The Colbert Report/Recurring Segments

A list of recurring segments and characters who had three or more appearances on The Colbert Report.

A

Alpha Dog of the Week

Colbert profiles a figure in the news that is fighting back against someone (usually an enemy of Colbert's), generally in such a way that it seems like a trivial matter being blown up unnecessarily.

B

Ballz for Kidz

A series of segments for children in which Colbert and typically soundbytes from random people from random people educates them on subjects like Bears.

Better Know a District

A 435-part (and later 434-part) series of Colbert interviewing representatives from various Congressional districts in the United States.

Better Know a President

Colbert interviews former presidents or, more accurately, presidential impersonators.

Bobby

Colbert's stage manager and often the victim of stunts that Colbert himself won't pull, portrayed by Eric Drysdale.

Bring 'Em Back or Leave 'Em Dead

Colbert calls up images of deceased people and relies on the audience to either bring them back or leave them dead.

C

The Craziest Fucking Thing I've Ever Heard

Known on screen as "The Craziest F#?king Thing I've Ever Heard," Colbert spotlights a bizarre story like a squid that learns to twist open a jar or something similarly unusual.

F

Formidable Opponent

Colbert has a rousing debate with himself using a green-screen tie that changes to signify which Colbert is which.

K

Killer

A burly and possibly mute man who typically just stands around and looks menacing. He also occasionally acts as Colbert's bodyguard.

N

The New Tek Jansen Adventures

A science fiction hero named Tek Jansen (voiced by Colbert) fights alien monsters and sleeps with alien women in this recurring animated segment.

P

P.K. Winsome

A political commentator and black Republican who decided to run for lieutenant-governor of an unknown state, portrayed by Tim Meadows.

R

Russ Lieber

A token liberal radio show host who embodies all of the stereotypes that Colbert uses to make fun of liberals, portrayed by David Cross.

S

Special Report

Occasionally, episodes of the show will focus on a single issue and be labels a "Colbert Report Special Report," noting that the "T" in the second "report" is pronounced.

Sport Report

A recurring sports segment which typically is only employed to promote the Saginaw Spirit, a Canadian hockey team which named their mascot after Colbert.

Stephen Colbert's Green Fallback Position

Due to the economy entering into a recession in 2008, Colbert began investigating possible jobs in case his position as a pundit was outsourced to India.

Stephen Colbert's Green Screen Challenge

After filming himself fighting a "space monster" over a green screen with a plastic lightsaber, Colbert called on viewers to digitally insert the situation he was describing.

Stephen's Sound Advice

Stephen delivers advice on how to accomplish a specific task in handy bullet point format.

T

Tad

The building manager for Colbert's studio and also an enthusiast of the show who once started the Stephen Colbert Museum in Colbert County, Alabama, portrayed by Paul Dinello.

Threatdown

A countdown of the top five things that are threatening America's freedom. More often than not, the number one threat is bears.

Tip of the Hat/Wag of the Finger

Several people or things are either given Colbert's complements (tip of the hat) or his scorn (wag of the finger) depending on what they've done lately.

W

Who's Attacking Me Now

Profiles of people in the media who are in some way disparaging to Colbert's ego.

Who's Honoring Me Now

The converse of the "Who's Attacking Me Now" segment in which Colbert profiles people who are awarding him some kind of merit.

The Word

The most frequently recurring segment, Stephen tells it like it is on a subject with bullet points clarifying what he says in a column to the right of the screen.