‘Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ Premiere Date Announced!

No matter your political opinion, you have to love Stephen Colbert’s brand of comedy. More than just satire, Colbert and his fellow The Daily Show friends have done so much for the national conversation it’s almost unbelievable. Last year, it was announced Stephen Colbert would bow out of The Colbert Report and into the bigger seat of Late Show on CBS.

Not much was known beyond the blunt news and it was expected that Stephen Colbert wouldn’t be bringing his Papa Bear-lovin’ alter-ego from Report with him. That character just can’t exist on broadcast television. Now, according to The Verge, we know when we’ll be seeing Stephen Colbert again: September 8.

From The Verge:

Stephen Colbert will take over the Late Show on September 8th, replacing David Letterman after more than two decades as host. Letterman’s final show will be May 20th. Colbert was chosen to be the Late Show’s new host — the second host in its entire history — last April, at which point he began winding down the long-running Colbert Report. The Report ended its nine-year run last month with a star-studded finale, giving Colbert over half a year’s time to prepare his new series and begin moving into the Ed Sullivan Theater once Letterman moves out.

That’s certainly a lot of time for Colbert to get into a new (possibly more relaxed?) version of his comedic character. For some reason I had it in my head we’d see him as soon as February, whether that was just me reading an incorrect source I cannot recall.

One thing I do recall is where I was when he was announced to take over. I was interning for Late Night with Seth Meyers this time last year, and at that time Seth Meyers was the new kid on the late night TV block. I was sitting in for a production meeting when one of his writers was checking their phone and interrupted the meeting. “Colbert just got Late Show.” In that instant, it was like an OK for everyone to whip out their phones and check their Twitter feeds. It’s a fun, small memory I have for safe keeping.

In case you didn’t already know, Stephen Colbert is also a gigantic nerd. After losing some of his family to an airline crash in his youth, Stephen retreated to fantasy books and immersed himself in Tolkein and Dungeons & Dragons. He frequently made Star Wars and Lord of the Rings references on The Colbert Report, so much so that it’s difficult to find just one clip. He had a cameo in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Entertainment Weekly recently had him dress up as Hobbit characters for an end-of-the-year shoot, and do I even need to mention this?

Or even this?

Will you be checking out Late Show with Stephen Colbert? Let us know!