So what does everyone think about his:

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/new...late-show.html

Personally I think it’s either genius or a disaster. I admire CBS for thinking out the box, and maybe it’ll pay off for them.

They did it 10 years ago when they hired Craig Ferguson as the host of The Late Late Show and that worked out very well for them. They obviously like having someone British in their 12:30am slot as its well know they were in talks to hire John Oliver as host too before he declined and went to HBO. James Corden would also be the youngest off all the late night hosts (at 35 years old) so he may help them achieve that younger demo they currently fail at too.

As for James Corden himself, it would mean he will have to quit almost all other projects and opportunities to focus on The Late Late Show, but if the result is him becoming a big star in the US its probably worth it. It’s almost certain a UK broadcaster would pick up the rights too.

All this is assuming the news is true of course, there’s been no announcement from CBS or James Corden yet.

I was a bit bemused reading this as well. Craig is very, very personable on the show and you can tell the guests relax almost immediately when they come out. I do think it helps that he's basically given free reign to do whatever he wants on the show as well - what other chatshow would have the host bring his own sister out as a guest ?

It's just something I can't really picture Corden fitting in with. I may well be wrong, partially because I don't find him particularly funny, but I just don't think he's chat show material.

Yes, please keep him over there so I never have to see his annoying face or hear that stupid laugh ever again. Let the Yanks suffer now. We've been though enough.

You are completely right, Ferguson has had almost complete creative freedom during his time on The Late Late Show. I suspect that is in part due to the fact that CBS pretty much gave over full control of the 12:30am slot to World Wide Pants to keep David Letterman happy at 11:30pm. And then World Wide Pants appear to have just let Ferguson do what he likes. When recently asked if Ferguson speaks to Letterman regularly he said that he thinks all of his conversations with Dave can be seen on YouTube.
Over on the other side NBC have always been very controlling of their 12:30am equivalent, that goes for Conan, Fallon and Myers (who have all been up against Ferguson at some point). NBC would never have allowed their 12:30am show to have a gay robot skeleton as a sidekick and a pantomime horse that dances with the host after every commercial break!

But what with World Wide Pants leaving the picture I think there will be big format changes at CBS, both at 11:30pm and 12:30am.

If this news is true I don’t see James Corden taking over Craig Ferguson’s Late Late Show, it’ll be a brand new Late Late Show with a very different look and feel.

Actually, the Late Late Show hasn't been too great over the last few years. Craig has looked less and less interested long before now.

I think Corden gets some unfair stick in the UK. His Broadway performances have been pretty amazing going on US reviews.

He doesn't have Craig's wit but as I say Craig has been off form for a long time anyway, so the transition might not be too bad. He may surprise a few people.

I'm surprised Corden would want to commit to this sort of show especially as he has an already busy career, he's supposedly doing a Broadway revival of A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Forum which cannot now happen if he does The Late Late Show.

Can`t see it working but let`s hope it does just leaving him enough time to do more "The Wrong Mans" and bugger all else!

Craig Ferguson is quite honest about being bored with doing the show now. He actually told CBS he intended to quit a couple of years ago but they convinced him to stay for a bit longer, giving him more money and a bigger studio.
Having said that, he’s probably still the most original late night host on television right now. Maybe not the best, but certainly the most original.

He’s actually a very interesting person, I’d really recommend his autobiography, an incredible life story to date.
But what’s interesting about him is that he’s not a talk show host, that’s just the job he’s being doing for the past 10 years. He’s got a history of being in a punk band (with Peter Capaldi none the less), television acting, movie acting, stand up, writing screenplays and books, directing, producing, and soon to be game show host from next month. This is quite unusual amongst his peers who are all solely talk show hosts – Conan, Fallon, Letterman etc.

And when you consider that, James Corden might actually be a fitting replacement, if he’s any good that is.

In case anyone hasn't seen it, Craig talks to his old band-mate

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5zhExXiL8A

Can't Corden just stick to acting? He's good at that.

I really hope he has Peter Capaldi back on before he leaves the show in December. Not only are they great together - they both have a 'how did we get from doing acid together in Glasgow in the 80s to doing what we do now' vibe, but also Ferguson is a massive Doctor Who fan so it would be a great final interview together.

I would prefer he stick to eating, preferably in a private space with no TV cameras present, for many many years if at all possible.

Thank god I don't watch this show because him hosting it would put me off for life.

James Corden seems perfectly likeable whenever I see him speak. Would be an interesting choice and I actually think it could work.

But I still don't see it happening. Surely it would mean giving up a lot of the other stuff he does?

Nearly every character he plays is like Smithy from Gavin and stacey. He has a lack of range and his "comedic flare" is forced. He is much better in the theatre though.

