Dr. House is a hero with personal demons that make him even more heroic.

Talk shows and late night shows were once one of the few chances to hear from celebrities and assume they're "candid", also used to debut groundbreaking music. Now, they're fixtures for either the older or those who are super into celebrity culture.

Steven will never get even close. He does well enough that they want to keep him and let him do some big-budget things but Letterman dominated in an era where his kind of show was on the rise.

Colbert is a bigger recognizable star because of his comedy central show and politics than his talk show. Which is more about maintaining a particular audience.

Poppy seems to be written as a mean spirited, overworked, angry code monkey rather than y'know a person. I agree she doesn't portray anxiety well, though. Just seems like the nature of her character is written under an almost maniacal lens. She isn't someone you want to root for, as whenever she gains power, she tends to turn her back on others or goes mad with it. She's an example of a character that isn't written or portrayed AT ALL to earn the reception she's supposed to receive.

I think the script makes her annoying. Ian is also ridiculously annoying, but at least he's ridiculous. Poppy just seems like a blowhard and there's never really any relief. Makes her an odd protagonist.