When news stories fall through the cracks, we here at Colbert News Hub catch it for a post we call “In the Press”.
The press is just all over Stephen. This last month has been a whirlwind of media coverage. There are too many articles in fact. Here is the first round and next week we will have part 2.
Since the speculation started and the announcement was made last week that Stephen Colbert will indeed take over for David Letterman, naturally people are talking about it. We’re losing two shows and then gaining two shows, or maybe three, depending if Craig Ferguson stays on.
So read on!
Stephen Colbert takes over for David Letterman
Reaction to Stephen Colbert’s “Late Show” Appointment
This is sort of a round-up within a roundup. There are eight TV critics who have chimed in on Stephen’s ascension to the Late Show throne. So when you click on the above, you’ll get 8 more to read. YAY!
Alan Sepinwall of “Hitfix” sums up what I think a lot of us are still feeling, sort of cautious optimism:
As a fan of Colbert, I’m happy he’s got a higher-profile job that will almost certainly pay him more money. But I’m also disappointed to be losing the fictional Colbert, especially if his “Late Show” winds up being similar to Dave’s “Late Show,” and Conan’s various shows, Fallon’s “Tonight,” Jimmy Kimmel’s show, etc. Lots of people can successfully host “Late Show.” Very few could pull off the high-wire act Colbert’s been doing for close to a decade. I expect he’ll be an excellent host, but I fear it’ll also be a waste of his talent.
It’s going to be hard to wait over a year to see what he’ll do in the new format.
Why Stephen Colbert Is the Perfect David Letterman Replacement (Analysis)
This was written by Tim Goodman for The Hollywood Reporter.
Having interviewed Colbert at length before, I can only imagine that in some ways The Colbert Report was a golden-handcuffs type situation for him. This opportunity to take over for Letterman and branch out in a new direction should truly inspire him. An inspired Colbert? Gold.
And if you have any worries that CBS will somehow “tame” Colbert, fear not. Or, put another way: Give the network more credit. It’s not going to hire him and then shackle him. That’s just bad business, and CBS is already the best-run broadcast network in existence — it knows what it is doing. There’s no need to shape Colbert. There’s no need to break him in. He will not be awkward or mistake-prone. He’s a pro. He’s going to invigorate CBS’ late-night presence. And he’s going to validate, right out of the gate, the network’s smart and swift decision to hire him.
Okay Mr. Goodman, I am going to hold you to that.
CBS Should’ve Hired the Other ‘Stephen Colbert’ to Replace Letterman
This opinion piece was written by Luke O’Neil on April 11th.
A snippet of his take:
But likable and funny are a dime a dozen on the late-night talk show circuit. Unlikable and unfunny are already spoken for as well. The whole reason we’re all fans of “Stephen Colbert” in the first place is that he turns the cliches of the medium on their head. That’s territory Conan O’Brien has walked, sure, but there’s always been an underlying plea for acceptance at the heart of his shtick; not quite as bad as the desperate puppy dog affability of a Jimmy Fallon, but it’s there. On the other end of the spectrum are pedantic scolds like Bill Maher and grinning bullies like Jimmy Kimmel, smirking their way through their routines like they’re doing us all a favor showing up.
I don’t think CBS really wants “The Colbert Report” to merely move to the network and stretch to an hour, assuming there’s no copyright claims. That’s too much of a gamble for the Tiffany Network. However, I do agree that it’s going to be hard to see the character end.
Five Hopes We Have For ‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’
The first:
No Monologue
At least, maybe there doesn’t have to be a monologue in the traditional sense. Though, this seems unlikely because it’s such a ingrained part of the current late night structure. And because it’s so ingrained, that seems like a good reason to say, “Let’s not do that anymore.” But, the facts are: People like it. Leno, for all of his faults, knew this and that’s one reason that his show always led in the ratings. Letterman, who actively disliked the monologue, actually extended his in recent years to compete with Leno. (If you go back and watch old episodes of ‘Late Night with David Letterman,’ it’s actually remarkable how quickly Letterman would fly through his monologue so that he could get to a segment that he actually cared about.) Even Jimmy Fallon has taken Leno’s lead and increased the amount of time he spends on a monologue. The chances are we will be seeing Colbert do a traditional monologue.
