Why I won't miss the Colbert Report

It's official: Stephen Colbert will take over David Letterman's show, and the Colbert Report will end. I, for one, won't mourn the Report.

I love Colbert. But his O'Reilly/Hannity character always seemed like one really good sketch, not a longterm destination for a person of such diverse talents. (Have you seen his old clips from Whose Line? He was better than the show's tropes deserved—note how his Shakespearan dating-show contestant disgregards the setup's mild homophobia, and how his is the only freestyle rap with a modicum of flow. The skiing dance move is amazing, too.)

Early on, when guests didn't get the joke, the Colbert Report's interviews were a sight to behold—like the Daily Show segments they grew out of but way funnier for Colbert's uncanny timing and poise. Also because he was never satisfied to get laughs just at the poor guest's expense. His instincts always take him through this territory but past it, to more sublimely silly places. I can't find the clip but one of my favorites is when an abstinence-only advocate emphasizes that there are other ways to have fun besides having sex. Colbert deadpans something like, "Exactly right. You and I are not having sex right now. And I'm having the time of my life."