The Colbert Report
James Surowiecki, Jonah Lehrer
TV Flash files “James Surowiecki, Jonah Lehrer” as hour 511 of 1447 in the TV Flash guide — The Colbert Report (2005–2014) on Comedy Central, season 2009, episode 20, aired 2009-02-05, 30 min.
From the desk
How this hour is filed
This leaf is S2009E20: listed hour 511 of 1447 in the The Colbert Report guide, hour 20 of 161 in season 2009. It aired 2009-02-05 (30 min). The listed hour before it is “Steve Martin” (S2009E19). Next is “TV on the Radio” (S2009E21). Broadcast log — titles and dates, not a plot bible.

Catalog log
Broadcast listing — not a TV Flash recap.
James Surowiecki says the Democrats are using the financial crisis to push through programs that are in the long-term interest of Americans. Jonah Lehrer talks about finding a balance between the rational and the emotional in decision-making.
Viewer FAQ
Where does James Surowiecki, Jonah Lehrer sit in the The Colbert Report guide?
S2009E20 is listed hour 511 of 1447 — hour 20 of 161 in season 2009, season 2009 episode 20.
When did The Colbert Report S2009E20 air?
James Surowiecki, Jonah Lehrer aired 2009-02-05 and is listed at 30 minutes.
Do I need Stewart's Daily Show first?
Helpful context: it spun off in 2005. The Report is its own character-host satire — Colbert playing a pundit until the mask made news.
In the series
Why this series still plays
Stephen Colbert plays a billowing cable pundit until the mask starts making real news. The Colbert Report coined truthiness, ran Super PAC stunts as performance art, and spun off from Stewart into Emmy-winning character satire that took the bluster more seriously than the bluster did.
Comedy Central spun a correspondent into a full-time pundit mask in 2005 and watched the character leak into real campaigns. The Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert with Ben Karlin and Jon Stewart among the architects, ran through 2014 and ended when Colbert moved to network late night. Right-wing blowhard as performance art. Truthiness as Merriam-Webster's Word of the Year 2006 — **a dictionary metric, not a vibe.** Super PAC stunts as performance art. The mask making actual news. Ten seasons, 1,447 episodes.…
Filed against
- Stephen Colbert as Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert farmed correspondent heat on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart — fake newscast as civic classroom, Crossfire-takedown legend — then played a billowing cable pundit on The Colbert Report until the mask made real news.…