Update 8:20 P.M.: This post was updated to include some comments Colbert made Monday evening during the Television Critics Association’s press tour.

For nine delightful years on Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report we were treated to Stephen Colbert, the character. There were flashes of the man himself, but, for the most part, the blustery, pretentious, comically obtuse character was in the driver’s seat. It was a premise that worked so well that many Colbert fans mourned the news that he would be moving on from that character to play himself as host of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. But with the September 8 start date of that show looming, we’re beginning to get a better picture of what the future of late night with the real Colbert will mean. And the emerging promise outlined by CBS chairman Nina Tassler at the Television Critics Association’s semi-annual press tour is a rosy one. Colbert will bring a trustworthy, old-fashioned throwback vibe to a late-night field increasingly dominated by viral sensations. Is he shaping up to become the Walter Cronkite of late night?

Consistency: Before you go mourning the end of The Colbert Report, you should know that, according to Tassler, Stephen took almost his entire writing and digital team with him from Comedy Central to CBS. It couldn’t be clearer that the network is almost as invested as Colbert fans are in preserving what made the Report so magical. So if all the promos and gags leading up to the September premiere feel familiar, it’s not just the lanky guy in front of the camera providing that consistency.

Emotionality: In a late-night field led by ironic detachment and segments calculated to go viral, it wouldn’t hurt to have a little earnestness to balance everything out. With Jon Stewart exiting the landscape, his millennial-focused replacement, Trevor Noah, may be less likely to take up the mantle of Stewart’s occasional heartfelt outreaches. Is Colbert our best bet to fill that gap? During last week’s Daily Show finale, we all got a taste of what it looks like when Colbert speaks from the heart. Colbert has an opportunity to take on an almost parental role to the nation in his new spot behind the desk of a major network. Promising that he would stand out from the younger frat pack currently running late night, Tassler told the T.C.A. crowd, “Stephen is a real student of late night . . . he considers himself of Dave [Letterman]’s generation. I think you’ll see interviews that cover a broad spectrum.” I can’t think of anyone better suited to be the new dad of late night.

Political Acumen: As the presidential-election antics continue apace, Tassler points out how valuable Colbert’s contribution to late night will be. “We’re coming into an election,” she said. “Who are you going to want to hear from?” Tassler later referred to Colbert as “the smartest guy in the room.” And while Corden, Fallon, Kimmel, et. al. are fantastic at what they do, none of them have shown any inclination to shape the national political conversation. What’s even more encouraging about Colbert wading into the political fray is his uncanny knack for appealing to both sides of the aisle. Colbert may have unquestionably liberal leanings, but he also roped Mitt Romney into appearing in a promo for his new show. In this increasingly divisive political conversation, Colbert could prove a great equalizer. In fact, he can’t wait to enter the political fray.

A Little Song, a Little Dance: Those last two points may have painted too stodgy a picture. Tassler emphasized Colbert’s love of “song and dance,” and we know for a fact the comedian isn’t immune to a little music-based fun. Colbert will be aided in the music front by his new bandleader Jon Batiste. In a Rolling Stone profile labeling him a “rebel,” Batiste said, “That’s what I look forward to about going on The Late Show. The team there, we have a very similar philosophy and vision about the way they do jokes and the way we do music. . . . In another scenario I wouldn’t even take a day gig like that because I think it would be too restrictive.” You can get a taste of what Colbert and Batiste have in store for audiences with this 2014 performance from The Colbert Report, which spilled into the New York street. Colbert announced late in the day on Monday that Kendrick Lamar would be his first musical guest.

Nerdiness: We know that a lot more mainstream cool comes along with Colbert’s move from Comedy Central to CBS. The King of Cool himself, George Clooney, will be Colbert’s first guest. But in case you were worried that Colbert was in danger of losing his nerdy, Tolkien-loving edge, fear not: a man who devotes a promo to a fake C.G.I. dragon is a man who has not forgotten his roots.