In the second half of the 20th century, television was the primary source of news for many Americans. By the mid-'90s, however, the medium had reached a saturation point, with multiple cable networks spewing out their crimes-of-the-moment and national weather reports 24 hours a day.
It was no coincidence that this was when "The Daily Show" first appeared on the air. Striving to be the first anti-news broadcast, the show provides a satirical look at the day's events as well as interviews with newsmakers, all while making fun of itself, its guests, and virtually everything else in the process. The show reached a ratings pinnacle with its "Indecision 2004" coverage, and remains a large draw in the coveted 18 to 49-year-old demographic.
Nine years after Craig Kilborn anchored the first show, Comedy Central is seeking to expand its success with "The Colbert Report." In this new show, former "Daily Show" correspondent Steven Colbert is the face behind the news desk, giving monologues and conducting interviews. In a time slot right after "The Daily Show," it does not present a major stylistic departure from its predecessor.
Colbert usually begins the show with an exhibition or monologue. In one, he made his feelings known regarding eating caramel apples for breakfast. Another involved him reading newspapers from around the world, chastising an Israeli paper for "printing the most important stuff on the back." While not particularly groundbreaking or side-splitting, these introductions induce a few chuckles.
The show then dedicates a chunk of time to the day's events, again more in an editorial style than a pure reporting one. In a recent segment, Colbert said the Saddam trail "is the TV event of the year. It's like the Oscars... but with atrocities." On tax cuts, he said, "America has a simple deal with the rich. We cut their taxes, and in return they inspire us with their gloriously macked-out cribs, golden toilets, and young, taut trophy wives." Colbert gives a solid performance, but it's again nothing to get overly excited about.
Colbert at times seems to be stretching for material - not because of a lack of news but because he seems to go on for a bit too long on each topic. This may be just another jab at the standard cable news program, but it's more likely his one-man show format is just not interesting enough to fill a full 30 minutes.
Colbert's on-stage interview is one of the more disappointing parts of the show, if only because Colbert himself set the bar so high. On "The Daily Show," Colbert's interviews with various politicians, celebrities and unknowns were a high point of the show. His deadpan interview style and questions - not even tangentially related to the matter at hand - almost guaranteed the segment's hilarity. His signature delivery style remains the same in "The Colbert Report," but without the editing and lead-in comments, the presentation feels unpolished. Colbert is a talented comedian and a segment can still succeed, but there aren't as many laughs as there were before.
While patrons of "The Daily Show" will find little reason to change the channel when "The Colbert Report" comes on, it is unlikely the show garner the same type of mass appeal as John Stewart's program. As with most good spin-offs, it succeeds because it shares some of its forefather's best attributes, even at the expense of originality.
It is mildly successful in its own right, and "Daily Show" fans and non-fans alike will find themselves at least laughing sporadically. Barring a good "Seinfeld" or "Simpsons" re-run, it might be the funniest thing on at 11:30.
