Kromm August 6, 2014 Share August 6, 2014 I don't know. British pop-culture is awash in American influence. It's unavoidable. If you watch The Graham Norton Show, there's an American (or Americans) on the show each week. I've watched a lot of British reality TV, and it's clear that British people know what's up. It's not sure it's really the same (although it's better than nothing). That's the largish global-oriented pop culture stuff, not the nitty gritty, and the TV and movie cliches. If anyone tried to base a nightly monologue on that, they're at big risk of falling flat on their face. He can maybe get away with Stranger In A Strange Land jokes. And How Annoying Is L.A. Traffic Jokes. And Man Do American Reality Shows suck jokes. But a lot of stuff would have to be spoon fed to him by a writing staff. And the Interview segments with celebs might suffer too. That's where you have to establish common ground with people, and unless its a procession of British actors, you run up against a lot of having to Cue Card the Interviews rather than having spontaneous things in common. I guess I won't say it's impossible, but it's not even close to the same place Oliver and Ferguson are coming from. These guys know American politics. American taste in jokes and the pace of the jokes needed for our audiences. American phrasing is instinctual for the most part for them after years. 1 Link to comment
LJonEarth August 7, 2014 Share August 7, 2014 This is an interesting pick especially after I've heard several celebrities/comics say that even they were tired of the white man in a suit thing. NPR had a whole segment about possible non-white male replacements. But, alas, as with Juan Pablo, the powers that be seem to think that foreign equals minority. Or maybe they didn't even care. We've seen with some of the Americanized British shows (Coupling, Free Agents, etc.), that popularity doesn't always translate. I know of a radio show that brought over a popular British host. It was an utter failure here in the States. Link to comment
Kromm August 7, 2014 Share August 7, 2014 But there's still no confirmation. I'm not sure what that says. I mean if it was total fabrication I'd expect Cordon himself to have made a tweet or something denying it. That said, this could just be a Trial Balloon for CBS to see how people react. Cordon could be under instruction to stay mum, because he's not QUITE got the job yet. Link to comment
nowandlater August 7, 2014 Share August 7, 2014 (edited) But there's still no confirmation. I'm not sure what that says. I mean if it was total fabrication I'd expect Cordon himself to have made a tweet or something denying it. That said, this could just be a Trial Balloon for CBS to see how people react. Cordon could be under instruction to stay mum, because he's not QUITE got the job yet. Frequent TMZ interview subject Les Moonves confirmed last night that Corden is a finalist, but that's all he would say. http://www.tmz.com/2014/08/06/les-moonves-late-late-show-host-james-corden-craig-ferguson-video/ Edited August 7, 2014 by nowandlater Link to comment
Kromm August 7, 2014 Share August 7, 2014 Frequent TMZ interview subject Les Moonves confirmed last night that Corden is a finalist, but that's all he would say. http://www.tmz.com/2014/08/06/les-moonves-late-late-show-host-james-corden-craig-ferguson-video/ So... Trial Balloon indeed. Link to comment
dbrits August 12, 2014 Share August 12, 2014 In light of Robin Williams' untimely passing I've been watching videos of his appearances on the show on YouTube. He was only on the show a handful of times but I always looked forward to his guest spots. The level of insanity was always through the roof and Craig and Robin would egg on each other until they couldn't contain their laughter. It was such a joyous sight. I seriously can't wrap my head around the fact that he's gone. 1 Link to comment
Kromm August 12, 2014 Share August 12, 2014 In light of Robin Williams' untimely passing I've been watching videos of his appearances on the show on YouTube. He was only on the show a handful of times but I always looked forward to his guest spots. The level of insanity was always through the roof and Craig and Robin would egg on each other until they couldn't contain their laughter. It was such a joyous sight. I seriously can't wrap my head around the fact that he's gone. Is Craig shooting new episodes this week? I think Williams would be one of the rare ones he'd eulogize on air. Link to comment
dbrits August 12, 2014 Share August 12, 2014 Is Craig shooting new episodes this week? I think Williams would be one of the rare ones he'd eulogize on air. Sadly, no. They're airing pre-taped shows for most of the month of August but if he was live, I'm sure he'd eulogize Williams. I've watched the last 3 minutes of this clip several times in a row and "Chlamydia, your dad is calling!" has me rolling each time. 3 Link to comment
