| Alt Name: | Stephen Colbert Presents Tooning Out the News |
| Narrated: | Mitch Lewis |
| Theme Music Composer: | Tom Polce |
| Country: | United States |
| Num Seasons: | 3 |
| Num Episodes: | 263 |
| List Episodes: | List of Tooning Out the News episodes |
| Network: | Paramount+ |
| Network2: | Comedy Central |
Stephen Colbert Presents Tooning Out the News (TOTN) is an American live-action/animated satirical news television show created and executive produced by comedian and The Late Show host Stephen Colbert, R.J. Fried, Chris Licht and Tim Luecke. The series premiered on CBS All Access (now Paramount+) on April 7, 2020. The series has received mixed-to-positive reviews and received several award nominations, including two Primetime Emmy nominations and a Writers Guild of America Award nomination.
In March 2021, the show was renewed for a second season starting with an exclusive half-hour special to promote the launch of Paramount+ on March 4, 2021, which was followed by a full premiere on March 9, 2021.[1] On October 4, 2021, both short-form episodes would expand to a half-hour starting on October 8, 2021, and the show would switch to a weekly format.
On May 18, 2022, Comedy Central picked up the show for a third season renewal consisting of thirteen episodes, which premiered on October 5, 2022.[2] On February 7, 2023, the third season was expanded with twelve additional episodes, including a special coverage based on the 2023 State of the Union Address.[3] However, On May 18, 2023, Comedy Central cancelled the show after airing 23 of 25 episodes of the third season, due to production delays caused by the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike amid the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes.[4] [5]
Describing itself as an animated news program, Tooning Out the News combines live-action and animation and focuses on topical news satire from real-life news stories as well as lampooning current events, political issues, media coverages, social commentaries, pop culture topics, and often aspects of the show itself.
The first season consisted of four main segments, "Big News with James Smartwood," "Inside The Hill," "Hot Take," and "Virtue Signal," which resemble shows seen on cable news channels, plus added interstitial vignettes covering other stories not mentioned in the main segments. Some interstitial vignettes are previewed on The Late Show. The second season was added with two new segments, "The Establishment with Tory Hughes" and "Smart Talk Tonight." "The Establishment with Tory Hughes" and the vignettes were dropped in the third season with a new segment, "Sparks!".
Three of the main segments originally debut on Paramount+ Tuesday through Thursday (the morning after a new The Late Show with Stephen Colbert episode), with the fourth, plus a compilation "Week in Review" show containing all four plus vignettes are released every Friday. In the second season, both short-form episodes expanded to a half-hour, which was released every Friday starting on October 8, 2021, and the series would switch to a weekly format.[6] The third season airs on Comedy Central every Wednesday, following after The Daily Show.
The show features interviews with newsmakers, journalists, analysts, politicians, activists, and celebrities, including:
The show was originally set to premiere on March 16, 2020, but production was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[14] The show was debuted on April 7, 2020, instead, after production continued via remote work, with animators and showrunner RJ Fried, who has also produced The Late Show and Showtime animated series Our Cartoon President, working via Zoom and Slack.[15] [16]
On October 4, 2021, both short-form episodes would expand to a half-hour starting on October 8, 2021, and the show would switch to a weekly format.[17]
On March 29, 2022, co-creators and co-executive producers Mike Leech and Zach Smilovitz renewed their overall deal at CBS Studios, initially signed in 2020, where they will continue to write and produce across all platforms. On May 18, 2022, the show would move to Comedy Central as part of its adult animation push, with Paramount+ will simultaneously serve as its streaming home.[18]
On July 23, 2022, senior researcher Jonathan van Halem was offered the role of News Producer, making him the first person of Dutch descent to hold the position in the show's three-season history.[19]
On September 29, 2022, the animation staff at Tooning Out the News publicly voted to join a union with The Animation Guild, IATSE Local 839, making them the second group of animation workers and production staff in New York to vote in favor of unionizing.[20] At the same time, the guild is generally submitting a letter for voluntary recognition to CBS Eye Animation Productions, an animation studio division of CBS Studios.
The show is produced by "The Late Show"'s animation studio, Late Night Cartoons, Inc., which was inspired by the idea of parodying an animated version of the popular cable news program. The concept of the show gradually took shape with the help of short clips that featured animated cartoon pundits on "The Late Show". On a parallel track, the animated anchors were interviewed by a range of guests while working to produce the segments for the week. Originally, the show's production used motion capture to "record" the actors' performances on the show, after converting David Letterman's old personal screening room at the Ed Sullivan Theater as a control room.[21]
After the pandemic forced animators to work from home, they switched to remote production, shipping equipment to animators' houses and using Adobe Character Animator to animate the show's virtual hosts, which allowed guests to interact with the show’s animated hosts and panelists in real-time. While the show usually takes months to produce, an episode of Tooning Out the News is turned around a few days before airtime for the concept to stay current, with the topical productions and real-time animation works done remotely.
The pandemic also forced producers to find a remote solution for guests, who were set to be filmed in the studio. Because the show's back-and-forth banter required low latency, producers partnered with The Video Call Center to handle the acquisition and quality control of guest connections.[22] The VCC developed a custom process that enables the show’s animated hosts and correspondents to have topical, live, natural conversations with newsmakers and journalists.[23]
Tooning Out The News has received critical acclaim and garnered mixed-to-positive reviews from news and television critics for its take on current affairs, hyper-topical coverage, and real-life interviews. It currently holds a 5.6/10 rating on IMDb with 55% of users giving it a positive review, while Rotten Tomatoes score remains hidden, despite several reviews being posted by users. The show has also been featured in numerous publications, including Los Angeles Times, NPR, Comic Book Resources, Mediaite, and The Daily Beast.
The show also garnered nominations for numerous awards, including two Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama or Variety Series, but eventually lost to . However, despite being considered for nominations at the 72nd and 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, "Tooning Out The News" was not nominated for Outstanding Short Form Variety Series and Outstanding Scripted Variety Series.
| Year | Award | Category | Recipients and nominees | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Short Form Variety Series | Tooning Out the News | ||
| 2021 | Critics' Choice Award | Best Short Form Series | Stephen Colbert Presents Tooning Out the News | [24] | |
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama or Variety Series | [25] | |||
| 2022 | Producers Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Short-Form Program | Stephen Colbert Presents Tooning Out the News | ||
| 2022 Webby People's Voice Award | Technical Achievement Video | ||||
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama or Variety Series | ||||
| 2023 | Writers Guild of America Awards | Comedy-Variety Talk Series | Addison Anderson, Sarah Caldwell, Stephen Colbert, RJ Fried, Julie Greiner, Mike Leech, Ron Metellus, Bob Powers, Libby Schreiner, Zach Smilovitz, Hannah Wright | ||
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Scripted Variety Series | Stephen Colbert Presents Tooning Out the News |
The characters from 'Tooning Out the News' have made appearances on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and in various marketing campaigns to promote the show. From October 9–10, 2020, the hosts from Tooning Out The News made their appearance at 2020 Just for Laughs Comedy Festival. On February 4, 2021, James Smartwood made his cameo appearance in a marketing campaign for Super Bowl LV commercial to promote ViacomCBS' launch of the rebranded streaming service Paramount+. On July 23, 2021, the hosts from Tooning Out The News also made their appearance along with a special coverage to promote the show during Paramount+'s "Peak Animation" panel at 2021 Comic-Con@Home.