Colbert Takes Philly
Comedy Central Series Scores Most-Watched Week Ever With City Of Brotherly Love Broadcasts
By Mike Reynolds -- Multichannel News, 4/19/2008 7:50:00 AM
The Colbert Report got a lot of love in Philadelphia.
The show’s “Doritos Spicy Sweet Pennsylvania Primary Coverage From Chili-Delphia - The City of Brotherly Crunch!" event was the most-watched week in the series' history.
From April 14 through April 17, The Colbert Report averaged 1.5 million viewers from 11:30 p.m. to noon, according to Nielsen Media Research data.
The show also scored its highest marks among men 18 to 34 with a 1.8 rating, and with persons 18 to 49, scoring a 0.93 rating (tied with the week of Oct. 15, 2007).
Coming in advance of Tuesday’s Pennsylvania, "The Colbert Report: Doritos Spicy Sweet Pennsylvania Primary Coverage From Chili-Delphia - The City of Brotherly Crunch!" marked the first time the series broadcast from a remote location. It was taped at the 900-seat Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Zellerbach Theatre on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania.
The week included a star-studded closing show on Thursday featuring appearances by Democratic presidential candidates Sens. Hillary Clinton (N.Y.) and Barack Obama (Ill.), and former N.C. Sen. John Edwards (Dem.)
Other guests during the week included Michelle Obama’s first appearance on a late-night TV show; John Legend, who opened the week singing the “Star Spangled Banner” with Colbert; Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell; Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter; MSNBC’s Chris Matthews; and the Philadelphia Eagles cheerleaders, among others.
