Colbert: 'I Hope They Laugh' At His New Show, Premiering Tonight
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The countdown is over! On Tuesday night, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert finally premieres. The comedian takes the stage of the newly renovated Ed Sullivan Theater--and he's ready for action.
Jessica Kartalija caught up with him to talk about his exciting new job.
JK: "What do you want America to really take away from the show? What's going to be different?"
SC: "I hope they laugh. I hope they laugh. That's it. I hope they laugh, have a good time. I can't offer anything else. I have no solutions. I only have relief."
JK: "Politics are fun because there's a lot to talk about."
SC: "Oh, god--because there's all personality. The great thing is every person is a character--some more interesting than others, obviously--I just want Donald Trump to stay in the race until I get on the air on September 8. Please, eat your Wheaties, take your vitamins, get some sleep, Donald. I'm coming."
JK: "Will you let your kids watch?"
SC: "Sure! They're older now. I mean, my kids watch Game of Thrones. What can I possibly say that can scandalize them, you know?"
JK: "But it is late night..."
SC: "Yeah, but what is late night anymore? We're all going to do jokes, you know, but people are going to watch it the next day cut up into pieces. We should do the show at 5 or something like that. We'll all get to bed earlier; it'll be great. What time do you do your show?"
JK: "I do the 5. You could come and co-anchor with me."
SC: "That'd be great. Hello, Baltimore! What's your co-anchor's name? `I'm Stephen Colbert, in for Mary Bubala, who is in an undisclosed location.'"
JK: "Have you been to Baltimore?"
SC: "Of course I've been to Baltimore."
JK: "What do you like about it?"
SC: "You know what I really like? I like the Fort McHenry Tunnel. Because I have a lot of family in D.C.... and we're going there for Thanksgiving and we're driving back up from D.C. to New York where I live... we hold our breath through the Fort McHenry Tunnel--the whole way. My wife every time says, you're going to black out and it's going to be really embarrassing when you explain to the police why you drove into the river on the other side of the tunnel."
JK: "Anything make you nervous about this new gig?"
SC: "New suits. Boy, they've really tailored these suits really closely. These pants are like jeggings. They've been sprayed on. These are feeling really tight."
Don't miss the premiere of the Late Show With Stephen Colbert Tuesday at 11:35 p.m., immediately following Eyewitness News at 11 p.m. on WJZ.