SUPPORT THE WORK

GetWiki

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

ABOUT
CONTACT
ARTICLE SUBJECTS
aesthetics  →
being  →
complexity  →
consciousness  →
database  →
enterprise  →
entertainment  →
ethics  →
fiction  →
history  →
information  →
internet  →
knowledge  →
language  →
licensing  →
linux  →
logic  →
mathematics  →
metaphysics  →
method  →
news  →
perception  →
philosophy  →
policy  →
productivity  →
purpose  →
religion  →
science  →
sociology  →
software  →
truth  →
unix  →
wiki  →
ARTICLE TYPES
essay  →
feed  →
help  →
presentation  →
system  →
wiki  →
ARTICLE ORIGINS
critical  →
discussion  →
forked  →
imported  →
original  →
HOME
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
[ temporary import ]
please note:
- the content below is remote from Wikipedia
- it has been imported raw for GetWiki
{{short description|American television series}}









! Golden Mouth Organ winners! Date! Reference| Billy Connolly| December 17, 2010| David Pogue| February 3, 2011| Jennifer Ouellette| February 11, 2011| Hugh Laurie| March 2, 2011| Neil Patrick Harris| March 3, 2011| Larry Scotsman Johnson (Audience member)| March 31, 2011| Kevin Bacon| June 10, 2011| Zooey Deschanel| July 14, 2011| Jim Cummings| July 14, 2011| John Goodman| July 22, 2011| Jayma Mays| July 22, 2011| William H. Macy| July 26, 2011| Ewan McGregor| November 15, 2011| Wilford Brimley| November 23, 2011| Eric Idle| February 27, 2012| Phil Plait| February 29, 2012| Steven Tyler| May 9, 2012| Andy García| June 13, 2012| David Robinson (Audience member)| August 1, 2012| Adam Savage| August 1, 2012|| Tom Hanks| November 30, 2012
factoids
alt_name The Late Late Show| image = The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.png| caption = Logo used from 2009 to 2014
    		{edih}
    • Jonathan Morano
    • Ted Mulkerin
    • Lynn Ferguson
    • Philip McGrade
    • Joe O’Brien
    • Bob Oschack
    • John Reynolds
    • Ben Stout
    • Tom Straw
    • Joe Strazzulo
    • Craig Ferguson
    {edih}
    • Tim Mancinelli
    • Brian McAloon (2005–2012)
    {edih}| presenter = Craig Ferguson| starring = Geoff Peterson (voiced by Josh Robert Thompson)| narrated = Shadoe Stevens| country = United States| language = English| num_seasons = 10| num_episodes = 2,058| list_episodes = List of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson episodes    		 {edih}| producer = Michael NaidusTelevision City>CBS Television City, Los Angeles, California Various locations in Scotland (7 episodes only)| runtime = 39 minutes {edih}| network = CBSThe Late Late Show with Craig KilbornThe Late Late Show with James Corden}}The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson is an American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish actor and comedian Craig Ferguson. This was the third iteration of the Late Late Show franchise, airing from January 3, 2005, to December 19, 2014. It followed the Late Show with David Letterman in the CBS late-night lineup, airing weekdays in the U.S. at 12:37 a.m. Taped in front of a live studio audience from Monday to Thursday (with two episodes taped on Thursdays) at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California, directly above the Bob Barker Studio (Studio 33), it was produced by David Letterman’s production company Worldwide Pants Incorporated and CBS Television Studios.The Late Late Show franchise had previously aired as The Late Late Show with Tom Snyder, then as The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn. During the late 2004 transition of guest hosts following Craig Kilborn’s departure, Craig Ferguson hosted a series of shows in October and November 2004, culminating in being announced on December 7, 2004, as the pick for new host. After launching The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on January 3, 