Well I agree about no monologue. I can’t imagine Stephen standing there telling cheesy jokes and looking at the bandleader and all that stuff. If he doesn’t cut it out altogether, I hope he will reinvent it.
The other four hopes they have for the new Late Show are as follows:
2. Let Colbert be Colbert 3. Sketch comedy 4. Interesting guests
5. Stay political
Number 4 is kinda like ‘duh’ and I don’t agree with that last one. Sure, some politics are inevitable but I hope he broadens out more.
Colbert? Another White Guy?
This was written for The Huffington Post by Jamie Masada, owner of The Laugh Factory. I personally think he’s way off on this one and he seems to contradict his argument from the beginning of the article…
There are so many other talented minority comedians and female comedians who could easily do this job with a new voice. Comedians like Chris Rock, Tiffany Haddish, Finesse Mitchell, Chris Spencer, Jamie Foxx, Sunda Croonquist, even Paul Rodriguez or Tony Rock, would bring a new view to the late night game and millions of people wouldn’t feel left out.
and the end of the article:
The most important thing for any host at late night is they be a stand-up comic, because stand-up comics really know what can get a laugh day in and day out. Johnny Carson was a stand-up who encouraged the form by booking numerous comics on his show — two of them became late show hosts. Stand-up comics are the “ground troops” of the art form.
Okay first off, no offense to those people he mentioned above but there was only two I had ever heard of before reading this. Second, I could be wrong, but I don’t think Johnny Carson was a stand up. It doesn’t list any stand up work on his Wikipedia page. He was a broadcaster all along, I believe.
Now for the final blow:
Colbert has a few years of sketch comedy in his background, but that’s a far stretch from the locales frequented by Leno and Letterman during their rise to stardom. Now, we have executives picking people like Colbert and Conan because of their pedigree on television, not because of their work in the trenches.
Okay, them’s fightin’ words! To suggest that Stephen hasn’t earned it because he hasn’t been a stand-up or spent time in the trenches? *facepalm* Well, what else would you expect from the owner of The Laugh Factory which is a venue for stand up comics?
Mr Masada might not be aware of Stephen’s trench work. The next piece will inform him.
Stephen Colbert to Replace David Letterman as ‘Late Show’ Host
This piece is from The Chicago Tribune, where Stephen spent many years learning his craft, or one might say, working in the trenches.
After leaving school, Colbert improvised at the Annoyance Theater (a hub for performers, including “Glee” star Jane Lynch) before landing at Second City.
“I remember he was working as a waiter,” Halpern said, “and he called me and said he had waited on (Second City co-founder) Bernie Sahlins and asked for a job.”
According to Alexander, he made an impact even in that entry-level position: “He was working in the box office and became the highest-selling T-shirt salesman we had. I suspect he was very focused, and it sort of speaks to his mentality: ‘This is my job and I’m going to do it well.’”
Alexander described Colbert as the “quintessential Second City player.” “That axiom of working at the top of your intelligence was a mantra for Stephen,” he said.
Colbert is Taking a Big Risk
This was written by David Bianculli who is “founder and editor of TVWorthWatching.com and teaches TV and film at Rowan University in New Jersey. He also is TV critic and guest host for NPR’s ‘Fresh Air with Terry Gross.’ The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author.” (from the article)
He offers some more cautious optimism:
Personally, I like what CBS is gaining here. The potential for Colbert, who’s such a phenomenal workhorse on his current show, to craft a new show for CBS is enticing, and the unknown factor of what he will bring to the program as himself should generate plenty of publicity. For CBS, the move makes sense.
But for Colbert, the transplant could be tricky.
Young viewers — and he certainly has them — are fickle, and those who watch him on the more subversive Comedy Central may not be inclined to switch to the less cool CBS just to follow him. And many, like myself, will miss “The Colbert Report” greatly. There’s no show on TV quite like it.
