Stephen Colbert will get by with a little help from Jeff Goldblum, Katy Perry and others on election night
Election day is here, which means it’s only a matter of hours until voters decide the country’s future. If that’s too scary to think about, television has you covered: It’s also just a matter of hours until comedians including Stephen Colbert offer their take on the day’s events.
Colbert, whose regular weeknight gig, “The Late Show,” was preempted for election coverage, has moved over to Showtime to host a live election night special. The premium cable network has revealed some of the guests who will be joining the late-night host.
Officially titled “Stephen Colbert’s Live Election Night Democracy’s Series Finale,” the special will feature appearances by actors Jeff Goldblum and Nick Offerman, pop star Katy Perry (who recently donned an “I’m with Madam President” cape at a Hillary Clinton rally), comedians Larry Wilmore, Patton Oswalt and Jena Friedman, and radio personality Charlamagne Tha God. Additionally, singer Elle King will join “Late Show” bandleader Jon Batiste and his ensemble, Stay Human.
Colbert fans who have enjoyed his “Late Show” segments with Melania Trump may be in luck. Showtime has confirmed that actress Laura Benanti will also be making an appearance on the election night special.
In a previous interview with The Times, Benanti seemed uncertain that there would be a third round to her Trump spoof, but hopefully her appearance means the Tony-winning actress will sport that familiar pout once again.
See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour »
Political experts Mark Halperin and John Heilemann as well as campaign strategist Mark McKinnon are also on tap. Halperin and Heilemann are managing editors of Bloomberg Politics and cohosts of the political show “With All Due Respect,” and McKinnon has appeared on the campaign documentary series “The Circus.”
No Showtime subscription? No worries. The network has also announced that Colbert’s opening monologue will be streamed live on its official Facebook page.
Colbert’s real-time reactions promise to strike a balance between comic relief and instant updates. No promises on whether the show (or election results) will make you laugh or cry.
“Stephen Colbert’s Live Election Night Democracy’s Series Finale” airs live from the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City starting at 8 p.m. PST. “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” will also broadcast live on Comedy Central at the same time.
Twitter: @tracycbrown
UPDATES:
1:33 p.m.: This story has been updated with information about actress Laura Benanti’s appearance.
This story was originally published at 9:30 a.m.
More to Read
The complete guide to home viewing
Get Screen Gab for everything about the TV shows and streaming movies everyone’s talking about.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.