| Tooning Out the News | |
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| Also known as | Stephen Colbert Presents Tooning Out the News |
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| Narrated by | Mitch Lewis |
| Theme music composer | Tom Polce |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 263 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Original release | |
| Network | Paramount+ |
| Release | April 7, 2020 (2020-04-07) – November 12, 2021 (2021-11-12) |
| Network | Comedy Central |
| Release | October 5, 2022 (2022-10-05) – May 3, 2023 (2023-05-03) |
| Related | |
Stephen Colbert Presents Tooning Out the News (TOTN) is an Americanlive-action/animatedsatirical news television show created and executive produced by comedian andThe Late Show hostStephen Colbert,R. J. Fried,Chris Licht and Tim Luecke. The series premiered on CBS All Access (nowParamount+) on April 7, 2020. The series has received mixed to positive reviews and received several award nominations, including twoPrimetime Emmy nominations and aWriters 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.[2]
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.[3] On February 7, 2023, the third season was expanded with twelve additional episodes, including a special coverage based on the2023 State of the Union Address.[4] 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 the2023 Writers Guild of America strike amid the2023 Hollywood labor disputes.[5][6]
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 theshow 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 addedinterstitial vignettes covering other stories not mentioned in the main segments. Some interstitial vignettes are previewed onThe 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 newThe 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.[7] The third season airs on Comedy Central every Wednesday, following afterThe Daily Show.[3]
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The show features interviews with newsmakers, journalists, analysts, politicians, activists, and celebrities, including:
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| Season | Episodes | Originally released | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | Network | |||
| 1 | 112 | April 7, 2020 (2020-04-07) | December 11, 2020 (2020-12-11) | CBS All Access | |
| 2 | 121 | March 9, 2021 (2021-03-09) | November 12, 2021 (2021-11-12) | Paramount+ | |
| 3 | 23 | October 5, 2022 (2022-10-05) | May 3, 2023 (2023-05-03) | Comedy Central | |
The show was originally set to premiere on March 16, 2020, but production was delayed due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[8][9] The show was debuted on April 7, 2020, instead, after production continued viaremote work, with animators and showrunner RJ Fried, who has also producedThe Late Show andShowtime animated seriesOur Cartoon President, working viaZoom andSlack.[16][17]
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.[2]
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.[citation needed] 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 September 29, 2022, the animation staff atTooning Out the News publicly voted to join a union withThe 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.[19] At the same time, the guild is generally submitting a letter for voluntary recognition toCBS Eye Animation Productions, an animation studio division of CBS Studios.[citation needed]
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 and correspondents, designed by "The Late Show"'s character animator Tim Luecke, David Saracino, Scott Brundage, and Charlie Cooper, were interviewed by a range of guests while working to produce the segments for the week.[citation needed] Originally, the show's production usedmotion capture to "record" the actors' performances on the show, after convertingDavid Letterman's old personal screening room at theEd Sullivan Theater as a control room.[20]
After the pandemic forced animators to work from home, they switched to remote production, shipping equipment to animators' houses and usingAdobe Character Animator to animate the show'svirtual 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 ofTooning 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.[citation needed]
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 lowlatency, producers partnered with The Video Call Center to handle the acquisition and quality control of guest connections.[21] 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.[22]
Tooning Out The News has received critical acclaim and garnered mixed to positive reviews 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 onIMDb with 55% of users giving it a positive review, whileRotten Tomatoes score remains hidden, despite several reviews being posted by users.[citation needed] The show has also been featured in numerous publications, includingLos Angeles Times,NPR,Comic Book Resources,Mediaite, andThe Daily Beast.[citation needed]
The show also garnered nominations for numerous awards, including twoPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama or Variety Series, but eventually lost toCarpool Karaoke: The Series.[citation needed] However, despite being considered for nominations at the72nd and75th Primetime Emmy Awards, "Tooning Out The News" was not nominated forOutstanding Short Form Variety Series andOutstanding Scripted Variety Series.[citation needed]
| Year | Award | Category | Recipients and nominees | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Critics' Choice Award | Best Short Form Series | Stephen Colbert Presents Tooning Out the News | Nominated | [23] |
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama or Variety Series | Nominated | [24] | ||
| 2022 | Producers Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Short-Form Program | Stephen Colbert Presents Tooning Out the News | Nominated | [citation needed] |
| 2022 Webby People's Voice Award | Technical Achievement Video | Won | [citation needed] | ||
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama or Variety Series | Nominated | [citation needed] | ||
| 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 | Nominated | [citation needed] |
The characters from 'Tooning Out the News' have made appearances onThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert and in various marketing campaigns to promote the show.[citation needed] From October 9–10, 2020, the hosts fromTooning Out The News made their appearance at 2020Just for Laughs Comedy Festival.[citation needed] On February 4, 2021, James Smartwood made his cameo appearance in a marketing campaign forSuper Bowl LV commercial to promote ViacomCBS' launch of the rebranded streaming service Paramount+.[citation needed] On July 23, 2021, the hosts fromTooning Out The News also made their appearance along with a special coverage to promote the show during Paramount+'s "Peak Animation" panel at 2021Comic-Con@Home.[citation needed]
