| The Colbert Report | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | |
| Created by | |
| Directed by | Jim Hoskinson |
| Presented by | Stephen Colbert |
| Opening theme | "Baby Mumbles" by Cheap Trick |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 9 |
| No. of episodes | 1,447 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Emily Gasperak |
| Production locations | New York, New York |
| Running time | 22 minutes |
| Production companies | |
| Original release | |
| Network | Comedy Central |
| Release | October 17, 2005 – December 18, 2014 |
| Related | |
| Infobox instructions (only shown in preview) | |
The Colbert Report (/koʊlˈbɛər rɪˌpɔːr/ kohl-BAIR rih-por) is an American late-night talk and news satire television program hosted by Stephen Colbert that aired four days a week on Comedy Central from October 17, 2005, to December 18, 2014, for 1,447 episodes. The show focused on a fictional anchorman character named Stephen Colbert, played by his real-life namesake. The character, described by Colbert as a "well-intentioned, poorly informed, high-status idiot", is a caricature of televised political pundits. Furthermore, the show satirized conservative personality-driven political talk programs, particularly Fox News's The O'Reilly Factor. The Colbert Report is a spin-off of Comedy Central's The Daily Show, where Colbert was a correspondent from 1997 to 2005.
The program, created by Colbert, Jon Stewart, and Ben Karlin, lampooned current events and American political happenings. The show's structure consisted of an introductory monologue and a guest interview, in which the Colbert character attempts to deconstruct his opponent's argument. The show was taped in New York City's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood, and the program's set is "hyper-American", epitomizing the character's ego. The show was taped and broadcast Monday through Thursday, with weeks taken off at multiple points in a given year for breaks.
The Colbert Report saw immediate critical and ratings successes, leading to various awards, including multiple Emmy and Peabody Awards. The show's cultural influence often extended beyond the show's traditional viewing audience, including Colbert running for U.S. President twice, co-hosting a rally at the National Mall, presenting a controversial performance at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, and establishing a real Super PAC that raised over a million dollars. The show also inspired various forms of multimedia, including music and multiple best-selling books.