OK, so another two-fer but how can you possibly pick between these two shows? I know it’s not Sophie’s choice. Still. Imagine trying to decide between Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley. Or Three’s Company and The Ropers. Diff’rent Strokes and The Facts of Life. I’m not saying it can’t be done. It’s just, like splitting the nucleus of a plutonium atom, the results might not be pleasant.
The Daily Show (1996-present)
A modest basic cable entry hosted by Craig Kilborn for the first 3 years of its existence, TDS (to those in the know) started punching above its weight when Jon Stewart took over the reigns in 1999. Transitioning slowly from a frat boy goof on TV news, the Stewart helmed edition morphed into nothing less than the unofficial political opposition during the GWB administration. Now 10 years in, Stewart can still crack wise, skewering with equal scorn both politicians and their decadent enablers, the mainstream media. (MSM to those in the know.)
While Stewart provides a strong anchor for the show, TDS ebbs and flows with the quality of its “correspondents”. In the early years of the decade, the creative cup was overflowing with the likes of Steve Carrell, Stephen Colbert, Vance DeGeneres, Mo Rocca, Nancy Walls, Beth Littleford, Ed Helms, Rob Corddry, Stacey Grenrock-Woods, Samantha Bee. The pack has thinned lately, providing spotty support off the bench. But Stewart has vastly improved his interviewing skills, jettisoning most of the Hollywood celebrity PR tour fluff, which he never showed much flair for or interest in, for more substantial and relevant guests. So even if the meat in the middle of the show gives us less to chew on regularly, the delicious bread bookends rarely disappoint.
The Colbert Report (2005-present)
Actor Stephen Colbert plays Stephen Colbert, vain, egotistical, smart-alecky, not-quite-as-smart-as-he-thinks-he-is news “correspondent” on TDS for 8 years turned right-wing ideologue cable “news” show host on The Colbert Report. The irony is thick. The humour is a little more pointed. Those who get it, get it a lot. Those who don’t, well, they probably aren’t awake when it airs at 11:30 pm or know how to download it onto their iPhones to watch during the morning commute.
Like Jon Stewart, Colbert isn’t a great interviewer and it doesn’t help that he is ostensibly playing a role while conducting an interview, leading to many awkward exchanges followed by blank stares and pregnant pauses. And, unlike TDS, TCR is basically a one man show which puts a heavy burden on Colbert the performer to keep the audience entertained 4 nights a week. Much more often than not, he pulls it off and delivers scathingly funny takes on topical news stories and makers. That in itself is no small feat, given most of his targets seem to effortlessly provide unintentional laughter at their own expense. Still, it’s good to have the likes of Colbert and Stewart on the job, assuring us that, no, we’re not the idiots in the equation.
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