Colbert trumps Fallon
Donald Trump may have promised to bring back coal during his campaign, but so far the U.S. president has instead succeeded in bringing back Colbert. For the past 10 weeks, late-night host Stephen Colbert has trumped rival Jimmy Fallon in the ratings.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Colbert acknowledged his winning streak — as well as the unpredictable nature of ratings.
“I would trade good ratings for a better president,” he said when asked if he owed Trump a thankyou note. He also revealed that the first week The Late Show beat The Tonight Show, he bought pizza for the staff — something he’s done every winning week since.
“Honest to God, it’s like, ‘Hey! Pizza! But remember: Maybe next week, no pizza.’ But it doesn’t mean we’re not doing great.”
Colbert’s fearless stance on Trump seems to be the key — his monologues regularly critique the president, and comedy bits are equally sharp and topical.
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert first beat Fallon in early February, just after Trump’s inauguration, by 20,000 viewers. It was the first usurping since Colbert’s CBS series debuted in September 2015. By late March, Colbert averaged 2.99 million U.S. viewers, about 400,000 more than The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
So thoroughly has The Late Show been trouncing The Tonight Show that last month Page Six reported that NBC execs are pressuring Fallon to get more political.
“They had to figure out a way to get Trump (into his show) because he’s too weak on Trump, and viewers are going elsewhere,” a source said. “(He’s been) uncomfortable talking about politics, and that’s not what the people want.”
The criticism has been long brewing: The former Saturday Night Live star famously tousled Trump’s tresses in a September interview, drawing criticism that he tiptoed around the then-candidate.
The Late Show also airs on Global in Canada; The Tonight Show also airs on CTV Two.