User:CmdrDan/Improve List of Colbert Episodes

Episodes v Specials

Can someone please explain how a "special" differs from an "episode" and how how these specials are indicated.

As of this writing the episode list says there have been 9 specials.

Here's the source of of the 9 specials, the num_episodes fields from the television season Infobox:

• 2015 | num_episodes = 62
• 2106 | num_episodes = 203 (and 1 special)
• 2017 | num_episodes = 197 (and 1 special)
• 2018 | num_episodes = 205 (and 1 special)
• 2019 | num_episodes = 187
• 2020 | num_episodes = 164 (and 3 specials)
• 2021 | num_episodes = 75 (and 3 specials)

Here are the snippets from each of the seven Infoboxes (from each of the episode years) in which you can see the number of episodes and specials.

CmdrDan/Improve List of Colbert Episodes
No. of episodes	62
Release
Original network	CBS
Original release	September 8 (2015-09-08) – December 18, 2015 (2015-12-18)
Season chronology

CmdrDan/Improve List of Colbert Episodes
No. of episodes	203 (and 1 special)
Release
Original network	CBS
Original release	January 4 (2016-01-04) – December 16, 2016 (2016-12-16)
Season chronology

CmdrDan/Improve List of Colbert Episodes
No. of episodes	197 (and 1 special)
Release
Original network	CBS
Original release	January 3 (2017-01-03) – December 15, 2017 (2017-12-15)
Season chronology

CmdrDan/Improve List of Colbert Episodes
No. of episodes	205 (and 1 special)
Release
Original network	CBS
Original release	January 2 (2018-01-02) – December 21, 2018 (2018-12-21)
Season chronology

CmdrDan/Improve List of Colbert Episodes
No. of episodes	187
Release
Original network	CBS
Original release	January 7 (2019-01-07) – December 19, 2019 (2019-12-19)
Season chronology

CmdrDan/Improve List of Colbert Episodes
No. of episodes	164 (and 3 specials)
Release
Original network	CBS
Original release	January 6 (2020-01-06) – December 18, 2020 (2020-12-18)
Season chronology

CmdrDan/Improve List of Colbert Episodes
No. of episodes	75 (and 3 specials)
Release
Original network	CBS
Original release	January 4, 2021 (2021-01-04)
Season chronology