Why College Students Should Watch "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert"

By Elana Goodwin on September 16, 2015

Last week, Stephen Colbert began his tenure behind the “Late Show” desk on CBS, and though he’s only got a few episodes under his belt so far, he’s off to a rousing start.

Photo Credit: MGN Online

During his first episode as host, which aired Tuesday, September 8, actor George Clooney and presidential candidate Governor Jeb Bush were guests, with actress Scarlett Johansson and PayPal and Tesla Motors co-founder Elon Musk appearing on the show on Wednesday, followed by Vice President Joe Biden and Uber founder and CEO Travis Kalanick. Colbert finished his first week with guests comedian Amy Schumer and author Stephen King — not bad for a first week, right?

But beyond the numerous accomplished people who Colbert interviews on the show, what sets “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” apart from the other late-night talk shows airing that makes his show worth watching?

Those of us who know Colbert grew to love him during his time as host on his popular satirical news show, “The Colbert Report,” which aired on Comedy Central from October 2005 to December 2014.

Before “Colbert,” he was part of the cast of Comedy Central’s other parody-news show “The Daily Show,” during which he won three Emmys as a writer. On “The Colbert Report”, which was a spin-off of “The Daily Show,” he hosted as a fictional anchorman with his same name who’s somewhat of an idiot.

On “The Late Show,” he’s abandoned his fictional anchorman persona and is hosting as himself, but he’s still armed with strong interviewing skills, quick wit, and an impressive array of knowledge, as viewers had seen on his previous show.

Colbert’s ability to comment and discuss pretty much anything — from music to politics to pop culture to the economy — and relay to viewers what’s important in a way they can understand is an asset that he’s already demonstrated on “The Late Show.”

His interview with Vice President Joe Biden, which started off somewhat humorous, quickly got serious as they discussed the recent loss of Biden’s son, as well as the deaths of his first wife and daughter. The interview with Biden has already set Colbert’s show apart, as what Colbert did — asking questions but letting Biden talk and share, and allowing a more tragic note to enter his show — is something seldom seen from other hosts on late-night talk shows.

Vice President Joe Biden and Stephen Colbert on “The Late Show”
Photo Credit: CBS

Watching Colbert and Biden bond over shared loss (Colbert lost his father and two of his brothers in an airplane crash when he was 10) and speak candidly about Biden’s faith and family, viewers feel as if they are getting a rare glimpse into the heart and mind of Biden, and it’s inspiring and moving to see.

Colbert was able to balance that poignancy with humor, and transition the interview from talking about tragedy to moving on to talk about other things, with a lighter note. Beyond that, his guests are also more eclectic than other late-night talk shows, as sprinkled into the more renowned celebrities who have and will grace his couch, he also has had and will have more presidential candidates than other shows, in addition to other influential businessmen and entrepreneurs.

Other guests slated to appear on the show include actors Kerry Washington, Lupita Nyong’o, Hugh Jackman, and social activist and Nobel Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai, plus other presidential hopefuls including Ted Cruz and Donald Trump, who Colbert has already had a field day with.

While many critics have said that Colbert’s “Late Show” does need to straighten out some glitches, the show has received high praise.

“Variety’s” Brian Lowry said, “Facing almost impossibly high expectations, Stephen Colbert seemingly raced through a checklist of agenda-setting moments in his mostly terrific The Late Show debut.”

James Poniewozik of “The New York Times” wrote, “This show may not completely know what it is yet, but it knows exactly who its host is: a smart, curious, playful entertainer who’s delighted to be there.”

“Salon” writer Sonia Saraiya said, “One thing is immediately clear about Stephen Colbert as the anchor of The Late Show: He’s very good at it … Colbert has this in the bag; it’s now just a question of letting him do his thing.”

So if you didn’t tune in to “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” during its first week, make sure you do in the future — because Colbert is definitely going to make his mark on late-night, and his show is one you don’t want to miss.

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