Can 'Stephen Colbert' Transition to Stephen Colbert?

There have been brands that rebranded themselves and celebrities that have changed their images. But what about an entertainer whose brand is based on an exaggerated version of himself?

That's the unique branding dilemma facing Stephen Colbert and CBS. Colbert, who is set to take over The Late Show for the retiring David Letterman in 2015, is planning to retire the pseudo-conservative character he created for Comedy Central's Colbert Report. That means when viewers tune in to the new Late Show next year they will be seeing...what exactly?

Colbert has appeared as himself several times in the past. As a series of videos on Slate illustrate, the out-of-character Colbert is not that far off from "Stephen Colbert," only less bombastic and lacking the fake right-wing politics. Read more...