"Kilborn, you're fired." Craig Ferguson hosts 'The Late Late Show' Monday

[The Penguin]

The trial period is over. After several guests hosts since Craig Kilborn left The Late Late Show he has been replaced by another Craig, Craig Ferguson, who is known to most as Drew's boss, Nigel Wick from The Drew Carey Show. Ferguson's first official night on the job is this Monday at 12:37 a.m. ET following The Late Show with David Letterman. I found a good article about him taking over which is below...

Ferguson accents a larger 'Late Late'
By Bill Keveney, USA TODAY

When Craig Ferguson takes over as host of The Late Late Show on Monday, the initial changes will be more attitudinal than structural.

The CBS talk show (weeknights, 12:37 a.m. ET/PT) will add new theme music and titles, some paint and a few chairs to the cozy studio that Craig Kilborn called home for five years. The larger hope is that Ferguson, the winner of a four-way playoff for the job, can widen the show's appeal beyond the frat-boy demographic cultivated by Kilborn.

"I want the show to be more available," says the native of Glasgow, Scotland. "If I had a criticism before, it would be perhaps it was ... a little exclusive in its feeling."

That could mean a country singer guest one night and punk rockers the next. Or a conversation with a serious writer while chatting up a Victoria's Secret model, says Ferguson, 42, who is known to many as Mr. Wick on The Drew Carey Show.

At the same time, the show won't get so big that it loses its intimate, wee-hour feel, says Rob Burnett of David Letterman's Worldwide Pants Inc., which produces The Late Late Show.

"Kilborn did a terrific job for us. He was a surgical strike. We think Ferguson is probably a broader attack," Burnett says.

Ferguson takes over a show whose guest hosts have averaged 1.8 million viewers this fall, a 4% jump over Kilborn's shows from fall 2003. Producers hope The Late Late Show, which trails NBC's Conan O'Brien (2.4 million) but leads ABC's Jimmy Kimmel (1.7 million), can hold onto more viewers from lead-in Letterman. His show is up 8% in viewers (4.6 million) and is narrowing the gap with Jay Leno.

"It's personality-driven in that time period," says Larry Gerbrandt of consulting firm Alix Partners. "Kilborn had a pretty loyal following. ... The next step is to attract women who are up late."

Ferguson acknowledges that seven tryout shows isn't a lot of experience for the host of a major network show.

"It's a big car to hand someone," he says. "You've got the valet parking guy, and you give him your Lamborghini."

Peter Lassally, who has produced for Johnny Carson and Letterman and is helping Ferguson develop the show, says the new host has important talk-show traits: intelligence, humor and a gift for chat.

"He wants it to be good conversation, and he already proved he can do that," Lassally says.

Ferguson cites Letterman, Carson and Regis Philbin as role models. He also admires Howard Stern for being "frighteningly honest."

To that end, "I'll open up my life a little" and even have his ex-wife, Sascha, on as a guest. They have a young son.

Ferguson doesn't change late-night's image as a white-male club, but he offers one obvious difference: his accent.

"Americans don't all sound the same," says Ferguson, who plans to seek U.S. citizenship when he becomes eligible. "I think in six months' time, this will just be what I sound like, the same way Arnold sounds like Arnold."

 

[Michael24]

Awesome! I first heard it a couple weeks ago. Thank goodness Kilborn's finally gone. Maybe now I'll actually watching THE LATE LATE SHOW. (Though I still miss the old one with Tom Snyder. )

 

[Reed Richards]

(Though I still miss the old one with Tom Snyder. )

I thought I was the only one!!!

this must be what its like...when doves cry

 

[Nin-Nin69]

Took CBS long enough.

A host with actual talent that will give them ratings? About freakin time.

 

[Frank Castle]

Conan will destroy him in the ratings.

 

[Michael24]

I thought I was the only one!!!

this must be what its like...when doves cry

Haha!! Yeah, I really liked the Tom Snyder version. While I loved Jay and Conan's shows, I like Snyder's because it was a little more of an intimate setting, with no audience, no band, no sketches, just Tom and the guest sitting there talking. Kinda like Charlie Rose, except Snyder showed signs of life. I was kinda when he announced his retirement, because I think I'd only been watching for about a year or so. I've still got a copy of the episode with Mark Hamill that I enjoy watching, but unfortunately he was the second guest and was only there for about 10-15 minutes or so.

 

[Reed Richards]

i loved how tom would tell jokes his viewers would send in and talk about his sheep dog.

i actually met Tom and the sheepdog at his house once....was UBER cool. I'm sure he was shocked someone so young was such a big fan

Haha!! Yeah, I really liked the Tom Snyder version. While I loved Jay and Conan's shows, I like Snyder's because it was a little more of an intimate setting, with no audience, no band, no sketches, just Tom and the guest sitting there talking. Kinda like Charlie Rose, except Snyder showed signs of life. I was kinda when he announced his retirement, because I think I'd only been watching for about a year or so. I've still got a copy of the episode with Mark Hamill that I enjoy watching, but unfortunately he was the second guest and was only there for about 10-15 minutes or so.