Now comes the truthiness test for Stephen Colbert.
“The Colbert Report” funnyman will inherit a huge chunk of late-night real estate when he replaces David Letterman on the “Late Show” next year. It’s a great career move for him and a brilliant creative brushstroke by CBS — if everything goes according to plan.
CBS assumes (that’s already dangerous) that Colbert will bring his loyal Comedy Central viewers (and his 6.2 million Twitter followers) with him when he jumps networks — those same viewers and social media mavens who’ve transformed him into a TV icon and even bought his best-selling book, “I Am America (And So Can You!).”
Fair enough.
But CBS also assumes that Colbert can keep America entertained every night by being himself — and not by playing the blowhard politico he’s so brilliantly trotted out on “The Colbert Report” for nine years.
But just who is the real Stephen Colbert? Hard to say, since he rarely, if ever, breaks character. Will America feel the same when Stephen Colbert is just, well, plain old Stephen Colbert, sitting behind a desk and chatting up (yet another) faceless celeb (“Let’s go to the clip”)? It could be a letdown to those yearning for his clever comic alter-ego lampooning the cultural zeitgeist.
So, yes, it’s a big leap of faith by CBS. Colbert will need to at least keep pace — or, hope springs eternal — perhaps even surpass Jimmys Fallon and Kimmel, with whom he’ll now be competing at 11:35 p.m.
He knows he will need to play to middle America without offending anyone, especially since CBS already attracts older viewers than its counterparts. The “Late Show” ain’t no loosey-goosey cable series.
Can Colbert do that? I think he can. He’s smart, telegenic, experienced, funny and savvy. He will not squander this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Maybe, just maybe, he’ll be more fascinating as himself than he is as his Comedy Central alter-ego. Only time will tell.
Prize catch on ‘Ellen’
“The Ellen DeGeneres Show” kicks off its “10 Days to Win 12 Days” sweepstakes on Monday’s show (4 p.m./Ch. 4). The contest, which runs through April 25, gives viewers the chance to win two tickets to LA to attend one of “Ellen’s” exclusive “12 Days of Giveaways” in December — or a daily prize of a $250 gift card.
Every day during the sweepstakes, “Ellen” will give a “word of the day” on-screen, with viewers then going online (ellentv.com/newyork) or texting 87529 to enter that word for a chance to win the grand prize.
Last, but not least …
John Gambling returns to the radio airwaves Monday on AM 970 “The Answer” (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) … “Scandal” co-star Joe Morton visits “Live from the Couch” on Thursday (7-9 a.m./Ch. 55).