possibilities August 12, 2014 Share August 12, 2014 Slate did a review of Corden's career: http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2014/08/05/who_is_james_corden_a_primer_on_the_man_who_will_reportedly_replace_craig.html I vote no. 1 Link to comment
Kromm August 13, 2014 Share August 13, 2014 (edited) Slate did a review of Corden's career: http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2014/08/05/who_is_james_corden_a_primer_on_the_man_who_will_reportedly_replace_craig.html I vote no. Nothing wrong with his career. If he was auditioning for a similar show in the UK. I still believe a "foreign" comedian is fine, if they have an actual adequate background in our market and know the subtitles of our culture and references. But he doesn't. He knows what's on our TV shows that play over there, and what's in the movies. That's the tip of the iceberg. I may even personally like what he does, because while I'm not an anglophile per se, I've seen a ton of their TV (where they don't hold back on talking and acting like themselves). Again, in that direction it's not quite the same as living in a place, so I'll never totally get it. But we aren't talking about the acceptance of individuals, but rather of a large amorphous group. As the host, vs. being a viewer, the burden is going to all be on his side to communicate effectively to as large a percentage of his viewing audience as possible. There's no similar burden in the other direction--people will instead just give up and change the channel if they aren't "getting" it. Edited August 13, 2014 by Kromm Link to comment
dbrits August 15, 2014 Share August 15, 2014 It always seems like the show is airing repeats when major news stories break. I'm truly saddened by the loss of Robin Williams and I'm curious to hear what Craig has to say about him - but it's likely we'll never hear anything on the show. Craig has such a beautiful way with words and I know he'd do Robin justice. 3 Link to comment
nowandlater August 15, 2014 Share August 15, 2014 Congrats, Craig!! http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/craig-ferguson-in-final-negotiations-with-tribune-for-7-p-m-syndicated-talkshow-exclusive-1201283991/ 1 Link to comment
Kromm August 16, 2014 Share August 16, 2014 Congrats, Craig!! http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/craig-ferguson-in-final-negotiations-with-tribune-for-7-p-m-syndicated-talkshow-exclusive-1201283991/ 7pm is a tough time though. And Syndicated? That can be a mess too. He'd be going against stuff like Jeopardy and the Entertainment news shows. Link to comment
dbrits August 16, 2014 Share August 16, 2014 (edited) Congrats, Craig!! http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/craig-ferguson-in-final-negotiations-with-tribune-for-7-p-m-syndicated-talkshow-exclusive-1201283991/ I'll be damned. This is a surprising development. In the recent Larry King Now interview he said he didn't want to immediately do a talk show after the LLS but he'd be open to the idea at some point down the road. I guess that was sooner rather than later. I do hope it works for him because I agree with Kromm. Syndication is tough. I like the idea of a 30 minutes show though. After commercials it's a 22 minutes show which will force him to focus. I'd like to see that. Plus, he'd have to clean up his act. I don't have a problem with his humor as it is now but I think it may force him to get creative and rely less on the bleeping flags. Do you think this time spot comes with less scrutiny than a late night show? I think it might and that might be to Craig's benefit. Edited August 16, 2014 by dbrits Link to comment
Brattinella August 16, 2014 Share August 16, 2014 We never miss Craig's show, and don't watch any other talk show. I was thinking the other night, WHO in the hell could replace him? And the only one I could even partially imagine as his replacement would be Robin Williams. Link to comment
opus August 16, 2014 Share August 16, 2014 Craig Kilborn had a 7pm syndicated half hour talk show a few years ago. Didn't last long. Link to comment
dbrits August 16, 2014 Share August 16, 2014 Craig Kilborn had a 7pm syndicated half hour talk show a few years ago. Didn't last long. I remember this. I'm on my mobile (and don't have the best reception at the moment) otherwise I'd check but I vaguely recall Kilborn's show being aired in very few markets. It sounds like Craig may have more markets so he'd have an advantage right out of the gate... Link to comment
opus August 16, 2014 Share August 16, 2014 I remember this. I'm on my mobile (and don't have the best reception at the moment) otherwise I'd check but I vaguely recall Kilborn's show being aired in very few markets. It sounds like Craig may have more markets so he'd have an advantage right out of the gate... Correct. IMDB has some decent info. For six weeks The Kilborn File ran on 7 FOX owned stations . (I happened to have access to one of them). Link to comment
