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The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson - General Discussion

Kaoteek
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dbrits

dbrits

I'm particularly bummed that Colbert's getting, like, a Hero's Farewell in the media, whereas Craig seems mostly ignored. I spent all of last Saturday watching LLS clips on YouTube. I'll really miss this show. I've made it a point to try to catch all of Craig's and Steven's shows the last two weeks.

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.

Larry King read a particularly sweet poem to Craig last night. That was so nice. Larry kept badgering him to talk about his new talk show gig, but it seems that Craig is legally tongue-tied.

I miss those monologues he used to do, where he'd get out there and talk about a single subject for like 10 minutes. Funny and educational at the same time.

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.
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Irlandesa
Irlandesa

Because it perfectly encapsulated this show's spirit.  I don't want to compare Colbert's send off to Craig's---but I'm gonna.  Colbert's musical moment had an impressive in-studio crowd but it didn't

alynch
alynch

Yeah, that opening was indisputably great. I'm also really glad I got to watch it live. People who watch this stuff in bite chunks later will have no idea how amazing it was to transition straight fro

christinama
christinama

I know why I cried.  I had the one of the longest, not-quite-but-almost-soul-crushing days yesterday.  Not to mention the Christmas season is stressful.  I missed Colbert's ending live so wanted to ma

Kromm

Kromm

I keep hoping he'll do it one last time for nostalgia's sake, but he's not really the sentimental or self-congratulatory type, it seems.

No, but he's not a total stranger to fan service.  So it's possible, I guess.

 

It would be cool in a way if his very last "scene" on the show was a big blowout musical number with the puppets.

Well, also Secretariat and Geoff would likely be in that too, and he could stick in cameos from some of his big reoccurring guests (although Kristen Bell would have to be pre-taped, given how hugely preggers she is).

Kromm

Kromm

(edited)

Craig has definitely been alluding to his "new gig" over the last few weeks. Why does it seem to take so long to turn around these shows? 

With the network shows the long lead time makes sense.  Logistically there's a lot of planning, but the big thing is that they're typically heading into newly renovated studios, and those jobs appear to be months long and many millions of dollars.  

Edited by Kromm
dcalley

dcalley

I'm particularly bummed that Colbert's getting, like, a Hero's Farewell in the media, whereas Craig seems mostly ignored.

Yeah, I saw Colbert at the top of the USA Today site (I only visit it on my slow, old iPod, I swear!) and felt bad about Craig being ignored. I think part of it is that Colbert's moving up, to a known spot of high prominence, and Craig's...not. Most people probably think he was fired, and he can't talk about his next gig. Also there's the intrigue of Colbert shedding his character.

 

Did anything notable happen during last night's "What did we learn on the show tonight, Craig?" I switched away and missed it, though I saw that James had come back.

 

Did Craig's hair get less drastic since Monday or have I just gotten used to it?

possibilities

possibilities

I loved that interview with Desmond Tutu. If Craig's inspiration to move on is based on chasing a dream even in the neighborhood of that kind of thing, I'm thrilled he's going, and will be sure to keep up with the news on whatever the new show turns out to be. Honestly, whenever he gets serious, he's very interesting and thoughtful-- but in a way that is very accessible, and doesn't veer into ivory tower land. His sincerity after (during) the Charlie Sheen meltdown, and at other times when he would do a monologue about Kierkegaard for godsake, showed that in addition to the silliness and boundary-pushing profanity, there's another side to him that for some reason he didn't feel all that able to express on TLLS. I'm curious to see if he brings that to his new endeavors, or if he somehow integrates both sensibilities, or if he chooses to just replicate the familiar sensibility of TLLS, just in a different studio. It seems like he used to do much more with TLLS, too-- skits, and videos and so on-- and either he burned out or the network cut the budget, but it's felt to me for a while that the show has not been at its peak creativity,  and he needs, at least, a break to get a fresh perspective.

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Kromm

Kromm

(edited)

I'm particularly bummed that Colbert's getting, like, a Hero's Farewell in the media, whereas Craig seems mostly ignored.

