Stephen Colbert’s exit leaves huge gap at Comedy Central

  • By Meg James Los Angeles Times
  • Sunday, April 13, 2014 3:09pm
  • LifeGo-See-Do

LOS ANGELES ­— Comedy Central now has a late-night problem.

CBS’ announcement that Stephen Colbert would take over “The Late Show” next year when David Letterman retires leaves a huge gap in Comedy Central’s marquee lineup.

For nearly a decade, “The Colbert Report” has been a trusty follow-up to “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and the pair delivered a formidable one-two punch that became one of the main sources of turmoil for rivals in the late-night TV race.

The Comedy Central duo — Stewart as the quick-witted liberal and Colbert with his faux persona as a conservative gasbag — seemed so locked in that there was no room for John Oliver, a correspondent who emerged as host material himself when he filled in for Stewart on “The Daily Show” last summer.

But with no openings on Comedy Central, Oliver departed the Viacom-owned network last year to headline a new program at HBO, which is owned by Time Warner Inc. Oliver’s new weekly satire show on HBO, “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver,” debuts April 27.

It was unclear Thursday morning just how long the Colbert-to-CBS move has been in the works. CBS played its cards close to the vest, in large part because of CBS Chief Executive Leslie Moonves’ respect for Letterman.

Moonves and others at CBS, including CBS Entertainment Chairman Nina Tassler, also were slightly horrified by the messy late-night transitions at NBC and didn’t want a repeat of that.

However, Colbert replacing Letterman had been a scenario whispered about in media circles long before Letterman announced his decision last week to step down.

There was at least one strong clue that Colbert had been in the wings to replace Letterman for some time. In the summer of 2012, both Colbert and Stewart renewed their contracts with Comedy Central.

While Stewart’s deal was extended for three years, until September 2015, Colbert got a shorter extension, to the end of this year, just in time to move over to CBS and “The Late Show.”

He is expected to continue to anchor “The Colbert Report” for another eight months before shaking off his conservative pundit shtick for the new gig at CBS.

The succession plan for Letterman is the latest shift in a rapidly changing late-night landscape driven, in large part, by the success of Stewart and Colbert at Comedy Central.

Young viewers preferred Stewart and Colbert to the programs on the broadcast networks and that played a part in ABC and NBC’s moves to overhaul their late-night blocks to try to capture that audience, which is prized by advertisers.

ABC placed Jimmy Kimmel at 11:35 p.m., bumping “Nightline” into the wee hours. NBC moved out Jay Leno to make way for Jimmy Fallon at “The Tonight Show.” Leno stepped down in February.

Comedy Central was mum on a Colbert replacement, saying only that it wished Colbert the very best.

Letterman echoed that sentiment:

“Stephen has always been a real friend to me. I’m very excited for him, and flattered that CBS chose him. I also happen to know they wanted another guy with glasses.”

—-

&Copy;2014 Los Angeles Times

Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Sarah Jean Muncey-Gordon puts on some BITCHSTIX lip oil at Bandbox Beauty Supply on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Langley, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Bandbox Beauty was made for Whidbey Island locals, by an island local

Founder Sarah Muncey-Gordon said Langley is in a renaissance, and she’s proud to be a part of it.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

Byrds co-founder Roger McGuinn, seen here in 2013, will perform April 20 in Edmonds. (Associated Press)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

R0ck ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Roger McGuinn, frontman of The Byrds, plans a gig in Edmonds in April.

Mother giving in to the manipulation her daughter fake crying for candy
Can children be bribed into good behavior?

Only in the short term. What we want to do is promote good habits over the course of the child’s life.

Speech Bubble Puzzle and Discussion
When conflict flares, keep calm and stand your ground

Most adults don’t like dissension. They avoid it, try to get around it, under it, or over it.

The colorful Nyhavn neighborhood is the place to moor on a sunny day in Copenhagen. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves: Embrace hygge and save cash in Copenhagen

Where else would Hans Christian Andersen, a mermaid statue and lovingly decorated open-face sandwiches be the icons of a major capital?

Last Call is a festured artist at the 2024 DeMiero Jazz Festival: in Edmonds. (Photo provided by DeMiero Jazz Festival)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Jazz ensemble Last Call is one of the featured artists at the DeMiero Jazz Festival on March 7-9 in Edmonds.

Kim Helleren
Local children’s author to read at Edmonds Bookshop

Kim Helleren will read from one of her books for kids at the next monthly Story Time at Edmonds Bookshop on March 29.

Chris Elliott
Lyft surprises traveler with a $150 cleaning charge

Jared Hakimi finds a $150 charge on his credit card after a Lyft ride. Is that allowed? And will the charge stick?

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.