Stephen Colbert was his top choice to replace David Letterman — and the outgoing host agreed.
“It appeared to us that he was the only logical successor to David,” the executive said in a taped interview that aired on Friday’s CBS This Morning. “And when I called Dave to ask for his blessing he said exactly the same thing. He said I can’t think of anybody even a close second.”
——–
Now, Moonves is being courted by multiple cities, including New York and L.A., to tape The Late Show in their area, and while the show is likely to stay in New York, Moonves said he likes all of the attention he’s getting now.
“We’re being wined and dined by New York, L.A., Connecticut, New Jersey. It’s very nice to be the prettiest girl at the dance,” the CEO said.
Moonves also revealed how Colbert reacted when Moonves told him he would be Letterman’s successor: “He kept thanking me for the opportunity and telling me he wouldn’t let me down.”
And Moonves already isn’t worried about how Colbert, who’s said he won’t do The Late Show as his conservative character, will be as himself.
“You know, Stephen is so multi-talented,” Moonves said. “He’s good at improv; he’s good at interviewing; he’s good at serious comedy.”
Full Interview with Les Moonves: The Hollywood Reporter.
Stephen Colbert to Replace David Letterman on ‘Late Show’
“Stephen Colbert is one of the most inventive and respected forces on television,” CBS Chairman and CEO Les Moonves said.
“David Letterman’s legacy and accomplishments are an incredible source of pride for all of us here, and today’s announcement speaks to our commitment of upholding what he established for CBS in late night,” Moonves said.
Source: News.com.au
Colbert Will Host ‘Late Show,’ Playing Himself for a Change
Mr. Colbert, 49, had been subtly shifting away from the character in recent years, especially in on-air interviews. People close to him said he had for some time believed he would soon have to move beyond the satirical Colbert character — though not from the name. He has used the French pronunciation of Colbert (Cole-BEAR, rather than COLE-burt) during his entire career in show business.
Other creative details of the new show are still undetermined, CBS executives said, including whether the show will remain in New York or relocate to Los Angeles. But several executives connected to the negotiations pointed out that Mr. Colbert had established a settled family life in Montclair, N.J., and had never looked to move to Hollywood. Also, CBS owns the Ed Sullivan Theater on Broadway, where Mr. Letterman has worked for the last 21 years. It is the natural home for the new Colbert show, the executives said.
Leslie Moonves, the chief executive of CBS, who was the primary mover in getting the deal done, said the negotiations moved at a breakneck pace beginning the day Mr. Letterman announced his plans. Mr. Moonves said a “barrage of calls” immediately came in from representatives of comics seeking the job. But when Mr. Colbert’s agent, James Dixon, called to express Mr. Colbert’s interest, the talks quickly became serious.
Source: The New York Times.
Stephen Colbert: ‘I Won’t Be Doing the New Show in Character’
The surprise announcement that Stephen Colbert will take David Letterman’s late-night chair sometime in 2015 left open the exact format of the new program and whether he will do his mock conservative character or be himself.
Now Colbert has provided the answer in a statement released through his publicist: “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.”
Source: The Hollywood Reporter.
‘The Real’ Stephen Colbert to be Exposed on Late Night
The mock-blowhard conservative character that earned his fame for the past eight years on The Colbert Report — and before that on companion The Daily Show — will fade away when he leaves the job in December.
“What you’re going to get is the real Stephen Colbert,” Moonves says. “He said it’s time to do something different. If he’s going to be on our air for 20 years, as we all hope, it’s not humanly possible to keep that character going.”
———
Still being worked out is the precise format of the new show, its staff and its location, though it will most likely remain in New York. “He’s got ideas in his head, but we haven’t gotten into, basically, a lot of what this show would look like,” Moonves says. But he calls Colbert the “logical” successor to Letterman, still considered the dean of late night even with diminished ratings. “I think he’ll be a phenomenal fit. He’s intelligent, thoughtful, funny, and he’ll be the guy who does social commentary. This is going to feel very different from the Jimmys.”
———
Robert Morton, a late-night veteran and Letterman’s former producer, says Colbert is “the only person I could conjure who would be a suitable replacement. I love that they’re putting someone smart and curious, not fluffy and not the flavor of the day, but someone really substantial in there. It gives me hope for mankind and for network TV.”
Source: USA Today.
CBS’s Moonves Says Woman Would Be ‘Great’ as ‘Late Late’ Host
CBS is considering hiring a woman for “The Late Late Show” as the TV network weighs a complete remodeling of its programming for night owls.
“12:30 is up in the air,” Leslie Moonves, chief executive officer of CBS Corp., said yesterday in an interview, referring to the early-morning time slot. “Obviously, we’re considering all sorts of candidates and women are among them. A woman would be great in late night.”