Even as Craig fans (maybe especially as such), why should we expect otherwise?  That's the inherent story of 12:30 on a broadcast network.  If Conan, heck even Letterman, had quietly gone into the goodnight (or onto probable syndication two years later) rather than into 11:30 network spots, then they might have been ignored by the press too.  And it's not like Craig is pandering for attention.  He's constructed his leavetaking as fairly quiet.

 

Take the flipside: Is Corden's ARRIVAL getting that much attention?  It doesn't seem so. Sure he's doing the talk show rounds now promoting himself (or rather promoting Into The Woods).  But overall the media isn't jumping on top of his half of the story either.

 

EDIT - Annnnnnnnd.... NPR on this VERY issue (Colbert's storm of attention and Ferguson's quiet exit).

 

http://www.npr.org/2014/12/18/371552307/boundary-pushing-late-night-hosts-move-on-colbert-up-ferguson-out

Edited by Kromm
dbrits

dbrits

(edited)

Interesting how each show has different ways of doing their finale.

 

Colbert was totally secretive and a total surprise.

 

Ferguson was taped in advanced, allowed media to watch, posted many clips of the finale on YouTube before airing.

 

Perhaps because it's a Friday?

 

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.

Edited by dbrits
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Mabdul Doobakus

Mabdul Doobakus

Been watching fairly religiously since 2009, and decided I would actually watch the show live tonight for once.  It's about one minute until show time.  I'll miss the show for sure, but there's a small part of me that won't mind having an extra 3-4 hours per week.  I don't think I'll ever watch another late night show like I watched this one.

buttersister

buttersister

(edited)

I've missed the long, thoughtful, smart  and funny Craig monologues from the way-back. I lost a lot of interest around the time the robot showed up--not sure who it was aimed at, but it wasn't me and it changed what I liked most about the show. Good luck, Craig--thanks for the desk Tardis and for not interviewing the usual guests about the usual plugola. And for those monologues.

 

And I really don't like watching Leno. (Unless this turns into some bitterfest.)

Edited by buttersister
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alynch

alynch

(edited)

So according to the Deadline article, the line that got bleeped out while they were doing the "Bill Cosby Fly" bit was "Try this drink." Why they hell would they bleep that out? It contains no cursing, and it's certainly not libelous. As best as I can tell, they censored based solely on subject matter. I'm legitimately kind of pissed off about this because it seems to illustrate a rather heinous double standard.

 

I'm also kind of bummed that they made no mention of Peter Lassally. The guy's a legend, and I'm guessing he's done with TV after this.

 

Aside from that it was a pretty terrific finale, give or take a Leno.

Edited by alynch
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Kromm

Kromm

A big blowout musical number with all the puppets would be SO terrific!

 

God, I'm gonna miss him so much.

Theme for tonight: ask & ye shall receive.

 

I honestly had no foreknowledge/spoiler that this was coming.  It just made sense to me that it SHOULD.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPPxMSmt55w

Clearly the bits included here have been taped over the past few weeks as each celeb did their farewell appearance.  So I'm sure lots of people knew about this.  I just wasn't one of them (plus even if the guest appearances were obvious from rumors, the use of the puppets wouldn't have been).

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Irlandesa

Irlandesa

I hadn't seen any clips so the opening made me cry.  Not sure why.  

Because it perfectly encapsulated this show's spirit.  I don't want to compare Colbert's send off to Craig's---but I'm gonna.  Colbert's musical moment had an impressive in-studio crowd but it didn't really get to me other than making me try to figure out who was all there.  Craig's, on the other hand, brought back a lot of nostalgia from the great actors/comics who did recurring bits, to some of his best guests and, most importantly, the characters who played a big role in his lip syncing openings. 

 

Then it came live with a lot of energy. It was just fantastic and uplifting in the way that only this show really did it.  And that is why I'm going to miss him so much.

 

I didn't even mind Jay Leno.  I liked him a bit "not safe" when he was sharing stories about horrible guests.

 

Even their conversation about making references younger people won't get kind of led to the final bit with Carey and Mr. Wick in bed.  I loved that bit--but then again, I am old enough to remember the ends to Newhart and St. Elsewhere.

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Kromm

Kromm

Aside from that it was a pretty terrific finale, give or take a Leno.

Yeah, it's not like I expect Craig, or even his fanbase, to be inherently bitter against Leno, like so many other fanbases (Letterman base, Conan base, possibly even big parts of the Kimmel fanbase and maybe even some from that suckup Jimmy Fallon's fanbase).  But sticking him on the VERY last show seemed a tiny bit misguided to me.  Last week?  Fine.  Last show?  Not so sure.

 

Since Kristen Bell didn't seem to be reliable as a last guest (I'm assuming because they couldn't know when she'd go into labor), I'd have gone for Shatner, or Betty White, or maybe even David Duchovny (who was Craig's FIRST guest on his first episode).

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stonehaven

stonehaven

(edited)

Leno doesn't bug..and his stand up anecdotes are funnier than anything he ever did on Tonight Show. Craig's show tonight was sentimental and great on so many levels. I have loved him for years but stopped watching as his show seemed to get lazy when the robot came in...I recall he did an interview with 60 Minutes where he said, he get's bored easliy.

 

If his show wasn't my cup of tea in the last few years, it still had great moments and also a great sense of patriotism that is missing. His love for America seemed genuine..and I am so glad he shared his citizenship day with us.

 

I found it odd that David Letterman did NOT mention Craig's last show at all during tonight's "Late Show"..and Craig made NO mention of Letterman on his show....I wonder if they had a falling out years ago.

 

As for what he'll do next..i hope he writes another novel..or even a book of random observations. His biography remains one of the best I have read..and his book "Between the Bridge and The River" is brilliant.

Good luck Craig..and it is indeed, the last time it will be a "great day for America".

Edited by stonehaven
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Kromm

Kromm

(edited)

Overall, even the inclusion of Chin-o was a minor blip at most though.  I do have to admit.

Leno doesn't bug..and his stand up anecdotes are funnier than anything he ever did on Tonight Show. Craig's show tonightwas sentimental and great on so many levels. I have loved him for years but stopped watching as his show seemed to get lazy when the robot came in...

For me it wasn't when the Robot came in.  He did some utterly brilliant material with the Robot.

 

There were just big periods--actually more in the middle than specifically lately OR when the Robot first came on--when he'd rely on the same series of jokes too much (Geoff having a house everywhere, Geoff's gayness, even the accent stuff, as much as I loved that joke).

 

But it was never all bad.  There was never a time when something brilliant might not sneak in.  I actually thought, for example, that when he started using the horse AND the robot both--regularly I mean, it kind of revived the whole thing.  At least for a while.

Actually my favorite stuff with Geoff is when they got guests to interact with him. That never got old, because it didn't happen that much--so when it worked out it then it REALLY worked out.

Edited by Kromm
Lingo

Lingo

I understand the Leno choice: Craig thought he could provide some unique perspectives on retiring as a late-night host (kinda sorta), and showed once again that Craig rises above the gossip and petty grievances of Hollywood.

 

Anyway, I was amused by the final bit -- I was a fan of the Drew Carey show and I remember the ridiculous plotlines in which Craig and Drew were forced to get married.  (And then when I heard the news of him getting the LLS, I was like, "What? That guy??")  But I was kinda hoping to end with another heart-warming segment like the cold open.  That ending just left me feeling incredibly sad!

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NewRadical

NewRadical

I am going to miss this show. However like many others I stopped watching full episodes when the robot came in. Craig always seemed the most real and genuine of the late night shows.

I thought having Jay Leno as a last guest definitely seemed a little odd... maybe even an eff you to cbs/dave but when he said they had been great friends and they discussed being done talk shows, it made sense to me. Kind of like when Amy Poehler and Bill Hader showed up for Seth's last weekend update and said they were there to guide him to the other side.

I am excited to see what Craig does next. Hopefully the robot is property of cbs.

I want that snow globe tho! 

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Lingo

Lingo

I'm gonna miss him.  I haven't seen Celebrity Name Game yet, I don't even know if it plays in my market.  I don't know if his hypothetical new early-evening talk show will play in my market either, and I'm not usually at home at those hours anyway.

 

But he's coming to do stand-up in Philadelphia in February and I hope I can go!

Kromm

Kromm

I will say this about Leno, he was actually pretty entertaining for the most part. The only part where he bugged was towards the end when he thanked Craig for not being "snippy" like some other late night hosts. After all these years, he still considers himself an aggrieved party.

THIS.

It's like he couldn't help sticking that one bit in there. Which is one of the big reasons he will never NOT bug me (why even with a fairly benign appearance like this, you have to focus on him telling a good story or two and forgive/forget what a dipshit he can be otherwise).

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Lingo

Lingo

I am going to miss this show. However like many others I stopped watching full episodes when the robot came in. Craig always seemed the most real and genuine of the late night shows.

I am excited to see what Craig does next. Hopefully the robot is property of cbs.

 

Damnit, I'm a big fan of Geoff Petersen and Josh Robert Thompson and I don't get why he's not getting more love here!

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Kromm

Kromm

I'm gonna miss him.  I haven't seen Celebrity Name Game yet, I don't even know if it plays in my market.  I don't know if his hypothetical new early-evening talk show will play in my market either, and I'm not usually at home at those hours anyway.

CNG started out VERY weak, but did get somewhat better as they got some under their belt.

As far as you being home? Assuming you don't have DVR, isn't that what Internet Streaming is for? I'm sure it's the kind of show that will be streamed. At least if Craig has anything to do with it (I'm convinced he has a huge part in why CBS never aggressively went after the people who have been posting Late Late Show eps on YouTube for YEARS with no consequences).

alynch

alynch

(edited)

Overall, even the inclusion of Chin-o was a minor blip at most though.  I do have to admit.

For me it wasn't when the Robot came in.  He did some utterly brilliant material with the Robot.

 

There were just big periods--actually more in the middle than specifically lately OR when the Robot first came on--when he'd rely on the same series of jokes too much (Geoff having a house everywhere, Geoff's gayness, even the accent stuff, as much as I loved that joke).

 

But it was never all bad.  There was never a time when something brilliant might not sneak in.  I actually thought, for example, that when he started using the horse AND the robot both--regularly I mean, it kind of revived the whole thing.  At least for a while.

Actually my favorite stuff with Geoff is when they got guests to interact with him. That never got old, because it didn't happen that much--so when it worked out it then it REALLY worked out.

 

I've always felt that the stagnation owed a lot to whatever paltry budget increases they got over the years. Once you hire a full-time actor to be the robot and build a brand new set that includes a stable for the horse, you're kind of stuck with them. In the earlier days, he'd trot out recurring gags, get bored with them, and discard them (RIP Waivy).

 

 

At least if Craig has anything to do with it (I'm convinced he has a huge part in why CBS never aggressively went after the people who have been posting Late Late Show eps on YouTube for YEARS with no consequences).

 

I suspect that's more of Worldwide Pants thing than anything. Letterman clips also almost never get pulled.

Edited by alynch
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Kromm

Kromm

Damnit, I'm a big fan of Geoff Petersen and Josh Robert Thompson and I don't get why he's not getting more love here!

I'm a fan too. But as one, if I'm trying to look at why some people seem to hate the character, what seems logical to me is that Craig's usual instinct to move on didn't manifest as clearly with Geoff. Not that I ever expected him to ditch Geoff, and as I said before I think adding the Horse full time helped a lot, but there was a LONG period of time when it was just the same "I have a house in (viewer mail person's home town)" and "Ass mode" jokes, and overuse of the accent bell, and such.
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dbrits

dbrits

(edited)

There were just big periods--actually more in the middle than specifically lately OR when the Robot first came on--when he'd rely on the same series of jokes too much (Geoff having a house everywhere, Geoff's gayness, even the accent stuff, as much as I loved that joke).

But it was never all bad.  There was never a time when something brilliant might not sneak in.

 

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.

Damnit, I'm a big fan of Geoff Petersen and Josh Robert Thompson and I don't get why he's not getting more love here!

 

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.

Edited by dbrits
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Kromm

Kromm

I thought the end was brilliant.  A little Newhart, a little St Elsewhere, a little Sopranos...  just wonderful.

 

So why am I so sad now?

And... here's the clip (if anyone doesn't intend on watching the whole episode and is just curious about the end bit).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPR5CC30qrI

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