Letting Stephen Colbert Be Stephen Colbert (Whoever That Is)

May 2, 2016 11:19 AM

"CBS says it brought in a new executive producer for “The Late Show” so Stephen Colbert could focus on hosting. Now the network has to give him room to do what he does best."

Despite the post-Super Bowl spot, Colbert's ratings at the Late Show are still lagging. CBS has brought on a new showrunner, but some fear that won't be enough.

posted by crazy with stars (20 comments total)

Now the network has to give him room to do what he does best.

Which is what?

I loved Stephen Colbert, but I am unsure what his core skill is as a late night host. I would prefer he makes his show more "news-y", more like the Daily Show, and less like his rivals. But perhaps the numbers show that news isn't want people want? The new exec producer having a news-ish background may not mean anything, or it could mean they are going to differentiate. Still want to know what Colbert does best when he's not playing a hilarious character.
posted by cell divide at 11:47 AM on May 2, 2016 [2 favorites]

Colbert's Late Show already kind of feels like a morning show to me, so this selection may be doubling down on what's not working. But it depends on the division of creative labor between Licht, Colbert, and the writing staff, so maybe this will give Colbert & Co. the mental space to find their groove.
posted by AndrewInDC at 11:53 AM on May 2, 2016

I feel like John Oliver is doing what Stephen Colbert does best (not that Oliver is bad at it).
posted by dazed_one at 11:55 AM on May 2, 2016 [13 favorites]

I was in the audience for a public interview with Colbert from a few years ago (fundraiser for the Montclair Film Festival), and I was struck by how much he viewed his newsy persona as a role for an actor (vs a calling or a mission). I think a large part of his TCR audience (myself included) thought/wanted Colbert to view that newsy persona as more.
posted by armacy at 12:05 PM on May 2, 2016 [1 favorite]

I haven't watched the show on TV (live or recorded) since its first weeks, but recently I found myself unsubscribing from its YouTube channel too. It's just such a bland mix of late night gimmicks and celebrity interviews. I'm sure there are some hidden gems -- who knew a bit about Wheat Thins would be one of my all-time favorite Report segments? -- but they're mixed in with so much "meh" that it's just not worth searching through. Even the political segments feel like they lack bite.

Luckily, Samantha Bee's new TBS show Full Frontal is absolutely fantastic and and vicious and totally worth watching every episode.
posted by Rhaomi at 12:08 PM on May 2, 2016 [12 favorites]

I'm not surprised. Network television is dying and I'm not sure why Colbert made the jump.
posted by Automocar at 12:17 PM on May 2, 2016 [1 favorite]

I think he should adopt a late night host character and play that for the next few years. Something like an improvisational Larry Sanders Show.
posted by zzazazz at 12:20 PM on May 2, 2016 [5 favorites]

They panned to some audience members last night, and most of them were white-haired. Not a good sign (even if they're on CBS.)
posted by St. Hubbins at 1:06 PM on May 2, 2016

Yeah, I knew about "Colbert Report" Colbert being a persona and was kind of surprised that he kept that up for the late night show.

Maybe he should have a duel with himself and have the winner be the new host.
posted by ArgentCorvid at 1:07 PM on May 2, 2016

There's been some talk that TV viewers on the political right have abandoned the show for the tame, feckless Fallon. Well hell, it's not like Letterman ever had those viewers either. I think one of the objectives of Stephen being Stephen is letting him skewer Trump even more than he already has.
posted by Ber at 1:19 PM on May 2, 2016

Not a good sign (even if they're on CBS.)

That's all CBS is, has been that way for at least the past 50 years if not longer. Which is why Colbert's edgy side, such as it was, has been given the proverbial deep six.
posted by blucevalo at 2:04 PM on May 2, 2016 [1 favorite]

As far back as 1996, an article described Dave Letterman's time served on CBS in this way: "Dave isn't happy, and it shows. Physically he doesn't look well. He oftentimes looks like he's in pain -- which isn't real entertaining." You'd think Colbert would have been clued in to that, not the least by old Dave himself.
posted by blucevalo at 2:07 PM on May 2, 2016

I was a massive Letterman fan for years and years, then I discovered Marc Maron. The network talk show, with its little "bits" and cute six minute interviews, is a dead format.
posted by davebush at 2:18 PM on May 2, 2016 [2 favorites]

There's no centrist or bipartisan politics any more. As SC would have said, "We're at war. Pick a side!" Either go all in on left-wing political humor, or drop it altogether like the rest of the hosts. But if he chooses the latter, it's unclear how he can compete in that largely zero-sum late-night game.
posted by chortly at 2:19 PM on May 2, 2016

Yeah, I'm with Rhaomi. I just came in here to say how awesome Samantha Bee's new show is.
posted by danhon at 7:59 PM on May 2, 2016 [1 favorite]

He tries to occasionally get philosophical or lift the genre (the talk about his personal tragedy) but it does not fit when the victor here has celebrities do Dubsmash and calls that content (to be fair though Fallon is very talented himself).

He castigated his audience for booing Cruz and he tried to poke holes in Maher's atheism. I mean, I get it Stephen, you're a gentleman and what not, but your audience can boo a bigot and the brief format is not going to convince Maher to become Catholic again.

Not sure what can work in this format and truly be transformative/informative. RIP The Daily Show -- Jon Stewart and the Colbert Report.
posted by skepticallypleased at 8:01 PM on May 2, 2016 [1 favorite]

He castigated his audience for booing Cruz and he tried to poke holes in Maher's atheism. I mean, I get it Stephen, you're a gentleman and what not, but your audience can boo a bigot and the brief format is not going to convince Maher to become Catholic again.

Yup.
posted by Sys Rq at 8:47 PM on May 2, 2016 [1 favorite]

Also, you know who else is Colberting way better than Colbert? Seth Meyers, of all people.
posted by Sys Rq at 8:50 PM on May 2, 2016 [1 favorite]

Colbert be killing it on Trump and Cruz right now.
posted by Ber at 8:50 PM on May 2, 2016

Late night TV is for helping people fall asleep. Carson, Leno and later years Letterman were all soporific for the same reason golf announcers whisper. Having someone interesting or funny is going to seriously disrupt that.

Fallon's audience on the other hand is going out after the show is over.
posted by srboisvert at 5:45 AM on May 3, 2016