The Colbert Report review (ABC2 Digital TV)

I have great news for you Nation – the Emmy and Peabody award-winning comedy series Colbert Report hosted by Stephen Colbert is coming to ABC2 TV on January 5th 2010. It will be broadcast at 740pm Tuesdays to Fridays with the global edition highlights package on Mondays.

ABC TV will swiftly download each episode via satellite immediately after its US telecast for broadcast on ABC2 that night. ABC2 TV only has the free-to-air rights, as far as I know Comedy Channel on Foxtel will continue to broadcast the program as well.

EDITOR (11 Jan 2010): The first few of Colbert Report broadcasts on ABC2 were 4:3 analog format. I spoke to ABC2 PR today and they said they’re switching to a widescreen 16:9 satellite feed this week

Hosted and executive produced by political humorist Stephen Colbert, The Colbert Report (pronounced with silent T’s, i.e. The Kohl-Bear Re-por) has been described by The New York Times as ‘one of the best television shows of the year’.

The job of satirical comedians is to use irony, sarcasm, ridicule etc to expose and denounce the actions of individuals and organisations by revealing their hypocrisy and stupidity while also informing and entertaining their audience.

The best comedians are equal opportunity offenders with no “sacred cows”, willing to offend anyone they feel is worthy of ridicule whether they are left or right wing politicians, rich and powerful, religious groups or anyone else.

In Australia, really good satirical comedians are few and far between. John Clarke and Bryan Dawe and the Chaser Boys are my favourites.

In America there are a lot more satirical comedians and my favourites are Jon Stewart (Daily Show with Jon Stewart) and Stephen Colbert (Colbert Report)

Stephen helped The Daily Show with Jon Stewart to win numerous Emmy and Peabody Awards, and contributed to America (The Book): A Citizen’s Guide to Democracy Inaction which immediately topped The New York Times Best Seller List and stayed there for 15 consecutive weeks.

Eventually he became popular enough for Comedy Central to give him his own spin off show “The Colbert Report”, a mock (and very satirical) public affairs show where he plays the role of a egomaniacal, xenophobic anti-intellectual who claims to be politically independent, like his idol Bill “Papa Bear” O’Reilly. In reality, he fawns over the Republican party and former president George Bush

In this clip from the very first episode of the Colbert Report on 17/10/2005 Stephen explains the meaning of “Truthiness” and how anyone can read the news to you but he promises to feel the news at you:

In this more recent clip from 2008 Stephen reveals that Un-American fruit is now the number one snack for children under six, and Cookie Monster’s to blame: