dbrits

I've never been much of a Letterman watcher, but I do enjoy Darlene Love's Christmas performances. Please excuse me. Since I'm on the west coast I'm going to go set my DVR so I can get the full experience.

I think the cold open/last show celebration will go down as one of my favorite TV moments. I mean, we actually got Mathew McConaughey playing bongos. http://youtu.be/IryWHhBiH0Q I'd completely forgotten about the alien who communicated by swinging around that tube. That's a very, very early bit.

There were definitely times when it seemed like boredom had set in, but it's those moments of brilliance that would keep me watching. You never knew when they might pop up. At this point I'm just baffled by Leno. I've read so much conflicting information about him, seen his behavior during Late Night Wars I and Late Night Wars II that I don't know what to believe anymore. Just not having him on TV makes things easier. I wasn't an immediate fan of Geoff, and I was especially wary when Josh Robert Thompson starting voicing him full-time. He grew on me over time but he can be a bit overwhelming at times. He either kept Craig on his toes or allowed him to be a bit lazy. It was great when they found a nice balance. That being said, there's no denying that Thompson is good at what he does. It was really difficult for my mind to understand why Geoff's voice was coming out of a human being when I was watching Thursday's cold open though.

When I originally signed up for tickets, the last show was scheduled to tape on Friday, December 19. About a month after obtaining the tickets, we were notified that the taping had been rescheduled for Thursday, December 18. I was actually surprised that they were going to tape on a Friday because it's the norm for them to tape two shows on Thursdays. (Most of the taping I attended previously were all on Thursdays because you could sit in the audience for both shows.) I do wish CBS had held back on releasing the video of part of the cold open. I'm sure it was used to drum up interest, but as the summaries noted, there's more to it than that. I think the cold open had a better impact when viewed in it's entirety. That being said, I'm sure they wanted all the publicity they could get because you're not going to get much publicity when you're living in Colbert's shadow. Something touched upon by almost every article linked above has been the show's authenticity and the sense of intimacy it created with the viewing audience. It was real. That's what caught my attention and made it "not like any other late night show." The intelligence, charm, and poignancy balanced with the subversive humor just drew me in further. It's what made those moments of spontaneous hilarity so joyous. They weren't the punchline of a well-crafted joke, but they were genuine, honest to goodness moments. I've had some incredibly craptastic experiences in the last several years, and Craig never failed to make me laugh even during those dark days. I've lost loved ones and watching the monologues where Craig eulogized his parents did provide an element of comfort. I'd never have thought I'd find that during a late night TV show. For that reason, I do take slight exception to NPR's closing words, that The Late Late Show was "a noble experiment which never quite lived up to its potential." Can you really call something that connected with people a failure? I've been watching the show since 2008. I watched because I liked Craig and I enjoyed hearing his take on things. I didn't watch for the guests, but along the way I discovered authors, musicians, and actors that I wouldn't have found on my own. It feels silly to say I'll miss the presence in my life of a man I've never met, but I will - and it all goes back to that authenticity. It's such a rarity in a culture littered with reality shows and Kardashians, that when you find that authenticity, it has to be treasured. What Craig managed to do during his tenure on The Late Late Show was truly special and I hope I'm wrong, but I don't know if that can be recreated. On the bright side, perhaps he'll top himself in his next venture. I'm excited to see what he has planned next because he has a keen mind. He's empathetic, intelligent and genuinely curious, and hopefully he has a chance - like possibilities said above - to really mine those depths in a different venue. But come next Monday at 12:37 am, I'll be sulking. I expect that pattern to repeat every weekday for the next month or so. Celebrity Name Game may pay the bills, but it won't fill the hole left by The Late Late Show. Until he truly reemerges, I'll simply bid Craig adieu.

We didn't do that. It definitely wasn't five minutes. Now Craig's standing ovation...

I just left the taping of the last show. I'm so sad, guys.

Craig's show has always been criminally underrated. I've watched very few episodes of The Colbert Report, and I don't say that to take away from what Stephen has done because he's produced some great material. It's just never been my cup of tea but I'm actually quite excited to see what he does with The Late Show. He deserves the accolades. Craig deserves recognition for what he's done too - much, much more than he's currently receiving. I miss those monologues too! Craig's new show is rumored to be a 30 minute show. Given the time constraints, I doubt we'll ever see anything like those monologues again. And everything that Larry King mentioned in that lovely poem? Yeah, I doubt we'll see that either. That makes me very sad.

I didn't think it was too bad. It seemed on par with his other interviews with Kunal, but I doubt the intelligence of whoever thinks Kunal will be a good guest host. I watched a few episodes today so I don't remember if it was the interview with Sarah Chalke or Rasheda Jones, but Craig alluded that it wouldn't be the last time they would speak in this context. Perhaps Craig is contractually obliged to not say anything, but given the reports, I really think he'll be hosting some type of talk show sooner rather than later.

The joke during Monday night's monologue about the death of the creator of the video game followed by the PacMan death sound had me rolling. It's hard to believe that Craig's tenure on the LLS is almost finished. His show has become a weird part of my daily routine and it will be odd to not have that there. Although I've not seen this topic discussed, I'm assuming that this will end Peter Lasalle's involvement in late night TV. It's truly the end of an era.

Agreed. I've literally been waiting years for that David Tennant interview. It was still too short for my liking but considering the guest lineup I'm glad Craig gave both guests as much time as he could.

