The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
CBS Television Studios · Public domain · source
Show name	The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Genre	Late-night talk show
Creator	Stephen Colbert
Presenter	Stephen Colbert
Starring	Jon Batiste, Stay Human, Paul Shaffer, Jon Stewart, John Oliver
Country	United States
Language	English
Producer	CBS, Eye Productions, Busboy Productions
Location	Ed Sullivan Theater, New York City
Runtime	60 minutes
Network	CBS
First aired	2015

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is an American late-night talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert that premiered in 2015 on CBS. The series succeeded The Late Show with David Letterman and blends political satire, celebrity interviews, and musical performances, frequently engaging with events such as the 2016 United States presidential election, the 2020 United States presidential election, and international developments like the Brexit referendum. The program features an in-house band, recurring correspondents, and recurring segments that respond to cultural moments involving figures such as Donald Trump, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and institutions such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and CNN.

Background and Development

Development involved negotiations among CBS Corporation, Viacom, Showtime, and talent agencies representing Stephen Colbert following his tenure on The Colbert Report at Comedy Central. Early planning referenced hosts from Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and predecessors like Late Show with David Letterman and The Jerry Springer Show for format benchmarking. Producers consulted executives from Little Big Horn Productions, Busboy Productions, and advisors with credits on Saturday Night Live, The Daily Show, and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Casting and creative teams included writers with backgrounds at The Onion, The Atlantic, Rolling Stone, Time, and Vanity Fair. Studio renovation of the Ed Sullivan Theater invoked preservation guidelines from New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission and coordination with Shubert Organization.

Format and Segments

Each episode opens with a cold open or monologue often addressing subjects such as United States Congress, Supreme Court of the United States, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and global news like the Syrian Civil War, Russian invasion of Ukraine (2022), and diplomatic matters involving Vladimir Putin. Recurring segments have included correspondents with backgrounds linked to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, and podcasters from WNYC, NPR, and Gimlet Media. Musical performances feature artists associated with Grammy Awards, Coachella, Glastonbury Festival, and labels such as Columbia Records and Universal Music Group. The set design and bandstand reference productions like The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and collaborations with producers from Late Night with David Letterman and Conan O'Brien Tonight.

Production and Broadcast History

Production cycles have intersected with events including the 2016 Democratic National Convention, 2016 Republican National Convention, and coverage during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Broadcasts have shifted between live tapings at the Ed Sullivan Theater and remote episodes produced with crews experienced on Saturday Night Live, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, and The Late Late Show with James Corden. International distribution partners include BBC, Global Television Network, and streaming arrangements with platforms comparable to Paramount+ and archives cited by Paley Center for Media. Technical production employed crews formerly with MTV Networks, VH1, and Live Nation tour technicians.

Notable Guests and Events

Guests have ranged across entertainment and politics: Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump Jr., Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Beyoncé Knowles, Adele, Taylor Swift, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Jay-Z, Bono, Eddie Murphy, Will Ferrell, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Scarlett Johansson, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Greta Thunberg, Malala Yousafzai, Pope Francis, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Emmanuel Macron, Boris Johnson, Angela Merkel, Nelson Mandela (archival), Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg, Susan Wojcicki, Reed Hastings, and Oprah Winfrey. Events have included town-hall style discussions mirroring CNN Presidential Town Hall formats, charity drives akin to Global Citizen Festival, and remote interviews during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States with guests located in cities like Los Angeles, London, Toronto, Paris, Berlin, and Sydney.

Reception and Impact

Critical response invoked comparisons to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Coverage in outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Vulture, Entertainment Weekly, and Rolling Stone discussed ratings versus competitors including Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Late Late Show. The program influenced discourse on topics covered by Politico, Fox News, MSNBC, BBC News, and academic analyses published in journals affiliated with Columbia University, Harvard University, and Yale University. Social media engagement involved platforms like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok and interactions with figures from Reddit, 4chan, and Medium.

Awards and Nominations

The series and host have received nominations and awards from institutions including the Primetime Emmy Award, Peabody Award, Writers Guild of America Award, Critics' Choice Television Award, TCA Awards, Producers Guild of America Awards, and Television Critics Association. Individual recognitions also include mentions in lists such as Time's Person of the Year coverage and honors from GLAAD, Human Rights Campaign, and industry acknowledgments from National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

Category:American late night television series Category:CBS original programming