Science
Related: About this forumStephen Colbert Is the Best Source of Science on TV
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 scientistsand 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 isnt even the only physicist hes 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 thenEnvironmental 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 Lettermans run, Late Show guests have typically been movie or TV stars. For example, this weeks 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
(36,264 posts)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.
Worth a read: http://www.skepticfriends.org/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=3830
Warpy
(111,267 posts)as long as he has a couple of lowbrow starlets on to "balance" it.
bloomington-lib
(946 posts)How long until he interviews Jon Stewart?
demwing
(16,916 posts)I'd love to see The Daily Show meet The Late Show.