5 Things Letterman and Colbert Have in Common
It was recently announced that Colbert Report host Stephen Colbert would succeed Late Showhost David Letterman as host of CBS’s late night talk show. Many are applauding the decision, calling it a natural choice. But do the two hosts have anything in common? We quickly came up with these five things!
Letterman’s is the more famous of the two. The commercial, a promo for the Late Show, debuted in 2010 and featured Letterman, Winfrey and Leno. It also debuted during a troubled time for Leno, as he was enduring backlash for returning to The Tonight Show after his primetime show, The Jay Leno Show, was cancelled. Colbert’s pitch for Wonderful Pistachios debuted in 2014 and features the late night host in a split ad. The first portion features the host in rather normal attire, saying that pistachios basically sell themselves. But after a follow-up commercial from another brand, Colbert returns, wild and crazy, to deliver an over-the-top pitch because pistachio sales haven’t skyrocketed in the last 30 seconds.. He even appears in part as a pistachio at one point.More »
And we’re not just talking about Emmy awards, which both hosts have in spades. No, we’re talking about big serious awards. The kind you often don’t associate with late night talk show hosts.
For example, Letterman was awarded the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors in 2012. The Kennedy Center Honors are an annual honor given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture. He was named “one of the most influential personalities in the history of television, entertaining an entire generation of late-night viewers with his unconventional wit and charm.”
Colbert has one more than one Peabody Award for his work with the Colbert Report and The Daily Show. The Peabodys recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, online media, producing organizations, and individuals.
If you’re a comic book fan, you likely already know that Letterman and Colbert both exist in the Marvel Universe. Letterman appeared as himself in issue No. 239 of The Avengers. The issue features hero Wonder Man asking his fellow Avengers to appear with him on Late Night with David Letterman. A bumbling villain attempts to destroy the show and is subdued by Letterman, wielding a prop doorknob. Colbert appeared in issue No. #573 of The Amazing Spider-Man. At the time, Colbert was running for President of the United States, eventually losing to Barack Obama. In the course of the issue, he did wind up on an adventure with Spidey.
A more somber intersection in the lives of these two hosts is the loss of their fathers while both were young. Letterman’s father passed away when Letterman was 26 years old. Harry Joseph Letterman, a florist, was prone to heart issues, suffering a heart attack when he was 36 years old. A second heart attack, when he was in his 50s, took his life.
Colbert lost his father when he was 10 years old. James William Colbert, Jr., a doctor and medical school dean, and Colbert’s two brothers, Peter and Paul, were aboard Eastern Air Lines Flight 212 when it crashed in Charlotte, North Carolina. Altogether, 72 people died in the accident.
Letterman and Colbert both appeared within months of one another on Oprah’s Next Chapter. During those interviews, we learned a lot about each host. For example, we discovered Colbert didn’t want to become a political satirist at first, but found that he had a passion for ideas and politics once Jon Stewart joined The Daily Show. And we found out Letterman considers Jay Leno the funniest person he knows.
1. Both have appeared in Super Bowl commercials
Letterman’s is the more famous of the two. The commercial, a promo for the Late Show, debuted in 2010 and featured Letterman, Winfrey and Leno. It also debuted during a troubled time for Leno, as he was enduring backlash for returning to The Tonight Show after his primetime show, The Jay Leno Show, was cancelled. Colbert’s pitch for Wonderful Pistachios debuted in 2014 and features the late night host in a split ad. The first portion features the host in rather normal attire, saying that pistachios basically sell themselves. But after a follow-up commercial from another brand, Colbert returns, wild and crazy, to deliver an over-the-top pitch because pistachio sales haven’t skyrocketed in the last 30 seconds.. He even appears in part as a pistachio at one point.More »
2. Both are award winners
And we’re not just talking about Emmy awards, which both hosts have in spades. No, we’re talking about big serious awards. The kind you often don’t associate with late night talk show hosts.
For example, Letterman was awarded the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors in 2012. The Kennedy Center Honors are an annual honor given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture. He was named “one of the most influential personalities in the history of television, entertaining an entire generation of late-night viewers with his unconventional wit and charm.”
Colbert has one more than one Peabody Award for his work with the Colbert Report and The Daily Show. The Peabodys recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, online media, producing organizations, and individuals.
3. Both have appeared in Marvel Comics as themselves
If you’re a comic book fan, you likely already know that Letterman and Colbert both exist in the Marvel Universe. Letterman appeared as himself in issue No. 239 of The Avengers. The issue features hero Wonder Man asking his fellow Avengers to appear with him on Late Night with David Letterman. A bumbling villain attempts to destroy the show and is subdued by Letterman, wielding a prop doorknob. Colbert appeared in issue No. #573 of The Amazing Spider-Man. At the time, Colbert was running for President of the United States, eventually losing to Barack Obama. In the course of the issue, he did wind up on an adventure with Spidey.
4. Both lost their fathers when they were relatively young
A more somber intersection in the lives of these two hosts is the loss of their fathers while both were young. Letterman’s father passed away when Letterman was 26 years old. Harry Joseph Letterman, a florist, was prone to heart issues, suffering a heart attack when he was 36 years old. A second heart attack, when he was in his 50s, took his life.
Colbert lost his father when he was 10 years old. James William Colbert, Jr., a doctor and medical school dean, and Colbert’s two brothers, Peter and Paul, were aboard Eastern Air Lines Flight 212 when it crashed in Charlotte, North Carolina. Altogether, 72 people died in the accident.
5. Both opened up on Oprah’s Next Chapter
Letterman and Colbert both appeared within months of one another on Oprah’s Next Chapter. During those interviews, we learned a lot about each host. For example, we discovered Colbert didn’t want to become a political satirist at first, but found that he had a passion for ideas and politics once Jon Stewart joined The Daily Show. And we found out Letterman considers Jay Leno the funniest person he knows.
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