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October 16, 2005

The Colbert Report Report

I had the chance to see a test taping last night of a new show that starts Monday on Comedy Central, the Colbert Report. Test tapings are practice runs that are not intended to make it to the air, but are taped as ifthey were the real thing, in order for the cast and crew to get the kinks of the format worked out before the show actually starts. For those readers who are comedy nerds with high hopes for this show, I’d like to share my impressions.

First, the basics of what the show is, in case you hadn’t known. The show is going to be a fake opinion show (The Bill O’Reilly, Hannity and Colmes school of opinion show) in the same way that the Daily Show is a fake news show. The T in “Report” is as silent as the one in “Colbert.”

Second, Stephen Colbert is a comedy machine who is always on. He never for one second stopped entertaining. Even during those downtimes when the mikes were off for pretend commercial breaks, he was always doing some silly mime or dance thing. He took a Q&A before the taping as well, and when one audience member Q’d him with a “What’s with all the gay?,” he didn’t miss a beat on the yes-and, and A’d right back with “I just crave cock!”

Three, he’s human too. He has that bad-actor habit, unfortunately, of mouthing the lines of his scene partner. Not that you would have been able to see it, since the scene in question was between him at a desk and a soldier against a green screen, with the cameras switching to the one talking. But I found it kind of endearing.

Four, he’s got some ways to go as an inteviewer, but it’s not like he won’t get there. The test subject that particular night was a host of Good Morning America, poo on me for not remembering the name of the guy. It wasn’t a bad interview, but Colbert had enough ums and other audible pauses to make me remark about it. These and a couple of other small reasons added up to my conclusion that the interview was the weakest part of the show. It ended with a challenge, in which the interviewee had to name 14 of the cohosts he’s worked with in his broadcasting career. The idea is that at the end of every interview, Colbert will ask a question designed to stump the guest. He even said “At the Colbert Report, the interview isn’t over until the guest gets nailed,” leading me to think that they’re planning this stump-the-guest thing as a nightly bit. I think it’ll get old.

Five, it’s going to seriously be a really good show. The writing is sharp, particularly the segment making fun of foreign newpapers, which is always good sport, and the format is a logical supplement to the Daily Show. Unlike the Daily Show, though, they did some funny bits incorporating the staff as characters playing staff members.

Anyway, it ain’t perfect yet, but check it out starting on Monday with my endorsement. Your high hopes are quite founded.

Posted by Nate Kushner at October 16, 2005 12:17 AM

2 Comments

Funtoid (Fun factoid): The T in Report in the Colbert report is pronounced.

Posted by: Mike Still at October 21, 2005 12:50 PM

Here's another funtoid: The T in Report is NOT pronounced.

Posted by: Denali at October 27, 2005 06:54 PM