I’m Happy for Colbert, But Let’s Be Clear: We’re Losing One of TV’s Greatest Characters
This was written by Jesse David Fox of Vulture. I like the title and he’s clearly a fan.
In every moment, Colbert was “Colbert,” just in varying degrees. I wish I could think of a better reference to honor him, but it was like that Christopher Nolan movie The Prestige. Colbert cared so much about this character that he was willing to share a life with him. When Stephen Colbert’s mother died, so did the character’s, because he knew how much it would matter to both. And similarly, the character had the same nerdy interests and boyhood crushes as the actor, so that came out, too. Sometimes it felt like the character was the Colbert he wanted to be, like during the whole Daft Punk malarkey, when a defiant and entitled “Colbert” ruthlessly mocked his parent company. This mix of biography and complete commitment resulted in something totally unlike anything that had ever been on television.
He also is unsure of how Stephen can stay true to what he’s been doing and be on CBS. That’s where we’re all unsure, but Stephen has a way of always coming through in situations where everyone is doubting him.
Stephen Colbert To Replace Letterman
This is an interview from HuffPost Live, conducted by Josh Zepps (he’s the one who interviewed Suey Park) and being interviewed are Pete Dominick, Dick Cavett and Dorian Hannaway, former CBS late night programmer.
Click above headline for the video of the interview.
Other Players in Late Night TV
Craig Ferguson Faces Uncertain Future at CBS with David Letterman Gone, Contract Ending in 2015
Ferguson is not likely to be back when his current contract expires in June 2015, sources said. But that contract has a clause that pays him as much as $10 million if he did not get Letterman’s job when the legendary comic retired.
This week, he learned he didn’t get the gig — it went to Comedy Central’s Stephen Colbert.
Executives at the network said Ferguson wasn’t even considered to replace Letterman because the focus of his talk show is “too narrow.” They are also disappointed that it never became a ratings smash.
I hope Craig gets something good if he doesn’t stay. I think he should stay, but I wouldn’t blame him if he did go and then who would replace him? Cue wild speculation again.
This piece contradicts what Dorian Hannaway said in the HuffPost Live interview, that the Late Show was Craig’s to lose.
Comedy Central’s Four Main Choices for the 11:30 Timeslot
I am going to miss this set.
This article talks about Stephen’s possible replacements. There are a lot of options.
In addition to his persona and comedic voice being so thoroughly ingrained into the fabric of the show, his name is also built into the title instead of having the “______ with ______” title format that makes for smooth changeovers for other late night shows. The Colbert Report, winner of multiple Emmys and two Peabodys, is held in such high esteem that Comedy Central has some especially big shoes to fill, and it would be tough for the network to find someone similar to Colbert, who’s equally talented as a writer, actor, host, and improviser, to anchor a similar show to The Colbert Report in the 11:30 timeslot. Whatever ends up replacing The Colbert Report will likely have to be something else entirely.
The four ideas they come up with are to pull from The Daily Show, move “@midnight” up to 11:30, thereby making the name defunct, give a show to an existing Comedy Central star or give a show to a non-Comedy Central star.
I guess the best thing would be to pick another correspondent from The Daily Show but no one stands out as the ideal replacement, so…I got nothing.
In The Press: Late Show Transition Edition [Part 1]
When news stories fall through the cracks, we here at Colbert News Hub catch it for a post we call “In the Press”.
The press is just all over Stephen. This last month has been a whirlwind of media coverage. There are too many articles in fact. Here is the first round and next week we will have part 2.
Since the speculation started and the announcement was made last week that Stephen Colbert will indeed take over for David Letterman, naturally people are talking about it. We’re losing two shows and then gaining two shows, or maybe three, depending if Craig Ferguson stays on.
So read on!
Stephen Colbert takes over for David Letterman
Reaction to Stephen Colbert’s “Late Show” Appointment
This is sort of a round-up within a roundup. There are eight TV critics who have chimed in on Stephen’s ascension to the Late Show throne. So when you click on the above, you’ll get 8 more to read. YAY!
Alan Sepinwall of “Hitfix” sums up what I think a lot of us are still feeling, sort of cautious optimism:
It’s going to be hard to wait over a year to see what he’ll do in the new format.
