The debut of Stephen Colbert as host of The Late Show on CBS was talked about on almost every media outlet, hyped and highly anticipated by hundreds of thousands. Colbert takes the reins from longtime host David Letterman. Like Letterman, Colbert’s been living in New York City for many years, but his comedy and career have strong Chicago roots. And like many great comedians, he spent formative years performing at The Second City. He took up improv there after graduating from Northwestern University, and even skipped acting school to stick it out here. Writer Mike Thomas’ recent Chicago Reader article “How Chicago shaped Stephen Colbert” details that time in the performer’s life. Mike Thomas joins us to discuss Colbert’s Chicago roots and Late Show debut. (Flickr/Montclair Film Festival)