2005, Craig Ferguson achieved the highest ratings since the show’s inception in 1995. While quirky comedy was emphasized in the majority of the episodes, Ferguson also addressed difficult subject matters, such as the deaths of his parents, his struggles with alcoholism, and commenting on national tragedies such as the September 11 attacks. Ferguson undertook serious interviews, such as one with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, which earned the show a 2009 Peabody Award.WEB,www.peabodyawards.com/award-profile/the-late-late-show-with-craig-ferguson-an-evening-with-archbishop-desmond-t, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson: An Evening with Archbishop Desmond Tutu (CBS), Peabody Awards, May 2010, September 22, 2014, Despite not initially having a sidekick, comedian and voice actor Josh Robert Thompson joined the show on April 5, 2010, and voiced Craig’s sidekick Geoff Peterson, a robotic human skeleton. Often Geoff is referred to as a “robot skeleton”, “gay skeleton robot” or “gay robot skeleton”. Geoff is a radio-controlled animatronic robotic puppet skeleton with a metallic Mohawk hairstyle; he was designed and built by Grant Imahara of the TV show MythBusters. Geoff stayed as Craig’s sidekick until the show’s finale, after which Craig took Geoff home. Once Thompson began voicing Geoff Peterson, the format of the Late Late Show shifted from a more traditional formula (albeit with Ferguson’s subversive humor) to a more loose, stripped-down and semi-improvisational comedy style in which Ferguson and Peterson would riff on various topics, often discarding prepared material and going over time limits.On April 28, 2014, Ferguson announced that he would step down as host at the end of the year. The last episode aired on December 19, 2014.NEWS,www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/craig-ferguson-exit-late-late-show-699470, Craig Ferguson to Exit CBS’ ‘Late Late Show’, Goldberg, Leslie, The Hollywood Reporter, April 28, 2014, April 28, 2014, Afterwards, Late Late Show began a series of episodes with guest hosts;MAGAZINE,insidetv.ew.com/2014/11/26/late-late-show-guest-hosts-to-include-drew-carey-judd-apatow-and-john-mayer/, ‘Late Late Show’ guest hosts to include Drew Carey, Judd Apatow, and John Mayer, Zuckerman, Esther, Entertainment Weekly, November 26, 2014, January 13, 2015, then the new permanent host James Corden began his iteration of the franchise on March 23, 2015.

    Show format

    (File:Craig Ferguson by Gage Skidmore.jpg|thumb|left|190px|Ferguson in 2013)The show often started with a cold opening which consisted of a short improvised monologue or commentary by Ferguson either as himself or involving his various puppets including Sid the Rabbit. Later openings of the show featured Ferguson talking or fighting with his “Gay Robot Skeleton” sidekick Geoff Peterson (voiced by Josh Robert Thompson), interacting with pantomime horse Secretariat, interrogating members of the studio audience, or presenting a musical number or a pre-taped sketch.WEB, Steves, Ashley, December 19, 2014, The Empathetic Insanity of Craig Ferguson’s ‘Late Late Show’,observer.com/2014/12/the-empathetic-insanity-of-craig-fergusons-late-late-show/, March 12, 2022, The New York Observer, Observer.com, The cold open was followed by the opening credits and a commercial break.Following the break and his introduction by announcer Shadoe Stevens, Ferguson began with “Welcome to Los Angeles, California, welcome to the Late Late Show. I am your host, TV’s Craig Ferguson. It’s a great day for America, everybody!” as he threw pieces of candy to the audience and hit the side of the camera repeatedly. He then went into a free-form, largely ad-libbed monologue. After another commercial break, Ferguson was often seated behind his desk, where he’d ask Geoff “WHAT