COLBERT IS CABLE'S 'MUST SEE T.V.'

Stephen Colbert, who, after serving as fake-news correspondent on The Daily Show, has his own show, a parody of "personality journalism" chat shows a la The O'Reilly Factor. On one hand, Colbert can't lose: He's benefiting from basic cable's best time slot, with a built-in audience. On the other hand, the bar has been raised for Colbert. The Daily Show is at peak, coming off a great year in which it became an indispensable part of the political conversation during the 2004 campaign, spawned a best seller (America: The Book) and won two Emmys. Daily Show fans know that Stewart is the guy scanning the headlines and pausing to ask, “What's really going on?" The whole joke of Colbert's persona is that he deliberately avoids that completely. He’s proudly ignorant and obtuse - qualities which make him perfectly suited for parodying the new breed of cable anchors. I especially enjoy his guest interview spot when he jumps up, runs triumphantly across the set to his guest and takes a bow to the audience while the likes of Lou Dobbs sits in a dark corner of the set waiting for the interview. Thumbs up for an out-loud laugh every night after dinner! The Colbert Report: Comedy Central at 7:30 p.m.