Stephen Colbert Is the Best Source of Science on TV

[n2doc]

Will he be stuck interviewing dingbat celebrities at CBS?

By David Shiffman

David Letterman announced last week that he will soon be retiring from The Late Show after hosting for more than 30 years, and CBS has confirmed that Stephen Colbert will replace him. While switching from The Colbert Report to The Late Show will be a huge career advancement for the comedian and TV show host, it could be a big loss for television coverage of science.

Stephen Colbert is one of the only news or faux-news anchors to regularly cover scientific discoveries and interview scientists. “The Colbert Report has certainly been one of the best television programs ever for showcasing scientists—and I don't just mean ‘for a comedy talk show,’” says science comedian Brian Malow. He points out that the guest who has made the most appearances is Neil deGrasse Tyson. “More than any movie star! And Tyson isn’t even the only physicist he’s featured!”

Among the other physicists Colbert has interviewed are Brian Greene, Michio Kaku, and Lawrence Krauss. He has hosted oceanographer Robert Ballard, neurophilosopher Patricia Churchland, surgeon Atul Gawande, and evolutionary biologist Neil Shubin as well as experts in science policy such as then–Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson and National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins. The online archive of interview guests includes separate categories for “academic,” “medical,” and “scientist.”

This could change when Colbert takes over The Late Show. As Mashable noted, “the Late Show gig would force him to shoot the breeze with all manner of celebrities.” During Letterman’s run, Late Show guests have typically been movie or TV stars. For example, this week’s guests include Tom Selleck, Zach Braff, Lindsay Lohan, Rob Lowe, and Jason Bateman. Colbert Report guests this week include mathematician Edward Frenkel and primatologist Jane Goodall.

more

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2014/04/stephen_colbert_s_best_science_segments_will_his_move_to_cbs_dumb_down_his.html

[eppur_se_muova]

1. Maybe he'll be more like Carson, and include a broader spectrum of guests ...

Last edited Fri Apr 11, 2014, 04:47 PM - Edit history (1)

One reason I wasn't happy with the prospect of *either* Leno or Letterman taking over The Tonight Show was that they lacked Carson's urbanity -- he was a jester, but like a court jester of old, could also turn on the gravitas when it was needed.

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Worth a read: http://www.skepticfriends.org/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=3830

[Warpy]

2. I imagine the PTB will allow him some highbrow guests

as long as he has a couple of lowbrow starlets on to "balance" it.

[bloomington-lib]

3. Hopefully he keeps up his usually guest lineup...at least somewhat.

How long until he interviews Jon Stewart?

[demwing]

4. Opening night after Dave retires?

I'd love to see The Daily Show meet The Late Show.