The Colbert Report may be over, but its star will be back on TV later this year, when The Late Show With Stephen Colbert premieres on Tuesday, September 8th on CBS.
The debut date announcement was made today at the TCA (Television Critics Association) press tour by CBS Chairman Nina Tassler, who noted, “They have actually just moved into their offices. They have just started working.”
In the press release, Colbert says, “I have nine months to make a show, just like a baby. So first, I should find out how you make a baby."
Asked about the format of the show today, Tassler said that was all being determined, describing it as, “Really an additive process. He has almost all of his creative team from The Colbert Report coming with him.”
Tassler remarked that Colbert, “has said repeatedly ‘I have to be as entertaining as my guests,’” and that while you should expect interviews and musical performances, beyond that, not much was set in stone yet. “Whether or not he’s going to start with a monologue [each night], he’s working on that right now.”
Having played the "Stephen Colbert" character for many years on Comedy Central, “He’s going to introduce himself, the real Stephen Colbert,” Tassler noted, while saying Colbert wanted to, “Still be topical; still dealing with current events.”
As for how closely the show will look and feel compared to other late night talk shows, she said, “We’re waiting for him to come to us and let us know what he has in mind. It’s really a discovery process for him. He’s in development with it right now. There are things he’s going to want to do differently.”
David Letterman will have his final episode of The Late Show on May 20th. Tassler said that in the summer interim between Late Show hosts, CBS will air repeats of their prime time series in the 11:30 timeslot.
