Fans ofThe Late Show with Stephen Colbertgot a special treat when they tuned into the show last night: A new opening credits sequence fromDaniel KwanandDaniel Scheinert, a.k.a.Daniels, the writing/directing duo behind the Academy Award-nominatedEverything Everywhere All at Once.The collaboration was announced right at the top of the show, after Colbert explained to viewers that his dog, Benny, had eaten the program’s usual opening credits montage. Enter Daniels with a fresh replacement. One caveat: the sequence they delivered was decidedly not what Colbert was expecting.
After the host praisedEverything Everywhere All at Onceas “a fun, wild ride,” with “hot dog hands and singing racoons and kung-fu,” Scheinert told Colbert that “we didn’t do any of that for this.” Responding to Colbert’s visible confusion, Kwan explained that “we figured it’s been a long day, your audience is probably tired, they could use a break.” “You can’t enjoy yourself if you don’t feel well-rested,” Scheinert added. “We went something a little more calm…meditative,” Kwan concluded.
The filmmaking team then rolled tape on their new credits montage, which, as promised, played out like a hybrid of the 1982 experimental documentaryKoyaanisqatsiand the world’s highest-budgeted ASMR video. Despite the arthouse visuals and soporific announcer, the sequence began more or less as a talk show opening ought to, teasing that night’s guests. But it quickly waded into considerably weirder waters, with promises of “special activities” such as “reconnecting with a childhood friend over the phone,” “the realization that you are enough and always have been,” and a hilariously long-winded philosophical musing about mushrooms which we won’t spoil here.
Image via Allyson Riggs/A24
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At this point, Colbert disrupted the video to express his displeasure — “I wanted explosions, I wanted fights, I want somebody to kick through a wall” — only to learn from a crew member that the entire audience, having seen Daniels' latest offering, had fallen asleep. The host subsequently took it upon himself to save the episode, proclaiming that “I’m not gonna let these two inexperienced man-children ruin my show just because this is the multiverse where they suck.” But after storming around backstage and barking orders to ensure that the show would go, Colbert learned that Daniels' plan had worked, and the audience was, in fact, now wide awake and more energetic than ever. The extended gag then concluded by paying off Colbert’s desire to kick through a wall in a manner which, again, you really ought to just view for yourself.
You can watch Daniels' new opening credits sequence, along with Colbert’s introduction, below.The Late Show with Stephen Colbertairs weeknights at 11:35/10:35C on CBS.
