Old Stephen Colbert or new Stephen Colbert?

[Craig234]

I love the old, satiric faux right-wing Stephen Colbert. The guy who roasted George Bush at the Correspondents' Dinner.

I don't like the new Late Night Stephen Colbert nearly as much.

He's not terrible and has some good things, but it's not nearly as good IMO.

His interview with Donald Rumsfeld - apparently an old family friend - contrasts to that Bush speech.

His nightly mainstream schtick of smiling and dancing and corny jokes and not offending much of anyone, bleh.

Like I say, some is better but I prefer the old character.

 

[Crono]

I don't like the standard late night format with all the filler. The sidekick, house band, and different audience dynamic put me off.

Old Colbert.

 

[core2slow]

It's not so much new vs old, but it's simply cable vs. primetime late night talk show hour. You simply can't maintain the same level of insanity as you used to catering to coked-up college kids.

 

[Mayne]

definitely old Colbert. I love him regardless...but i'm missing that over the top sarcasm.

 

[BurnItDwn]

Old Colbert was second best (after Mr Leibowitz.)

Current Colbert is OK, but, I'd take John Oliver before him.

 

[Imp]

I love the old, satiric faux right-wing Stephen Colbert. The guy who roasted George Bush at the Correspondents' Dinner.

I don't like the new Late Night Stephen Colbert nearly as much.

He's not terrible and has some good things, but it's not nearly as good IMO.

Su,s up my feelings. I miss the sarcasm/satire/act, but he is watchable. He feels like Letterman now: not super funny but there's something that keeps me coming back. Still prefer him over the rest.

 

[DigDog]

Old COlbert. for all the reasons you have already listed.

 

[Zee]

yeah im starting to lose interest in the new colbert. like with all other latenight shows, it's all the same

 

[Strk]

You have the problem of him being way more political than the normal late night schtick. He now has to balance that with the bland filler that is late night shows.

I remember reading that one of the issues that he has is that his show seems to get a lot more political persons on than the other shows. While he does score poorly with GOP in particular, overall he is still way more political than people who watch those shows are used to.

 

[poofyhairguy]

This is a forum who makes fun of hipsters while acting hipster.

So the obvious answer is always old ______.

 

[Tsavo]

Neither.

 

[darkewaffle]

"Old Colbert" was never Colbert. It was a long-running character. Late Night is not the place for a character, it's a place for a likable guy. Apples and oranges.

But I think his Late Night show is pretty good, at least relative to the very 'safe' content of Kimmel and Fallon - they're all about laughs. But Colbert's show hasn't been afraid to have genuinely interesting guests that aren't funny/famous people but still have stories or professions worth knowing about. Killer Mike, the girl who won the Google science fair, the woman who does the 'space archaeology', the Guerilla Girls, the Black Lives Matter organizer/activist, the kid running a 'restaurant' from his dorm at Columbia University - they haven't all been great interviews but I think taking chances on them shows why Colbert's show is different and intriguing.

I think he's overly concerned with 'sticking to the script' when it comes to interviewing certain ones though. And while Jon Batiste seems like a really cool dude I don't think he and Stephen really have much of a genuine rapport [yet]. Overall I think it's got a good approach that won't make him the biggest star but will appeal to a distinct, maybe even more cerebral, audience.

 

[TechBoyJK]

It's not a different guy.

What changed is the venue and the format.

I still see the same Colbert.

I preferred the older venue and format, but Colbert has earned his current spot.

 

[Sonikku]

He feels watered down and more run by suits now.

 

[Strk]

It's not a different guy.

What changed is the venue and the format.

I still see the same Colbert.

I preferred the older venue and format, but Colbert has earned his current spot.

Yeah, but the problem is the people who watch late night shows are necessarily all that political, so that is a major issue. I already posted it, but I'll say it again. One major issue he has is how political he is, but not personality/joke-wise. I read an article pointing out that he has quite a lot more political guests on than the other shows. Sadly, people more interested in hearing about Channing Tatum and J-Law than interviewing Don Rumsfeld.

 

[zinfamous]

This current Colbert is closer to Colbert than the character he played the last 10+ years.

 

[dank69]

old

 

[olds]

Watched his late night debut. Worst thing I have ever seen on TV. Haven't been back.

 

[TheGardener]

Never saw the old Colbert. I've only watched the new Colbert a handful of times which speaks for itself. Either way he is playing a character role on each program. So perhaps it is not which Colbert you like, but which program you enjoy more. Many performers as well have a very different persona when the cameras are turned off. I guess that makes them good actors.

 

[Muse]

Neither one means much to me. Maybe because I don't have subscription TV or stay up late or both.

 

[master_shake_]

i miss karl rove.

 

[bradly1101]

Old for sure. Although I record the new one, I barely watch it.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

PC has melted over into TV. Gotta have a black guy in a shitty ass band where he plays a hand-held keypad or whatever the fuck that stupid shit is. Holy crap that is the worst late show band I've EVER had the torture of hearing.

Same thing happened with Daily Show. Trevor Noah sucks balls at satire and is incredibly bad with guests in general. Also, 70%+ of his guests are...black. Whatever happened to getting people that were halfway interesting? Nope, gotta bring on some toolbag that is from the BLM Twitter twatter brigade

For now I'm sticking with John Oliver and Bill Maher. They are seriously begging for less viewers.

 

[Jembo]

Old Stephane Coldbeart

 

[olds]

P...
For now I'm sticking with John Oliver and Bill Maher. They are seriously begging for less viewers.

Personally I find him revolting and can't turn the channel fast enough when I see his face or hear his voice.