US comic Colbert makes big 'Late Show' debut splash

NEW YORK: Stephen Colbert made his "Late Show" debut, giving Hollywood hunk George Clooney a wedding present and eliciting jokes from White House hopeful Jeb Bush in kicking off a new era in American late-night television comedy.

It was a jubilant start for the 51-year-old Catholic family man as he tries to step into the shoes of one of America´s biggest television legends, David Letterman, who retired this summer after a 33-year career.

He paid tribute to his predecessor with a salute, calling himself "a first generation Letterman fan" and proudly introduced the rapturous studio audience to the renovated Ed Sullivan Theater in New York.

There was cameo from one of his rivals, Jimmy Fallon from NBC´s "Tonight Show" and a stream of jokes ridiculing business mogul Donald Trump, who has trounced Bush in the Republican polls.

Colbert dives into a fiercely competitive market. America´s beloved world of late-night television is vastly different from the golden age dominated by the likes of Letterman, Jay Leno and Johnny Carson.

He comes to CBS and "The Late Show" as himself, shedding the ultra-conservative alter ego that popularized him at Comedy Central.

But he will need to pull out all the stops to hold his own against Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel on ABC´s "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"

Audience figures are down, young people watch less and less television, and part of the two Jimmys´ success has been producing clever segments that go viral on the Internet.

But it was a buzzing start. There were chants of "Stephen, Stephen, Stephen," and cheers and claps from the studio audience.

Bush stepped out in relaxed mode, taking swipe at President Barack Obama but otherwise smiling and joking along. "It connotes excitement," he dead panned when asked about his campaign posters marked "Jeb!"

"Younger, much better looking," was his quick-fire response when asked in what ways he differed from his brother, former president George W. Bush.

The inclusion of a political candidate on the first show has been interpreted as a sign that "The Late Show" could focus on political comedy as the nation navigates the 2016 presidential election campaign.

To Clooney, Colbert gave a present to mark his wedding to human rights lawyer Amal Clooney -- a paperweight inscribed with the words "I don´t know you."