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Stephen Colbert prepped for 'The Late Show' with online videos
File: Stephen Colbert during a taping of Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report" with President Barack Obama in Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University on Dec. 8, 2014 in Washington, D.C.
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Stephen Colbert has been on a media blitz promoting his return to late night, moving from Comedy Central to CBS, but in case you missed it, he's also been spending the last few months releasing content online.
He released his last video before the show's premiere, while teasing that, given the show's schedule, he probably wouldn't be doing the previews anymore. In it, he called attention to a contest that Jeb Bush was having to get a VIP ticket to Colbert's first show. According to Colbert, Bush did it without asking.
It's a bit that feels a bit similar to the online mobilization efforts that fellow former "Daily Show" alumnus John Oliver does on his HBO show, but — in keeping with their personas — Colbert's call-to-action is a bit calmer and more subtle.
Still, Colbert upped the ante on Jeb, offering his own contest to win a VIP ticket and even the chance to submit a question for Colbert to ask. So, if you've ever wanted to ask a question of a presidential candidate and don't want to smash your way to the front of a rally crowd/donate a huge amount of money, here's your chance!
That's not the only thing Colbert's been dishing out online. In July, he did a week of videos simulating having lunch with Colbert as an office coworker, which pretty quickly took a dark turn into Colbert's dalliances with the criminal underground, combined with terrible diet advice and trying to eat your chips. Watch part 1 here:
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He even did a regular podcast about how the show came together, as well as his background with members of the show's cast. You can listen to the podcast that gets into how a late night comedy show is written, how people get into comedy and what a comedy show staff does before the show goes on the air — or you can just watch this animated clip of an idea they talked about on the show about porn goggles:
He made sure to take time for news online, talking about the legalization of gay marriage in June and the NASA Pluto flyby.
Colbert also couldn't help himself from taking a shot at political news when Donald Trump announced he was running for president, combining a Trump impression with his own character:
It's a sign that, despite not being as nakedly political as his show once was, we'll still likely see Colbert playing off the news, just in a new way. There was one chance to see him as a TV host this summer — on a cable access program where he interviewed rapper Eminem:
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Oh, and one more highlight — remember that promotional blitz we mentioned above? Colbert's being offered as a voice for the Waze app, and released this companion video:
Only Colbert knows what his move to late television will bring, though with the host dropping "The Colbert Report"'s conservative cable news character, you can get started learning about Colbert with the Colbert Countdown series KPCC's "The Frame" did last year, and find out about his bandleader, New Orleans jazz musician Jon Batiste. (Sadly for those of us out West, chances are that Colbert's a New York fixture in the Ed Sullivan Theatre for the foreseeable future. Here are top 10 reasons why.)
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