The article says it hasn't been confirmed by either side so I assume it's just a rumour so far?


I've only watched a handful of Ferguson's shows fully and caught more individual interviews on Youtube but it did seem like a fun show.

One I watched was with Stephen Fry when they had no audience as Ferguson wanted to remind the viewers that there could be a proper interview & chat without gimmicks and audience whooping every 10 seconds.




I don't mind Corden too much but sometimes he is OTT. He seems to have many celeb friends but most are Brit stars who would know of him and that's a way he can be seen to be pally with them.

Not sure how that style would work with major US stars.


Ferguson can't have been well known, or known at all when he started out in the role.

[quote=degsyhufc;74107880]The article says it hasn't been confirmed by either side so I assume it's just a rumour so far?


I've only watched a handful of Ferguson's shows fully and caught more individual interviews on Youtube but it did seem like a fun show.

One I watched was with Stephen Fry when they had no audience as Ferguson wanted to remind the viewers that there could be a proper interview & chat without gimmicks and audience whooping every 10 seconds.




I don't mind Corden too much but sometimes he is OTT. He seems to have many celeb friends but most are Brit stars who would know of him and that's a way he can be seen to be pally with them.

Not sure how that style would work with major US stars.


Ferguson can't have been well known, or known at all when he started out in the role.[/QUOTE]

On the comedy circuit he was. And had some American tv exposure.

He is a good performer but not a good speaker or improviser. Gavin and Stacy and Two Guv'nors only require him to do what he is told by the director and stick to the script. Horne and Corden Show sucked. Stella is subtly done. I think Ruth Jones has more talent than Corden. Corden is a performer, he's not capable on his own. I fully expect his time to be short and they'll seek a replacement sooner rather than later.

The only reason he is getting the job offer is because Ferguson is P.O'd he was promised the spot that Stephen Colbert got taking over from Letterman. I expect him to go back to doing HBO specials and live tours.

This stinks of "lazy journalist scum" as Lee & Herring used to say.

Craig Ferguson is a British Actor/ Writer/ Comedian who is a success at hosting a late night chat show on US television.

James Cordon is a successful British Actor/ writer/ performer who has recently been on Broadway - therefore James Cordon must be replacing Craig Ferguson.

I'd have thought the money CBS paid him to not employ him might have sweetened that deal...

Betty White is brilliant when she appears on the show. Can't imagine Corden having the same banter with the older Hollywood stars like Ferguson had with the likes of Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke etc

When you have enough money, pride matters more, earnings matter less. See Conan O' Brien/Jay Leno as a precedent.

If his show is as crazy as others are saying, he was stupid to think CBS would just give him the show...

Ugh. What a downgrade.

Yes, Corden would have to give up just about everything else to focus on The Late Late Show, but given the money and worldwide profile he will achieve if he’s a success it might be worth the risk. Having said that, Craig Ferguson still manages to do a lot of other projects and host the show, although I suspect CBS will want Corden to dedicate himself to the show at first at least.


He wasn’t a big name by any means, but he was a co-star on The Drew Carey Show, which was very popular in the US. He was also the lead in a couple of average performing movies. He moved to the US in the early 90s so had slowly been building a bit of a profile for himself. Being chosen as host of The Late Late Show was still somewhat of a surprise though. Prior to moving to the US he was relatively well known in the UK as a comedian, having appeared on the likes of Have I Got News For You, having small roles on One Foot in the Grave and Red Dwarf, and hosting his own BBC comedy series. A lot of people also don’t know he created the ITV series Doc Martin.

There are actually quite a few similarities between a younger Ferguson and today’s Corden.


I think Ferguson has known for a while he wasn’t going to be chosen as Letterman’s replacement.
His programme, and comedy style, have a strong cult following but its not mainstream at all. And CBS have a big problem with NBC’s Jimmy Fallon, he’s absolutely dominating the market so whoever they chose to go up against him at 11:30pm was going to need a more mass appeal than Ferguson.
But I also believe Ferguson is ready to move on. I’ve said it before he doesn’t consider himself a talk show host, that’s just the job he’s been doing for the last 10 years, and if you look at his CV then you’ll see his career has been very varied. Would he have taken the 11:30pm slot if it was offered, maybe, but I think he’s known for a long time that wasn’t going to happen.

He did get a $5-10 million pay out when he wasn’t offered Letterman’s job, but I suspect that was all part of CBS’s plan to keep him on board a little longer when he planned to quit a few years ago. I suspect CBS and Ferguson both knew that pay out was likely to happen and just factored it into consideration when renegotiating his contract.