TIME IS IT GEOFF PETERSON!?” Mail theme songs then played, usually with the phrase “Ass Mode” in them as well as robots. Then Craig read and responded to viewer emails and (starting in February 2010NEWS,www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/Horizons/2010/0209/With-CraigyFerg-Craig-Ferguson-leaps-into-the-Twitter-fray, With @CraigyFerg, Craig Ferguson leaps into the Twitter fray, The Christian Science Monitor, February 9, 2010, 2010-02-12, ) tweets from his proclaimed “robot skeleton army”.MAGAZINE,www.techrepublic.com/blog/geekend/video-craig-fergusons-twitter-followers-and-his-robot-skeleton-army/, Video: Craig Ferguson’s Twitter followers and his robot-skeleton army, Mary, Weilage, TechRepublic, February 11, 2010, May 17, 2016, Generally, one or two celebrities were interviewed. Starting in 2008, Ferguson began each by dramatically ripping up note cards written for the interview, “signalling to the audience, and to the guest, that this conversation need not be rigidly managed”.WEB,www.tvworthwatching.com/post/Late-Night-TV-Chess-Thanks-to-a-Bishop-Craig-Ferguson-Is-King.aspx, Late-Night TV Chess: Thanks to a Bishop, Craig Ferguson Is King, March 2009, TV Worth Watching, David, Bianculli, 2009-09-01, Sometimes, a stand-up comedian, cooking segment, or a musical guest performs, the latter of which was typically pre-taped.Ferguson had many running gags. These included themed weeks such as “Crab Week”, “Magic Week”, and “Shark Week”;Shark Week was apparently a reference to Shark Week on the Discovery Channel, and that channel, saying that Ferguson has always loved Shark Week, scheduled him for an appearance on August 4, 2010. PRESS RELEASE,dsc.discovery.com/tv/shark-week/tv-shows.html, Happy SHARK WEEK, SHARK BITES: ADVENTURES IN SHARK WEEK, Discovery.com, 2010-07-30, and the long running “photo of Paul McCartney” joke, wherein Ferguson called for a photo of McCartney that was actually a photo of actress Angela Lansbury and vice versa. The show occasionally used variations of the latter gag featuring other pairs of look-alike celebrities, such as Cher being shown as Marilyn Manson.e.g. “Do we have a picture of Cher?”{{dead link|date=February 2013}} from cbs.com The show also used short skits such as “Dear Aquaman” (in which Ferguson dressed as the superhero and gave advice), “Michael Caine in Space”, and various absurdist Sean Connery impersonations, a not realistic Prince Charles coming in and out of commercial breaks, and longer sketches used more infrequently as the show progressed. Ferguson would often disregard censorship rules and swear, much to the chagrin of producer Michael Naidus; in response, Ferguson would jokingly call Naidus a racist. Profanities from Ferguson and his guests would be bleeped out by world flags and foreign terms.The show ended with “What Did We Learn on the Show Tonight, Craig?”, a segment that started with an animation of an adorable kitten that sometimes got into silly situations, then meowed. Ferguson then removed his tie, put his feet on his desk (or, later on in the series, talked to Geoff or anyone else that showed up). He then summarized the preceding hour of TV. This was first used along with the 2008 set in and was last used in 2014.WEB,www.tvworthwatching.com/post/Late-Night-TV-Chess-Thanks-to-a-Bishop-Craig-Ferguson-Is-King.aspx, Late-Night TV Chess: Thanks to a Bishop, Craig Ferguson Is King, March 2009, TV Worth Watching, David, Bianculli, 2009-09-01, The show ended with “What Did We Learn on the Show Tonight, Craig?”, a segment in which the host removed his tie, shoes and socks and put his barefeet on his desk, and summarized the preceding hour of TV., Later in the series, the show would end with “GP and The Fergs: Epilogue.” The kitten then showed up in the bottom-left corner of the screen with a gun in its paws.