nowandlater August 16, 2014 Share August 16, 2014 Craig Kilborn had a 7pm syndicated half hour talk show a few years ago. Didn't last long. But.... I doubt Craig Kilborn had any devoted following. He had nowhere near the viewer loyalty of Ferguson. Link to comment
Kromm August 16, 2014 Share August 16, 2014 But.... I doubt Craig Kilborn had any devoted following. He had nowhere near the viewer loyalty of Ferguson. As much as people love Craig Ferguson, in absolute numbers it's not really that many people. If every last one of them magically followed to 7PM (unlikely), it would still be a low number for that time period, I believe. Link to comment
alynch August 16, 2014 Share August 16, 2014 (edited) It does kind of make harder to believe his claim that not getting the Letterman gig had nothing to do with his departure from CBS. He had been insisting that he was already planning on leaving anyway and that he was ready to do something else. So the "something else" was another talk show in the same studio making use of the same talent and crew? Edited August 16, 2014 by alynch 1 Link to comment
Julia August 16, 2014 Share August 16, 2014 I can sort of buy it. In syndication, he can have ownership points, he makes his own hours, and he gets to tape at a reasonable hour and spend some time with his family while he's still getting to do a job he clearly enjoys. The out clause in his contract just gave him an opportunity to do it while he's still got following David Letterman numbers instead of the unknown numbers of following a replacement. 1 Link to comment
halopub August 16, 2014 Share August 16, 2014 Craig Kilborn had a 7pm syndicated half hour talk show a few years ago. Didn't last long. This potential deal with Tribune sounds like a full rollout - not a half-hearted, low budget summer test on a handful of Fox stations. Plus, after that many years off - those same old segments like Five Questions just felt so tired. Christine Lakin, though, was a pleasant surprise as his sidekick. It does kind of make harder to believe his claim that not getting the Letterman gig had nothing to do with his departure from CBS. He had been insisting that he was already planning on leaving anyway and that he was ready to do something else. So the "something else" was another talk show in the same studio making use of the same talent and crew? Even if he keeps Geoff, Secretariat and Michael, the new talk show would have to change a lot of its tone - if only because we read so much innuendo into everything he says. Link to comment
Julia August 16, 2014 Share August 16, 2014 This potential deal with Tribune sounds like a full rollout - not a half-hearted, low budget summer test on a handful of Fox stations. Plus, after that many years off - those same old segments like Five Questions just felt so tired. Christine Lakin, though, was a pleasant surprise as his sidekick. And besides, Craig Kilborne. He had a basic cable show which much of his potential broadcast audience had probably never seen. Probably the only thing most of them knew about him was that he was a boor. It's not quite the same situation... Link to comment
opus August 16, 2014 Share August 16, 2014 (edited) And besides, Craig Kilborne. He had a basic cable show which much of his potential broadcast audience had probably never seen. Probably the only thing most of them knew about him was that he was a boor. It's not quite the same situation... I think you may need to do a bit more research on Craig Kilborn's career. Edited August 16, 2014 by GaryE Link to comment
Julia August 17, 2014 Share August 17, 2014 I think you may need to do a bit more research on Craig Kilborn's career. And yet, I'm a fairly avid TV watcher. Which suggests to me that perhaps someone I have to do research on is not someone who was likely to be familiar to a broad audience, other than for his highly-publicized boorishness :) 1 Link to comment
opus August 17, 2014 Share August 17, 2014 (edited) My point was that Craig Kilborn hosted the Late Late Show on CBS for the five years before Craig Ferguson. In your 5:38 post you seemed not to know that. I could have misread it. Edited August 17, 2014 by GaryE Link to comment
aradia22 August 17, 2014 Share August 17, 2014 I have a passing familiarity with British quiz shows. Most of NMTB starting with the Simon Amstell run, a fair bit of QI, The Big Fat Quiz Show of the Year, etc. etc. Basically, whatever I enjoy that's easily accessible on youtube. So I've seen Cordon, just never as an actor. I wonder if his role in Into the Woods is factoring into the decision at all. From what I've seen on him, his style isn't distinct enough or sharp enough to host a talk show. Colbert, Stewart, Ferguson, Amstell, Fry. These are guys who are quick on their feet and who know how to keep things flowing. Cordon seems like he might get overtaken by his guests' personalities. So more like Leno or Fallon. Link to comment
