‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ adds exec; we talk Jimmy Fallon – Jimmy Kimmel comparisons
It’s been a long time since we’ve talked about late-night television and the ratings battle there, but to us it’s clear that there are some interesting things going on in this era where YouTube is becoming more and more of a key player between shows. As for whether or not it should, that is open to interpretation.
If you look at the #1 show right now in late-night, it’s unquestionably “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” He draws the most viewers (he averages close to a 1.1 rating in the 18-49 demographic), and to go along with that he also has videos that go viral on the internet. Jimmy Kimmel and James Corden can also stake claim to the latter, but we cannot say the same for “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
Is that really a problem? We suppose that from streaming ad revenue, maybe; he is averaging (per The Hollywood Reporter) a 0.7 rating in the demo, which is solid and he’s actually picked up some steam from David Letterman. Yet, he’s a very different sort of host than a Fallon or a Kimmel. He’s more old-school, and prefers doing sit-down interviews with fascinating people over playing games or singing karaoke. That’s not a bad thing, but from a network standpoint, it’s a little bit harder to publicize.
Is this a reason why Chris Licht is being brought in as a new showrunner? Maybe, but we don’t see Colbert trying to do what Fallon or Corden does. Licht comes from “CBS This Morning,” so we see Colbert’s show working more to be the show that it already is, and maybe trying to capitalize more on streaming in the way that “Last Week Tonight” or “The Daily Show” does with pieces on politics, news items, and maybe a little bit of celebrity stuff here or there. (For those wondering, the other executive producers on “The Late Show” are staying put.)
In a statement, Colbert had the following to say on this new hire:
“I’m thrilled Chris is joining us at The Late Show. I am so impressed by what he has done at CBS This Morning … And I trust someone has told him he doesn’t have to get up at 4 a.m. anymore.”
We’ll have more on all things late-night as we hear more; for now, head over here to secure some other TV news on all we cover, sent right over to you via our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: CBS.)