If ever conservative madmen escaped into the real world, Stephen Colbert would be judge. The Late Show host’s not-quite Colbert Report alter-ego returned to have the final “Werd” on Barack Obama’s presidency, the full clip of which you can watch right now.
It was back in August that Showtime first suggested Stephen Colbert might dive into the ring for an Election Night special, and after a grueling few months, we’re finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. Officially confirmed for November 8 is a live Colbert Showtime production, asking a very appropriate question as its title.
Wednesday night was apparently the hot one for TV parodies, as the same evening that saw Jimmy Fallon reuniting the cast of Stranger Things also saw Stephen Colbert hooding up for a Late Show parody of Mr. Robot. Still, we’ve got to ask the real questions – are we all just ones and zeroes in a game of Ms. Pac Man? How many Christian Slaters are there, really?
Stephen Colbert has been sorely missing from late-night, and we don’t mean the one hosting CBS’ Late Show night after night. Thankfully, The Colbert Report version made a welcome return to a changed political landscape last night, along with none other than former Comedy Central buddy Jon Stewart.
Stephen Colbert may be the wildly successful host of a popular late night talk show on a major television network, but that doesn’t change who he really is: a huge nerd. Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson said of Colbert, “I have never met a bigger Tolkien geek in my life.” The Late Show host appeared in The Desolation of Smaug and hosted a Hobbit panel at Comic-Con. But his geek cred is not limited to Middle Earth. Last night, Colbert delivered an impassioned prediction of how Star Wars: The Force Awakens will end, and the funniest thing is, he wasn’t joking.
The reviews for Stephen Colbert’s debut as the new Late Show host were mostly positive. Our own Matt Singer said the show got off to a “solid start” as Colbert took over for David Letterman, but the show almost didn’t get off to a start at all. On his second show, Colbert revealed that because of editing and technical glitches, his first episode almost didn’t make it on air.
We’re closer than ever to Stephen Colbert’s Late Show debut on September 8, and while George Clooney’s guest appearance gave a marquee head start, the full guest list for Colbert’s full week offers a much clearer view of the new series. Everyone from Jeb Bush to Elon Musk and Amy Schumer will fill out the ranks, with musical guests on deck as well.
Jon Stewart said goodbye to The Daily Show last night in equal parts star-studded and quiet, personal fashion as former correspondents like Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, John Oliver and Olivia Munn returned to pay their respects, while Bruce Springsteen closed out the slow with a performance — at Stewart’s request — of his 1999 song “The Land of Hopes and Dreams” and, for his fellow New Jerseyan, “Born to Run”.
We’re still feeling out a world post-Late Show With David Letterman, but Stephen Colbert is already gearing up and shaving down for his big debut. The former Colbert Report host finally ditches his Colbeard in prep for the September debut, and you may never look at hot dogs the same way again.
What does America love? Yard sales! What else does it love? Stephen Colbert! You can see where this is going, right? A beautiful, messy combination of the departing 'Colbert Report' host and a lot of seemingly priceless junk.