ApathyMonger August 17, 2014 Share August 17, 2014 (edited) I have a passing familiarity with British quiz shows. Most of NMTB starting with the Simon Amstell run, a fair bit of QI, The Big Fat Quiz Show of the Year, etc. etc. Basically, whatever I enjoy that's easily accessible on youtube. So I've seen Cordon, just never as an actor. Corden's been in a few good shows/movies. The Wrong Mans, on Hulu, was a lot of fun. The History Boys was decent too, and I like his Doctor Who episodes. He does host his own UK panel show, A League of Their Own, but I've never seen it. Edited August 17, 2014 by ApathyMonger Link to comment
opus August 17, 2014 Share August 17, 2014 Quick Craig interview: http://theinterrobang.com/craig-ferguson-pleads-ignorance-james-corden/ Link to comment
dbrits August 17, 2014 Share August 17, 2014 (edited) Quick Craig interview: http://theinterrobang.com/craig-ferguson-pleads-ignorance-james-corden/ That was unfair of ET. Craig's statement was taken completely out of context. The host states, "[Craig] admitted he has absolutely no idea who James Corden is." Cut to Craig saying, "I don't know anything about it." Craig never said he doesn't know who Corden is, but that he simply doesn't know anything about the rumors that Corden will replace him. We're not all idiots, ET. Some of us can actually comprehend the English language. My only exposure to Corden has been in acting roles, but even that's been limited with Doctor Who and The History Boys being the only two things I've seen with him in it. (I've heard great things about Gavin & Stacey though and I've been meaning to check it out.) He seems funny enough but I know he's had some success on Broadway which is why I'm surprised he'd want to host a US talk show. That just seems like an odd way to break into the US market. Edited August 17, 2014 by dbrits Link to comment
nowandlater August 19, 2014 Share August 19, 2014 I seriously have been waiting all week for Ferguson to weigh in on Ferguson. (It must suck hearing your name repeated in such a negative light.) 1 Link to comment
Kromm August 19, 2014 Share August 19, 2014 I've been waiting for that too (and wondering what he's been thinking). Link to comment
AmandaPanda August 20, 2014 Share August 20, 2014 Hi everyone! Since this thread was starting to become more of a Craig-centric thread rather than just the news about him stepping down and his new replacement, I just merged the "Craig stepping down as host" thread with the general discussion of Craig thread. Go forth and talk about our favorite Scottish late night host to your heart's content! Link to comment
AmandaPanda August 21, 2014 Share August 21, 2014 There was another thread that got merged with this one that had a spoiler tag on it. Link to comment
Kris117 August 22, 2014 Share August 22, 2014 I love watching Craig dance between segments, so I really loved this clip of Craig and Robin Williams dancing to "Oops, I Did It Again," by Britney. It also has two other guys I recognize from some of the musical show openings. I do enjoy his interviews with writers or other non-actors. He often brings up that he never finished school, but he has a grasp of philosophy that is beyond what I learned in Philosophy 101, so he must have sought that out on his own. 1 Link to comment
dbrits August 22, 2014 Share August 22, 2014 I do enjoy his interviews with writers or other non-actors. He often brings up that he never finished school, but he has a grasp of philosophy that is beyond what I learned in Philosophy 101, so he must have sought that out on his own.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. 1 Link to comment
opus September 1, 2014 Share September 1, 2014 (edited) My onscreen guide says Craig is new tonight (US Labor day!) Is that talk about Robin Williams new, or taped in July but not shown yet new? Guess I'll find out eventually. Edit--New new, and no RW mention. Edited September 2, 2014 by GaryE Link to comment
dbrits September 8, 2014 Share September 8, 2014 (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.) It’s Official: James Corden To Replace Craig Ferguson On CBS’ ‘Late Late Show’ CBS finally announced it has cast the relatively unknown (in this country anyway) James Corden to replace Craig Ferguson as host of Late Late Show. The network did not name a date, saying only he would take the reins in 2015, replacing Ferguson, who announced April 28 he would step down in December. http://deadline.com/2014/09/cbs-late-late-show-james-corden-craig-ferguson-replacement-830831/ So, who's watching? My curiosity is piqued but my expectations are low because IMHO, Craig Ferguson is irreplaceable. 2 Link to comment
