Ok, so I know the topic of late night talk shows is about as
relevant as the width of men's neckties in the grand scheme of things but I
have something of an investment so bear with me.
I haven't had pay TV for about 2 years now which means my
choices for non-interactive visual media are fairly limited. Yes I know, there's YouTube, XBMC, Hulu and
Twitch to name a few but to me those are very solitary experiences.
There's great content to be had but all of
those options are to me more like checking a book out of a library than going
to a movie. I just like the idea that
I'm watching the same thing at the same time as a lot of other people. A shared experience.
So I'm weird, whatever...
When I had Satellite TV, I could care less about who was
hosting a talk show on CBS. When Conan
O' Brien left for TBS, it was the only show I'd even think about watching. Even then it wasn't a regular thing as he was
at his best back when he was doing late nights at NBC (pre Tonight Show.) At least in my opinion.
As I mentioned earlier, my choices have become a bit more
limited as of late. That means I had to
give broadcast TV another look. At some
point I happened onto CBS' Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. I was an instant fan. Ferguson was plain spoken, irreverent and a
natural entertainer.
What I liked about
him was that he didn't take himself or his show too seriously. It never felt scripted even when he was
forced to interview yet another Hollywood airhead. He had a habit of tearing up note cards
before beginning an interview which was a signal that this was not going to be
the same scripted diatribe you saw on every other talk show. It was like listening in on a conversation
between friends. The celebrities loved it and so did I.
Ferguson had a run of close to 10 years and developed a kind
of cult following not unlike Conan O'Brien.
Late night TV is the purview of those not quite in step with normal
society. Yeah, that means the stoners
and the sub culture types but it also means the 2nd shift worker and the
entrepreneur for whom clocks and sleep are a damned inconvenience.
To see the difference in audiences just watch a few of
Ferguson's reruns on YouTube then watch one of the early morning news/chat
shows like the Today Show. Those giggly,
empty talking heads drive me insane but that's what the cheery 9 to 5 types
demand.
I most unequivocally do not... I hate morning people. If you're the type that thinks 9PM is late
then you should either be writing sermons or milking cows for a living.
Think I'm wrong? Then think about this. Technology didn't advance much till the 20th
century, know why? The damned light bulb that's why! Without night people, you day people would
inherit a world in flames!
But as always, I digress...
In short Ferguson was our kind of people. Funny, direct and entertaining without
pretense
But nothing is forever...
Ferguson decided to end his late night tenure last year with
the final episode of his Late Late show airing on December 19th. There was much speculation as to his
replacement as his run had proven to be the most successful of any show in his
time slot on CBS.
Back in November, America was officially introduced to the new
host of the Late Late show in the person of one James Corden. He made an appearance on David Letterman's Late show which airs in the timeslot
immediately preceding the Late Late show. Letterman's own Worldwide Pants production company was behind both.
When Ferguson left it was announced that Corden's first show
would air on March 23, 2015. The
intervening 3 months found CBS scrambling to find a succession of guest hosts
to fill in. It also meant Letterman's production
company had to continue being on the hook for the filler shows till CBS
officially took over with Corden.
During one of those filler shows, Letterman was interviewed by
guest host Regis Philbin and expressed irritation with the delay saying,
"Where is he? Why are we talking to you?" "There
aren't that many shows. How bad does he want it? Where is he?"
While
Letterman is known for a dry wit, the comment was not made in passing but
rather part of a much longer rant that included, "This guy... where is he? Is he even in this country? Don't you think
that's a question that should be answered - where is the guy? I do."
Work ethic aside, it's doubtful anyone was really waiting
with baited breath for Corden's debut.
His initial appearance on Letterman was uninspiring and yawn inducing at
best.
Anyone would be nervous in his
position but Corden seemed more interested in his personal life than his new
gig. At the time I remember commenting
that as nice a guy as he may be, he was the wrong choice. It seems that CBS believes the formula for
success is nothing more than a funny accent from somewhere in the British Isles
and a fancy set.
So that's the backstory and for the next week I'm going to
be doing short reviews of the new Late Late Show every day. I'm going to give the kid a chance but I'm
not holding out much hope.
