The Colbert Report

A closer look at the story

The Colbert Report, a satirical American late-night programme, takes on politics and the media with biting humour. Its star is political humorist Stephen Colbert, who previously worked as a correspondent on Jon Stewart's The Daily Show. Born out of The Daily Show and conceived as a kind of companion to it, the programme riffs on the media and politics in much the same way. What sets The Colbert Report apart, though, is the fictional character at its heart: a news anchor who is also called Stephen Colbert. The comedian himself plays this namesake persona. An exaggerated caricature of the political pundits who appear on television, this host interprets the news through his own skewed point of view. Politicians, journalists and authors join the show as guests. Created by Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart and Ben Karlin and broadcast on Comedy Central from 2005 for 11 seasons, the programme ended after 1,447 episodes.