    Production milestones

    File:LateLate Ferguson.png|left|thumb|IntertitleIntertitleFerguson’s first show as host was on January 3, 2005. For approximately the first two months, he continued his predecessor’s monologue format, reading 5–10 jokes from cue cards. He would ad-lib between the jokes, and soon noticed that the “stuff in-between” got the most reaction from his audience; after that realization, he decided he and his writers would stop writing jokes.By May 2006, Studio 58, the CBS Television City venue from which the show was taped, had been updated with a digital broadcast Solid State Logic mixing console, needed for 5.1 Channel Surround.MAGAZINE, SSL Console Installed in CBS Studio 58,mixonline.com/mixline/ssl-cbs-studio58-051806/, Mix (magazine), Mix, May 17, 2006, 2009-09-01, First and foremost, we were looking for a digital console that was 5.1-capable....[and one that would] interface with the rest of the building digitally through our digital routers and digital tape machines. We also wanted a lot of inputs without a tremendous footprint for the console., dead,mixonline.com/mixline/ssl-cbs-studio58-051806/," title="web.archive.org/web/20091107035737mixonline.com/mixline/ssl-cbs-studio58-051806/,">web.archive.org/web/20091107035737mixonline.com/mixline/ssl-cbs-studio58-051806/, November 7, 2009, {{citation|url=http://broadcastengineering.com/products/broadcasting_ssls/ |title=SSL’s C100 |date=August 2006 |publisher=Broadcast Engineering |access-date=2011-04-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110127150334broadcastengineering.com/products/broadcasting_ssls/ |archive-date=January 27, 2011 }}A new set debuted on the July 24, 2006, episode.{{citation needed|date=October 2012}} It included a miniature CBS airship that floated along over the backdrop depicting Los Angeles. In the week of March 17, 2008, The Late Late Show debuted a new set featuring a desk interview area on a raised platform; the backdrop was also changed to a detailed representation of Los Angeles.{{citation needed|date=October 2012}}When the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike began, the show went into reruns. It resumed production on January 2, 2008, after Worldwide Pants and the WGA came to an agreement.NEWS,www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/letterman-story-upcoming/, WGA Agrees To Allow Dave’s Late Night Shows To Return With Writers Jan. 2; Will This Divide The Guild?, 2007-12-28, Nikki, Finke, Deadline Hollywood Daily, LA Weekly, NEWS,news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7164033.stm, Letterman to return with writers, BBC, 2007-12-29, 2007-12-29, In 2008, Worldwide Pants Incorporated signed a product placement deal with Ford to promote the Ford Flex during The Late Late Show. Eight episodes (“with one repeat“) of the show included custom-written skits in which Ferguson played the leader of a Scottish rap band called The Highlanderz (consisting of Angus “Big Ginger” Ferguson, Philip “The Howler” McGrade, and Shannon “Bubbles” McGee), riding in a Flex as they traveled from Los Angeles International Airport to the CBS Studio.WEB,www.cbs.com/late_night/late_late_show/video/video.php?play=true&pid=NK_iQabNuFo5w6PSHkSj5op6YU48OFcO, The Late Late Show â€” The Highlanderz New Music Video, 2008-10-31, 2010-01-21, CBS, {{dead link|date=May 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} The skits were shown on successive Thursdays starting on September 4.NEWS,www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS172059+03-Sep-2008+PRN20080903, Innovative Marketing Campaign Puts Ford Flex in Front of Millions of Potential Customers, 2008-09-03, 2008-10-10, Reuters, Ford press release, dead,www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS172059+03-Sep-2008+PRN20080903," title="web.archive.org/web/20090110024332www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS172059+03-Sep-2008+PRN20080903,">web.archive.org/web/20090110024332www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS172059+03-Sep-2008+PRN20080903, 2009-01-10, {{rquote|right|I think my show is probably closer to Pee-wee’s Playhouse than anything else I’ve seen, and that is an aspiration.|Craig Ferguson (August 2009)NEWS, Craig Ferguson tries to keep it fresh,www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2009/08/08/craig_ferguson_tries_to_keep_it_fresh/, The Boston Globe, August 8, 2009, August 9, 2009, Sarah, Rodman, }}On August 31, 2009, the show began broadcasting in high definition, featuring a refitted studio and production facilities, along with a new show logo, new lights, an opening title sequence that “features Ferguson in iconic Los Angeles locations”, and a new arrangement of the show’s theme song.WEB, Ferguson gets HD upgrade; ‘Guiding’ spot filled,www.thrfeed.com/2009/08/ferguson-gets-hd-upgrade-guiding-spot-filled.html, Hibberd, James, The Live Feed, The Hollywood Reporter, August 2, 2009, 2009-09-01, Craig Ferguson’s “Late Late Show” is getting a high-def upgrade. The show will be broadcast in HD for the first time starting August 31. The evening will also mark the debut of a new show credit sequence that features Ferguson in iconic Los Angeles locations scored to an updated version of the current theme song., dead,www.thrfeed.com/2009/08/ferguson-gets-hd-upgrade-guiding-spot-filled.