Source: Bloomberg.com
Stephen Colbert to Take Over ‘The Late Show’ after David Letterman Retires [Update: 13 April, 2014]
“Simply being a guest on David Letterman’s show has been a highlight of my career,” said Colbert, who sources said would be paid $10-12 million annually over the five-year deal. “I never dreamed that I would follow in his footsteps, though everyone in late night follows Dave’s lead.
——-
The show is likely to stay at the CBS-owned Ed Sullivan Theater in midtown Manhattan, sources told The News.
“We haven’t made any decision (about location),” CBS entertainment chairman Nina Tassler added, although CBS chief, Les Moonves, discussed the show’s future home this week with both Mayor de Blasio and his Los Angeles counterpart Eric Garcetti.
Gov. Cuomo said he plans to call Moonves to discuss keeping the show in New York. Cuomo has been credited with helping convince NBC to move “The Tonight Show” to New York, thanks to the so-called “Jimmy Fallon tax credit.”
Source: New York Daily News.
Stephen Colbert to Usher in Younger Audiences to CBS Latenight
[Update: 16 April, 2014]
In Colbert, CBS gets a branded property, but the move is not without risk. The comic is a well-regarded font of laughs, but he achieved this status by playing a character, not functioning as a mainstream latenight voice. His bloviating right-wing talkshow host is not the persona that will greet viewers on his new show. What he might do after the late local news, and how far he’ll stray from the existing “Late Show” formula, is anyone’s guess, largely because CBS execs have so far kept thoughts on creative execution close to the vest.
“He’ll get huge sampling and heavy promotion from CBS, but we still don’t know the exact format of the show,” said Billie Gold, vice president and director of buying and programming research at ad-buying firm Carat.
CBS is willing to roll the dice on Colbert because of his popularity among the younger end of the 18-49 viewer spectrum, not to mention his ability to lure viewers with higher income than those who tune in elsewhere ’round midnight.
————-
For CBS, it all takes on heightened importance, because with Colbert’s arrival, it will own “The Late Show” outright for the first time, in contrast with the lavish deal the Eye made with Letterman back in 1993.
Magna Global, the media-research unit owned by Interpublic Group, noted that Colbert should easily broaden the demographics of Letterman’s slot, with the show’s audience becoming more youthful and diverse. In early estimates, Magna called for “Late Show” under Colbert to improve 18-49 ratings by 33%, and as much as 100% in the adults 18-34 demo. The show could double its share of women 18-34, Manga predicted.
————
Colbert draws his advertisers into a tighter embrace, maybe even a bear hug. He has crafted entire “Colbert Report” segments for Miracle Whip and Wheat Thins, sometimes mocking the sponsors in the process. “Colbert” insiders say advertisers who want to get into the show must capitulate to Colbert’s creative process, and roll with the punches to make an impression on viewers.
In the hours after announcing Colbert’s appointment, CBS execs weren’t ready to commit to taking that same approach on “The Late Show.” “That’s a bridge we’ll cross at some later point,” said CBS Entertainment chair Nina Tassler.
But it’s likely to be an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” situation for the sake of keeping Colbert’s brand of comedy strong — and for attracting top-tier ad dollars.
Source: Variety.
Viacom CEO Talks Stephen Colbert’s Comedy Central Departure, Paramount Outlook
[Update: 2 May, 2014]
Discussing the performance of Viacom’s various networks, he said Comedy Central has continued to do well and is “looking forward to sending off Stephen Colbert, who will take over as the late-night host on CBS for David Letterman next year, “in style.” In a reference to questions about Comedy Central’s future lineup, Dauman said his team was “looking forward to reinventing late-night television again.”
Source: The Hollywood Reporter.
Contenders for ‘Late Late Show’ Include Michael Ian Black, Joel McHale, and Amy Schumer
[Update: 2 May, 2014]
CBS Entertainment chairman Nina Tassler insists that they’re far from making a decision yet, telling THR: “Obviously, it’s an incredibly valuable time period. We haven’t really thought about it yet. We want to let this sink in.”
No matter who CBS picks, it will most likely be a decision made with Colbert’s younger audience in mind. “Plan number one has to be something that fits with Colbert to build a franchise,” a media buying firm rep told THR. “[Letterman and Ferguson] always seemed to be separate shows, and now with a clean slate and Colbert in place, they’re going to go for something more seamless.”
Source: Splitsider.com
“Better Know a ‘Late Show’ Succession [Update]”, out of 5 based on 2 ratings.
Better Know a 'Late Show' Succession
Overwhelmed by the explosion of news reports, interviews and articles that have swept across the media since CBS announced that Stephen Colbert would succeed David Letterman as host of ‘The Late Show’? Well don’t worry, Colbert News Hub has you covered. We’ve done our best to compile all the breaking news and information surrounding the newest late night shuffle up. As more news and information becomes available over the coming days and months, we will continue to update this post with the latest developments.
“Better Know a ‘Late Show’ Succession [Update]”, out of 5 based on 2 ratings.