Hello again, Nation!
Of all the recent late-night torch-passing, I think Stephen Colbert’s Late Show premiere was one of, if not the most highly anticipated turnarounds in years. Following The Colbert Report — in which Colbert played a conservative parody character for nearly a decade — I was curious to find out if the comedian would hold up as himself in a traditional talk show setting. Luckily, Tuesday night, Colbert proved he definitely has the chops for hosting CBS’s late-night flagship, after a very solid debut on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Stephen Colbert on Dropping His “Idiot” Parody Character
Of course, Colbert is no slouch when it comes to being a one-man show. Unlike some folks who have taken up hosting duties recently, Colbert is an old pro at this kind of thing. In fact, if it weren’t his many references to it, you wouldn’t know this was Colbert’s first Late Show episode. For example, I was cracking up at his hummus/dark lord sponsor bit (“Scoop up the fun.”), as well as his Donald Trump/Oreo segment, which felt like something he might have done on The Colbert Report. Even the recurring Mentalist gag — which was almost certainly inspired by Conan O’Brien’s Walker Texas Ranger gag from his old Late Night days — worked within the context of the show.
The premiere also had a great first guest in George Clooney, who, funny enough, didn’t have anything to promote. “I’m just here to see you,” he told the new Late Show host, “and I think that’s why everybody else has come.” (Needless to say, there was much applause and chanting for Colbert throughout the night.) Instead, the two men traded “we’re famous, who cares?” jokes, along with some humorous cutaways to Clooney’s new (read: fake) action-thriller, Decision Strike! (Plenty of romance too. “I think we have a clip.”)
That said, Colbert still seems to have one foot in the “news satire” door. In addition to the Trump commentary earlier in the episode, the comedian’s second guest was none other than Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush. But what struck me about this interview (as I’m sure it did with many others) was how tempered the conversation was — a far cry from Colbert’s usual M-O — but nevertheless entertaining. While this was clearly a different, “realer” Colbert speaking to Bush, there was still a “Colbert-like” feel to it — like his “JEB!” jab, for instance.
Overall, Colbert’s first episode of The Late Show felt less like the start of something new and more like a broader continuation of The Colbert Report — but I mean that in a good way. Granted, in some respects it’s very different. The mere fact that Colbert is no longer putting on a facade will ultimately work in his favor, I think, and free him up to try new things. However, Colbert’s heart and comedic style remain intact, and that’s a very good sign of things to come. (Plus, bonus points, the new Ed Sullivan Theater set is beautiful!)
Stephen Colbert’s transition into a traditional late-night talk show went surprisingly smoothly and offered plenty of laughs throughout the night. While the comedian’s network TV humor is definitely broader than his Colbert Report satire, it still works thanks to Colbert’s natural screen presence. If future episodes strive to maintain the same level of quality as Tuesday night’s premiere, then CBS’s Late Show is in very good hands.