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20090907093604www.thrfeed.com/2009/08/ferguson-gets-hd-upgrade-guiding-spot-filled.html,">web.archive.org/web/20090907093604www.thrfeed.com/2009/08/ferguson-gets-hd-upgrade-guiding-spot-filled.html, September 7, 2009, (File:Craig Ferguson2008.jpg|right|thumb|Craig Ferguson press conference)Ferguson’s initial contract as host was for six years, until the end of 2010; as of August 2007 he was telling television critics he might not be interested in a contract renewal, though by February 2008, he was publicly professing his loyalty to David Letterman, saying: “I will sit behind Dave as long as he sits there.“MAGAZINE, Left Coast Bias: Ferguson Backs Stewart for Letterman’s Seat, Broadcasting & Cable,www.broadcastingcable.com/article/112395-LEFT_COAST_BIAS_Ferguson_Backs_Stewart_for_Letterman_s_Seat.php, Ben, Grossman, February 9, 2008, 2009-09-01,www.broadcastingcable.com/article/112395-LEFT_COAST_BIAS_Ferguson_Backs_Stewart_for_Letterman_s_Seat.php," title="web.archive.org/web/20090923222823www.broadcastingcable.com/article/112395-LEFT_COAST_BIAS_Ferguson_Backs_Stewart_for_Letterman_s_Seat.php,">web.archive.org/web/20090923222823www.broadcastingcable.com/article/112395-LEFT_COAST_BIAS_Ferguson_Backs_Stewart_for_Letterman_s_Seat.php, September 23, 2009, December 15, 2009, marked his 1,000th episode as host. For the occasion, puppets took over the show; Ferguson conducted the entire show as his puppet Wavy Ranchero, and recurring sketches also featured puppet replacements. Guests, which were not puppets, included Kristen Bell, Maria Bello, and Jason Schwartzman. Jason Segel also made an appearance as his muppet Dracula, performing a musical number with band The Broken West.WEB,www.tv.com/jason-schwartzman-maria-bello-kristen-bell-jason-segel-and-the-broken-west/episode/1312459/summary.html?tag=search_results;title;1, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson: Jason Schwartzman/Maria Bello/Kristen Bell/Jason Segel and The Broken West episode on TV.com, 2009-12-15, TV.com, 2009-12-23, NEWS,www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/16/craig-fergusons-1000th-ep_n_393976.html, TCraig Ferguson’s 1000th Episode: Kristen Bell, Jason Segel, Puppets, And 3 Musical Numbers! (Video, Photos), 2009-12-16, The Huffington Post, 2009-12-23, Alex, Leo, On March 31, 2010, the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication of the University of Georgia announced that the Late Late Show had won the Peabody Award for Excellence in Television for its “Evening with Archbishop Desmond Tutu” episode.NEWS, ‘Glee’ and Craig Ferguson Win Peabody Awards,www.nytimes.com/2010/04/01/arts/television/01arts-GLEEANDCRAIG_BRF.html, New York Times, March 31, 2010, Dave, Itzkoff, May 25, 2010, According to the Peabody Board, “the Scottish-born Ferguson has made late-night television safe again for ideas”.WEB, Complete List of Recipients of the 69th Annual Peabody Awards,www.peabody.uga.edu/news/event.php?id=66, University of Georgia, Press release, March 31, 2010, 2010-04-01, dead,www.peabody.uga.edu/news/event.php?id=66," title="web.archive.org/web/20100403055353www.peabody.uga.edu/news/event.php?id=66,">web.archive.org/web/20100403055353www.peabody.uga.edu/news/event.php?id=66, 2010-04-03, On April 3, 2012, CBS announced Ferguson agreed to a contract extension through 2014. As part of the deal, CBS would co-produce the show with Worldwide Pants and CBS Television Studios and the show would move to a bigger studio.WEB,www.cbscorporation.com/news-article.php?id=871, CBS Announces New Contract Extensions With Late Night Stars David Letterman and Craig Ferguson Through 2014, CBS Corporation, 2012-10-20, Although financial terms were not disclosed, the extension likely included a raise beyond what Variety reported had been his US$13 million salary.MAGAZINE, Andrew, Wallenstein,www.variety.com/article/VR1118052224, CBS extends deals for Letterman, Ferguson, April 3, 2012, Variety (magazine), Variety, 2012-10-26, Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the extensions likely mean raises for both Letterman, who is already late night’s richest man pulling down an estimated $28 million per year, and Ferguson, who is said to be making in the neighborhood of $13 million., A new set debuted on August 27, 2012. This was similar to the 2008 set, but the detailed representation of Los Angeles remained the same.

