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The Colbert Report

2005

Original language: English

  • news
  • comedy

The story

The Colbert Report is an American satirical late night television program. It stars political humorist Stephen Colbert, a former correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. The Colbert Report is a spin-off from and counterpart to The Daily Show that comments on politics and the media in a similar way. The show focuses on a fictional anchorman character named Stephen Colbert, played by his real-life namesake. The character, described by Colbert as a "well-intentioned, poorly informed, high-status idiot", is a caricature of televised political pundits.

What it’s like

Bright, flat studio light with a glossy news-set sheen: a blue-and-white desk, a looming flag backdrop, and a single host framed in tight medium shots that rarely drift, so the performance does all the moving. The sound is a bumper-driven rhythm of brisk theme stings, applause cues and the rustle of a studio audience, with the occasional cut to a cheesy graphic or a wall of crawling chyrons. It feels like a sharp, self-assured evening news broadcast that keeps quietly winking at its own pomposity: cheerfully cynical, fast in its jokes, and built on the comic irony of a confident man saying absurd things with a straight face. Each episode runs in short, dense segments, moving from a monologue to a "Wørd" bit to a guest sit-down, so the pace suits a half hour of catching up after dinner. Emotional register stays light and mocking, with the warmth coming from the host's obvious delight in his own character's vanity. Intensity is low: sharp political jabs and occasional crude punchlines, no violence, no fear. For viewers who want a witty, politically minded comedy they can dip in and out of, and for anyone who enjoys watching a skilled performer hold a wobbly persona steady for hours.

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