Colbert, 50, takes over the late-night TV talk show from
David Letterman, who will retire after his final broadcast on
May 20.
"I have nine months to make a show, just like a baby. So first,
I should find out how you make a baby," Colbert said in a
statement.
The comedian is best known for playing a satirical conservative
personality on Comedy Central's Emmy-winning faux news show "The
Colbert Report," which finished its nine-year run last month. He
was named Letterman's successor in April last year.
Colbert has said he will drop the popular character for the
"Late Show," which goes head-to-head against Jimmy Fallon's "The
Tonight Show" on NBC and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"
Letterman's departure after 21 years as host of CBS's "Late
Show" marks a generational break on network late-night
television following Jay Leno's departure from "The Tonight
Show" last year.
Fallon and Kimmel have departed from the traditional talk show
model with gags and skits designed in part to court younger
audiences and day-after views on video sharing websites like
Google Inc's YouTube.
(Reporting by Eric Kelsey; editing by Patricia Reaney, G Crosse)
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
|
|