Eric Deggans

I believe this is the first time I've been on the show since I've become a full professor.

So I am now officially a

An absent-minded professor.

I just want to note that here starting out.

What sets him apart as a host right now is I think that he has become fully this figure who embodies a lot of really interesting and wonderful qualities.

He's super smart.

He's passionate about a lot of subjects, including The Lord of the Rings, which anybody who watches the show knows.

He loves his wife, who he's been married to for ages.

He's deeply religious.

He's Catholic.

And he seems to be a good-hearted guy.

And he's brought that to hosting The Late Show.

And he was succeeding somebody, David Letterman, who didn't connect with his guests and really distinguished his show by provoking them on camera in very real ways.

Letterman enjoyed...

both making fun of the conventions of television and also provoking his guests to show genuine anger and genuine sort of negative feelings on camera to kind of puncture the false picture that these talk shows can often present.

And Colbert returned to a more collegial, you know, let's have fun.

It'll be unpredictable, and I'm going to try and get some real reactions out of you.

But it's not going to be negative.

I'm not going to be attacking you.

I'm not going to be provoking you.