Stewart and Colbert return tonight.

In a little less than 12 hours, the Daily Show will be back on after two full months, of course followed by the Colbert Report. However, they won't have their Emmy-winning writers, and as WGA members them selves, they won't actually be able to write anything themselves.

My guess is with all the crazy stuff that's happened in the past two months, they should be at least okay for the first week, no matter who writes for them. After that, though, who knows?

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I'm definitely very curious to see how they do. But wait, they're not allowed to write anything in advance? I'll admit being a bit confused by all of the specifics of the situation, but I hadn't heard that before -- just that they were coming back without their writers. I also read that you're not allowed to portray a character that's been created by WGA members, which would be mean Colbert has to do the show as his regular self. Is that actually true? It would rather defeat the purpose of his show.

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I feel bad for them that they're forced to return understaffed when they are WGA members and support the strike, but it'll definitely be fascinating to watch.

It'll be interesting to see what kind guests they get, when so many won't cross the picketline.

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The milisecond odious powerglute barebacker Andrew Sullivan reared (you should excuse the expression) his ugly puss (you should excuse the expression) on Colbert, I hit the off switch. Grew a beard. He's a bear now, you know.

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They were both far superior to any of the show without writers. I was truly impressed by the quality of both shows, but then I worship at the Temple of Jon. Indeed I pay homage on Tuesday afternoons, Friday mornings and in the wee small hours of Sunday morn by stringing wood beads on strands of hemp twine and doing a beer bong in solidarity to the arcane brilliance and clever minded humor that allows me day after day, month after month, year-after- bloody-winless-possibly-futile year to have ever the mildest glimmer that my existence in this world of hacking might matter once every four years to perhaps 10 other people -- on a good day - so I might just be mildly biased.

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