Comments on: Too Many Moments of Zen to Count

Question: Too Many Moments of Zen to Count

rokusan — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 14:37:41 -0800

Specific Daily Show and/or Colbert Report episode recommendations (with air dates so I can find them)?

I'm putting together a 'greatest hits' DVD to give to an overseas friend for Christmas, and he's never been exposed to the Daily Show or Colbert except for YouTube clips. I have the regional DVD tech and the copyright issue under control. I just need content help.

I know that Comedy Central has most (all?) of these episodes online, and for that matter I even have about 1000 of them on my own hard disk... but that's a LOT of video to search through with no index. CC's blurbs pretty much just describe them all as "great", or list the guests. Sadly, the guests are the least useful part of those shows.

I've done some digging for a community-ratings site or somesuch, but I've come up empty. Some of the highly-rated ones on YouTube are nice, but they seldom mention the episode they're from or include an air date. So I come to you, AskMites.

I have no special favorite contributors (I think they've all done some great pieces, and some poor ones) or guests in mind. I'm open.

Even if all you can do is suggest a particular episode with its date (or week?) and a reason it's great, I'll track it down! I just need something better than "that one where Ed Helms makes those people look foolish."

By: Gary

Gary — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 14:56:02 -0800

There was this thread when the clips first went online that had a lot of favorites posted (the clips on thedailyshow.com list the original air date). Also, the recent Is America Ready for a Flilf? was great.

By: Gary

Gary — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 15:01:40 -0800

Also, Wikipedia keeps a somewhat detailed list of Colbert Report episodes, if you want to look up guests or segments.

By: Iridic

Iridic — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 15:03:50 -0800

My favorite DS bit is "The Royal Watcher," in which the flamboyantly British Richard Quest is revealed to be the average Englishman's kryptonite. (May 8, 2007)

The top Colbert piece would the masterful "Better Know a District" that featured Rep. Brad Sherman of California's Fightin' 27th. The airdate was March 22 of '06.

By: jamaro

jamaro — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 15:14:14 -0800

Extreme Makeover: Baghdad followed by Aasif Mandvi's assessment [both: April 25, 2007] is one of my favorites as is the always amusing time Dick Cheney shot his hunting buddy IN THE FACE! [Feb. 13, 2006] and Nick Corddry's brilliant follow up. [March 15, 2006]

By: Tacos Are Pretty Great

Tacos Are Pretty Great — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 15:15:38 -0800

Truthiness.
Bill O'Reilly.
Guitarmageddon.
Barry Manilow.
Jane Fonda.
Robert Wexler.

By: jamaro

jamaro — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 15:29:16 -0800

Nate! Not Nick. Egads, now he's going to shoot me.

By: Cyrano

Cyrano — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 15:40:10 -0800

This clip is a must.

By: Cyrano

Cyrano — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 15:41:54 -0800

(Although you'll certainly want to put it near the end of your compilation so your friend has had plenty of exposure to Colbert's deadpan delivery and will get the full effect.)

By: decathecting

decathecting — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 15:45:58 -0800

Eleanor Holmes Norton (dates in the link. The first one is the best.)

By: carrienation

carrienation — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 15:51:14 -0800

Colbert:

4/19/07--the Sean Penn/Robert Pinksky Meta-Free-Phor-All
12/20/06--Decemberists guitar challenge

I can't find the date for the "Tribute to Women" with Gloria Steinem and Jane Fonda, but it's also a classic. And any election version of either show is bound to be a winner.

By: lampoil

lampoil — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 15:55:07 -0800

It's hard to choose among the Better Know a District segments, but I busted a gut when I saw Congresswoman Norton of DC (originally aired July 27, 2006).

The two most famous/influential ones were probably Bob Wexler (July 20, 2006--sponsoring a bill to post the Ten Commandments in the Capitol but couldn't name them all) and Lynn Westmoreland (June 14, 2006--"I enjoy cocaine because...it's a fun thing to do.")

By: Manjusri

Manjusri — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 16:04:15 -0800

"Cooking with feminists" 8/10/06

By: deadmessenger

deadmessenger — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 16:26:46 -0800

The two most famous/influential ones were probably Bob Wexler

I think you're thinking of Jack Kingston.

By: Tehanu

Tehanu — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 17:12:48 -0800

The Colbert Report on August 10 and 14, 2006: the Geraldo dispute with Jon Stewart, the liquids Stephen carries on planes, his computer security advice, and his lamentation that WWIII was avoided. And I can't seem to find it, but if it wasn't on the 14th as well, then the episode where he talks about the Rapture Index is possibly my favorite ever.

By: awesomebrad

awesomebrad — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 17:50:45 -0800

Don't know the exact date, but the first one after the Vice President shot someone was truly epic.

By: rokusan

rokusan — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 17:51:00 -0800

Thanks guys, these ones with dates are very helpful.

By: Asparagirl

Asparagirl — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 18:59:33 -0800

To be serious for a moment here: Jon Stewart's opening monologue on the first show back after 9/11.

By: jocelmeow

jocelmeow — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 19:17:14 -0800

I love the "Even Stevphen" segments. The rapidly-devolving Should Medical Marijuana Be Legalized? (April 4, 2001) is one of my favorite Daily Show moments of all time. (And Asparagirl is right about that first monologue after September 11, 2001.)

By: lampoil

lampoil — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 20:24:12 -0800

I think you're thinking of Jack Kingston.

No, I wasn't.

But I think I did mix up Robert Wexler, who said the cocaine thing, and Lynn Westmoreland, who screwed up the Ten Commandments. Sorry about that.

By: DevilsAdvocate

DevilsAdvocate — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 06:57:00 -0800

Daily Show, the day after the November 2000 U.S. election (i.e., the show which aired November 8, 2000). I believe they cancelled a planned hiatus just so they could do that show. Includes gems such as (from memory), "Look, when we called it 'Indecision 2000,' we didn't mean for you to take it seriously," and "The Civil War, originally projected to be won by the North, is now too close to call."

By: Orange Pamplemousse

Orange Pamplemousse — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 10:56:46 -0800

Is anyone else having trouble viewing the clips on the Daily Show's web site? The ads play for me, but then it skips the actual show.

The "unscripted" segment of the January 30, 2006 Colbert Report is pretty good. (colbert answers questions randomly asked by his studio audience, including "an African-American, female, U.S. Marine and an Iraqi Kurd")

And Feb 9 of 2006, Steven and the Colberts present "Charlene, I'm right behind you".

By: Gary

Gary — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 11:53:28 -0800

Is anyone else having trouble viewing the clips on the Daily Show's web site? The ads play for me, but then it skips the actual show.

It's because you're in Canada. It does the same for me. According to Wikipedia, it's because CTV has exclusive rights to the content in Canada. For a while, it was re-directing Canadians from that site to the comedy network site.

Sorry for the derail. The wrist-strong saga this year ( July 26 - first episode, Aug 1 - first doctor visit, Aug 9 - wrist strong bracelet, Aug 23 - Fractured Freedom: The Stephen Colbert Story and the cast comes off ) was classic Colbert.

By: almostmanda

almostmanda — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 13:11:36 -0800

Drink Responsibly

By: Tehanu

Tehanu — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 14:36:44 -0800

January 18, 2007: Colbert interviewed Bill O'Reilly. Also, I recommend his address at the 2006 White House Correspondents Dinner, although I'm not sure how copyright works for that.