jjj September 8, 2014 Share September 8, 2014 I'm sure I should know who this is, and I've probably seen Corden in something, but I have no idea who he is. Craig is unique and brilliant, and I'd be surprised to find myself watching anyone else after he departs. Please come back somewhere, Craig! I had not know the rumored shabby treatment of Craig until I read one of the articles linked in the article above. The comments were quite interesting. Link to comment
dcalley September 8, 2014 Share September 8, 2014 I thought this was a done deal a month ago and was surprised no one was talking about it here. The Wrong Mans has been on my hulu queue for a while now, but I haven't watched it. I saw the first season of Gavin and Stacey but haven't gone on to the second one. Link to comment
nowandlater September 8, 2014 Share September 8, 2014 I thought this was a done deal a month ago and was surprised no one was talking about it here. The Wrong Mans has been on my hulu queue for a while now, but I haven't watched it. I saw the first season of Gavin and Stacey but haven't gone on to the second one. It was reported a month ago, and Les Moonves said he was one of the people in the running. Today, it's official. Link to comment
halopub September 8, 2014 Share September 8, 2014 Officially more sleep for me! dcalley, Corden was discussed a bit in the Craig thread. There are some folks who know him from his sitcom or his successful theater run. Or his polarizing appearances on panel shows. I dug the discussion over his likely superficial understanding of Americana and whether he'll be able to establish a natural rapport with both audiences and his guests. Certainly Corden would not have the benefit of having spent years among us like Jon Oliver or Craig, as Kromm pointed out. I personally can't stand his fratboy, kiss-ass tendencies as a talk show/awards host in the past and would much prefer that he stay on his side of the pond. In the UK media, at least, it doesn't seem like he's nearly as disliked as "personalities" like Piers Morgan, but he does make the occasional 'worst comedian' lists for his low-brow schtick. This is not a guy known for delighting bookish nerds like me. That said, I do hope having a kid has made him more likeable and that he's grabbing this as a chance to raise his family away from the London party scene and the intense scrutiny of their media. I don't envy his rise to fame with the subsequent backlash, the backlash to the backlash and then the backlash to the backlash to the backlash. Brits, hold on tight to Jack Whitehall for us - it can only help Corden if you remove his influence. Link to comment
Kromm September 8, 2014 Share September 8, 2014 I requested a new forum for Corden, but I also suggested they think about if this current forum is transitioned for Ferguson's new syndicated show, or if Corden takes this forum over (or option three would be to make it a legacy forum when the show ends and make new forums for both Corden's show AND Craig's new show). Anyway, I retain my skepticism in regards to Corden and his total inexperience in the US market. Again, it's not his origin that's the issue, it's his lack of exposure to the little daily aspects of US culture and language. The ones that don't appear in movies and exported TV. I wish him luck though. If there's a new forum made, or a declaration we should continue here in this one, I'll chime in more. Link to comment
nowandlater September 9, 2014 Share September 9, 2014 Brits, hold on tight to Jack Whitehall for us - it can only help Corden if you remove his influence. Holy shit! Jack Whitehall. I'm getting flashbacks of watching awful comedy. Link to comment
Scout Finch September 11, 2014 Share September 11, 2014 He was hilarious in the stage play, One Man, Two Guvnors, which I saw twice. It was at the National Theatre in London but luckily they do hi-def broadcasts to U.S. theatres. In one part he gets into a physical fight with himself! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcJM1Z3Trfo I'll check him out when he takes over but, yeah, there's no one like Craig. ~sniffle~ Link to comment
Kromm September 11, 2014 Share September 11, 2014 He was hilarious in the stage play, One Man, Two Guvnors, which I saw twice. It was at the National Theatre in London but luckily they do hi-def broadcasts to U.S. theatres. In one part he gets into a physical fight with himself! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcJM1Z3Trfo I'll check him out when he takes over but, yeah, there's no one like Craig. ~sniffle~ Entire forum to expand on this, if you want. http://forums.previously.tv/forum/1186-the-late-late-show-with-james-corden/ 1 Link to comment
dbrits September 17, 2014 Share September 17, 2014 (edited) 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/ Edited September 17, 2014 by dbrits Link to comment
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