It was originally scheduled for December 19 but they changed the day of the taping of the final show to December 18. They'll be taping two shows on the 18th.

This. So much this. And I managed to snag tickets to this taping so I'm a bit irked right now.

Last night's episode with Joel McHale epitomized what I love - and what I'll miss most - about this crazy show. A great guest, a discussion that ranged from the insane to the sincere, an audience that was having fun with Craig, a sassy Michael, the Secretariat dance, and some property destruction. This one will be staying on my DVR for as long as that box is in my possessions.

Yeah, I've noticed that Craig's accent does become more pronounced when he's talking with someone from the Old Country.

Finally! I didn't think it was ever going to happen but David Tennant is going to be on the show on Wednesday, November 6. It makes this Whovian very happy.

Except it's been promised that the ending of Gracepoint will not be the same as Broadchurch so apart from some well-informed speculation, you sadly won't find out whodunit in this thread. We're all on the same page you are.

I'm very curious to see if Gracepoint will diverge from Broadchurch on this point. I feel like Fox would deem this particular storyline too heavy for American network TV. I'd like to be surprised.

So I didn't watch the season 6 finale and it sounds like I can wait a while to watch this episode. Besides, there are other shows on my DVR that, you know, don't suck. And it pains me to write that because I really want to like the show but it's a shell of its former self and it's been that way for quite a while. I was hoping for a miraculous turn-around, but alas...

Nope, not in recent shows. He's commented about it in the past but his response has always been that he doesn't does live there anymore so he's not going to make his opinion public.

According to Deadline, Craig will be on "Late Night with Seth Meyers" tonight. http://deadline.com/2014/09/craig-ferguson-seth-meyers-late-night-with-seth-meyers-nbc-cbs-835019/

(Mods, hope you don't mind this thread being started so we have somewhere to talk about this until the show has its own forum.) So, who's watching? My curiosity is piqued but my expectations are low because IMHO, Craig Ferguson is irreplaceable.

My biggest concern is Gracepoint being trounced in the ratings. Its first few episodes are against Thursday Night Football on CBS. If there's one thing that Americans like to watch more than murder-mystery shows, it's football.

I've seen the original and I plan on watching Gracepoint. I'm confident that I'm not alone in this either - and that we'll be treated to more than just a few new scenes. It bears repeating that most TV viewers in the US haven't seen Broadchurch so they'll have no original to which they can compare it. I'm genuinely curious about what constitutes enough "original thought" to entice someone who's seen Broadchurch to watch Gracepoint. Those who appear to be complaining loudest about the remake have obviously seen Broadchurch. If they know about Gracepoint then I'm going to make the generous assumption that they're aware that per FOX, the first two or three episodes will be extremely similar to the source material because they need to set forth the major premises for the rest of the series. After that the plot will begin to deviate and take its own path to the conclusion. Plus, you have different actors that will bring a different dynamic to the characters and their interactions. It's set in a different country. (By the way, the seascape area around Victoria is gorgeous and I'm quite excited to see it on TV.) Even if the differences aren't drastic enough for someone who has seen the original, they're still differences which means the entirety of Gracepoint will not be a shot-for-shot remake of the original.

I've watched Broadchurch multiple times and I still enjoy each viewing, so even if the entirety of Gracepoint is a frame-by-frame remake - which it's not - I'll still watch it. Broadchurch struck me as a character study rather than a murder mystery. I didn't find the "whodunit" aspect as engaging as how the characters interacted and reacted to the circumstances. I expect Gracepoint to be much the same. However, with different actors and plot variations - however slight they might be - the final product is going to be different. The cast has me especially excited. I'm curious to see the changes David Tennant bring to his character and I can't wait to see what Anna Gunn and Nick Nolte do with their roles. While the overall difference probably won't be drastic it's still going to be different and, IMHO, worth watching even if you've seen and enjoyed Broadchurch. That being said, Broadchurch hardly received any exposure outside of those who actually pay attention to these sorts of things. It's not on Netflix or Amazon Prime. It aired on BBC America in the US and they edited important scenes out of the show to make room for commercials. (Idiots.) Even though the broadcast networks have been floundering in the quality of their shows, the exposure they can give Gracepoint can easily eclipse BBC America's efforts with Broadchurch. I can understand why FOX decided to remake Broadchurch. It's an unfortunate truth that although Broadchurch was amazing and worth watching, hardly anyone on this side of the pond saw it. And as an American it pains me to admit that yes, the accents are a barrier for some viewers. While it's too early to know if Gracepoint will be as good as Broadchurch, if you've never seen the original then I think there's a fair chance that you might like Gracepoint because you won't know what you've missed.

On several occasions - and, if I remember correctly, in his autobiography - he's said he considers himself an autodidact. I get the impression he was one of those intelligent kids that wasn't challenged by the curriculum and found other pursuits more engaging (if you get my drift). Craig seems to be naturally curious and that's probably a benefit when conducting an interview. I was watching Chris Hardwick interviewed on Fallon a few weeks ago and I was so bored by the rigidity of the interview. Fallon is great with the games and skits but compared to Craig, his interview skills are sorely lacking. Once Craig leaves the LLS** I don't think there will be anyone left in late night who will be able to pull off a truly engaging interview. ** Dave is halfway out the door anyway so I'm not including him in this statement.