the apoliticized late night “wars”

A new hybrid approach for Stephen Colbert in running re-runs on Friday.  Later Letterman phoned Fridays in by taping two shows earlier in the week.  But Colbert, while apparently wanting to phone something in, wants to retain the topicality that is the show.

Ratings wise, this does what?

Stephen Colbert has been beating Jimmy Fallon in late-night show ratings for the past five months — until last week.
“The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” finally managed to surpass “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” by 34,000 viewers last week, according to The Hollywood Reporter. These are Fallon’s highest ratings since he filmed a series of episodes in Orlando that aired in April to celebrate the opening of his new ride at the Universal Orlando Resort. 

Stephen Colbert jumped ahead of Jimmy Fallon based on that one factor: President Donald Trump.  I suppose the “Resistance” ™ is, in the broad swarth of the audience that must make up some kind of late night network television audience, fading a tad.  Passions fade.  Trump will be mockable on a political basis for the forseeable future, so the need to catch Colbert on that basis slides — and Trump will continue as well to be mockable on that the personal celebrity basis but there you will find Fallon and Colbert doing that.  And what was mockable yesterday for Colbert to dig at will be mockable today and tomorrow, or something new will hit, so we might as well check out … Jimmy Fallon riding a Jimmy Fallon ride in an Orlando theme park.

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