CBS Entertainment 
COLBERT REPORT, THE 
LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT, THE 
Stephen Colbert began the "Late Show" on Wednesday by praising Donald Trump's response to recent natural disasters in Mexico City and Puerto Rico, before calling out the president for weighing in on Emmy ratings."That was a strong and presidential response," Colbert said in regards to Trump's recent tweets. "That lasted for about 18 minutes — because then he tweeted about something that truly seemed to upset him."Colbert then recited Trump's tweet from Tuesday, which reads: "I was saddened to see...
Spartina Productions, Inc.
Stephen
Colbert
Producer
Stephen Colbert is making people think as much as he makes them laugh.
The host of CBS’ “The Late Show,” Colbert has seen his viewership surge in recent months as he fashions tart, biting monologues that tackle the policies, decision and demeanor of President Donald Trump. In another era, a late-night host who comes on just after the late local news on a broadcast network might have hidden his political leanings from view. Colbert puts them right on his sleeve, and in doing so casts a big spotlight on Trump’s every maneuver.
He has done so with a strict commitment to being timely and relevant each time he hits the stage. Sometimes, that means rewriting a monologue with just minutes to go before he hits he stage for a late-afternoon taping. On other occasions, it means taping a brand-new segment to reflect a news development that broke late in the day.
Audiences seem to appreciate the effort. Before the election, Colbert’s “Late Show” had fewer overall viewers than NBC’s “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” Now he has more, and has become the most-watched late-night show on U.S. TV, though “Tonight” continues to lead in a critical area – the viewers between 18 and 49 for which Madison Avenue pays most.
Colbert has, like many other late-night hosts, happily dabbled in political humor. He rose to greater fame with his Comedy Central caricature of a loud-mouthed self-promotional talk-show host. But now he’s revealing more about his true self, all right after the late local news, when many Americans are looking for something quick and funny to help them drift off to sleep. Colbert’s funny, but he’s also sounding an alarm, and in doing so, perhaps helping to redefine the expectations from the late-night programming arena.
