Stephen Colbert, Come Back to the Future

CBS Television Studios

So last night I set out to finally watch Late Night with Stephen Colbert, however I woke up this morning thinking I must have I traveled back in time a la Marty McFly – and I feel a little dirty about it. So Stephen, let’s talk this out. Straight from the top, I recognize you’ve got a lot to shake off, the shadow of both David Letterman AND your former larger-than-life Report persona. Plus, it's Late Night and everything counts. While I love the man under the spotlight, everything around him feels out of date. So let’s get to problem solving.

First up, the set. Presently the vibe I’m getting is a combination of:
1. An overly masculine version of TGIFridays
2. SNL’s Church Lady set
3. The set of the Real World, Season 1

Let’s review the evidence: dark cherry desk, dark cherry paneling, seated on top of red carpeting, heavy blue chairs, faux Mondrian inspired stained glass with harsh lighting (what’s with all the crazy, multi-color lit panels?), brick walls painted silver, faux posts with ornate detailing – again painted silver, and so much silver behind the band they look like they just stepped out of the DeLorean.

Next up, graphics and logo. I had no problem with your former graphics and logo, but something is afoul here. There’s the serif logo with teeny tiny ‘the’ and ‘with’ and the graphics composed of tiny squares, each with their individual strokes. I’m guessing it’s supposed to be reflective of the stained glass windows, but it's doing more to distract than focus.

I know, there are a lot of notes here, but it's all positive and supportive of your mission to create a show that's funny and entertaining, more than just celebrity talk, that generates conversation. So let’s get going on a very special makeover episode! Let’s lighten up the set, furniture, graphics and logo to set you free among your late night cohorts. Let’s look to shinning star in the makeover game, Trevor Noah – gorgeous typography, graphics and set – absolutely beautiful. Ditch the serifs, Stephen! Viva la Late Night revolution!