Why Stephen Colbert Is the Perfect David Letterman Replacement (Analysis)
This was written by Tim Goodman for The Hollywood Reporter.
Okay Mr. Goodman, I am going to hold you to that.
CBS Should’ve Hired the Other ‘Stephen Colbert’ to Replace Letterman
This opinion piece was written by Luke O’Neil on April 11th.
A snippet of his take:
I don’t think CBS really wants “The Colbert Report” to merely move to the network and stretch to an hour, assuming there’s no copyright claims. That’s too much of a gamble for the Tiffany Network. However, I do agree that it’s going to be hard to see the character end.
Five Hopes We Have For ‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’
The first:
Well I agree about no monologue. I can’t imagine Stephen standing there telling cheesy jokes and looking at the bandleader and all that stuff. If he doesn’t cut it out altogether, I hope he will reinvent it.
The other four hopes they have for the new Late Show are as follows:
2. Let Colbert be Colbert 3. Sketch comedy 4. Interesting guests
5. Stay political
Number 4 is kinda like ‘duh’ and I don’t agree with that last one. Sure, some politics are inevitable but I hope he broadens out more.
Colbert? Another White Guy?
This was written for The Huffington Post by Jamie Masada, owner of The Laugh Factory. I personally think he’s way off on this one and he seems to contradict his argument from the beginning of the article…
and the end of the article:
Okay first off, no offense to those people he mentioned above but there was only two I had ever heard of before reading this. Second, I could be wrong, but I don’t think Johnny Carson was a stand up. It doesn’t list any stand up work on his Wikipedia page. He was a broadcaster all along, I believe.
Now for the final blow:
Okay, them’s fightin’ words! To suggest that Stephen hasn’t earned it because he hasn’t been a stand-up or spent time in the trenches? *facepalm* Well, what else would you expect from the owner of The Laugh Factory which is a venue for stand up comics?
Mr Masada might not be aware of Stephen’s trench work. The next piece will inform him.
Stephen Colbert to Replace David Letterman as ‘Late Show’ Host
This piece is from The Chicago Tribune, where Stephen spent many years learning his craft, or one might say, working in the trenches.
Colbert is Taking a Big Risk
This was written by David Bianculli who is “founder and editor of TVWorthWatching.com and teaches TV and film at Rowan University in New Jersey. He also is TV critic and guest host for NPR’s ‘Fresh Air with Terry Gross.’ The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author.” (from the article)
He offers some more cautious optimism:
I’m Happy for Colbert, But Let’s Be Clear: We’re Losing One of TV’s Greatest Characters
This was written by Jesse David Fox of Vulture. I like the title and he’s clearly a fan.
He also is unsure of how Stephen can stay true to what he’s been doing and be on CBS. That’s where we’re all unsure, but Stephen has a way of always coming through in situations where everyone is doubting him.
Stephen Colbert To Replace Letterman
This is an interview from HuffPost Live, conducted by Josh Zepps (he’s the one who interviewed Suey Park) and being interviewed are Pete Dominick, Dick Cavett and Dorian Hannaway, former CBS late night programmer.
Click above headline for the video of the interview.
Other Players in Late Night TV
Craig Ferguson Faces Uncertain Future at CBS with David Letterman Gone, Contract Ending in 2015
I hope Craig gets something good if he doesn’t stay. I think he should stay, but I wouldn’t blame him if he did go and then who would replace him? Cue wild speculation again.
This piece contradicts what Dorian Hannaway said in the HuffPost Live interview, that the Late Show was Craig’s to lose.
Comedy Central’s Four Main Choices for the 11:30 Timeslot
I am going to miss this set.
This article talks about Stephen’s possible replacements. There are a lot of options.
The four ideas they come up with are to pull from The Daily Show, move “@midnight” up to 11:30, thereby making the name defunct, give a show to an existing Comedy Central star or give a show to a non-Comedy Central star.
I guess the best thing would be to pick another correspondent from The Daily Show but no one stands out as the ideal replacement, so…I got nothing.