    Final seasons and departure

    {{rquote|right|Geoff Peterson: That’s our show—redundant and timely.Craig Ferguson: I’m redundant, [Geoff’s] timely... well, in a way he is. I mean, I represent the redundant form of the late night stand-up comedian, and he represents impending death [...] you see, there’s an allegorical subtext to what we’re doing here.|“What Did We Learn on the Show Tonight Craig?,” Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, 7 February 2012.}}Following the departure of Jay Leno from The Tonight Show and the late night shake-up at NBC, both Late Show and The Late Late Show struggled in the ratings against Jimmy Fallon and his successor at 12:30 a.m. ET/PT, Late Night with Seth Meyers. In April 2014, Letterman announced his plans to retire. CBS passed over Ferguson to choose Stephen Colbert as the new host of Late Show beginning sometime in 2015, reportedly viewing Ferguson as too much of a niche performer to succeed Letterman. Ferguson’s contract, which expired in June 2014,NEWS, CBS’ Nina Tassler: No Craig Ferguson Replacement Before Upfronts (Exclusive),www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/craig-ferguson-replacement-wont-be-699948, April 30, 2014, The Hollywood Reporter, April 30, 2014, WEB,splitsider.com/2014/04/david-letterman-announced-hes-retiring-in-2015/, David Letterman Announced He’s Retiring in 2015, Evans, Bradford, splitsider.com, April 3, 2014, April 19, 2014, NEWS,www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/craig-ferguson-stay-cbs-2015-article-1.1754069, 2014-04-12,www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/craig-ferguson-stay-cbs-2015-article-1.1754069," title="web.archive.org/web/20140412075635www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/craig-ferguson-stay-cbs-2015-article-1.1754069,">web.archive.org/web/20140412075635www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/craig-ferguson-stay-cbs-2015-article-1.1754069, Craig Ferguson faces uncertain future at CBS with David Letterman gone, contract ending in 2015, Kaplan, Don, nydailynews.com, April 11, 2014, April 19, 2014, New York, NEWS,www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/16/chelsea-handler-cbs_n_5160435.html, CBS Says Chelsea Handler Will Not Host ‘The Late Late Show’ Despite Her Cryptic Instagram Pic, Bradley, Bill, The Huffington Post, April 16, 2014, April 19, 2014, stipulated that he was Letterman’s successor at 11:30 and that if he was not given the position, he would be paid compensation of as much as US$10,000,000.NEWS, Craig Ferguson faces uncertain future at CBS with David Letterman gone, contract ending in 2015,www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/craig-ferguson-stay-cbs-2015-article-1.1754069, New York Daily News, April 12, 2014, April 11, 2014, Letterman’s contract included the right to control the time slot that follows his and produce the Late Late Show, and it was his production company (Worldwide Pants) that selected Ferguson as host and with whom his contracts were negotiated. With Letterman’s departure, CBS would become the sole producer of the show and it is the network that determines what is done with the time slot and with which any contract is negotiated. CBS had been ambiguous in regard to Ferguson’s future as host of The Late Late Show. CBS chief executive Les Moonves said in an interview: “12:30 is up in the air [...] Obviously, we’re considering all sorts of candidates and women are among them. A woman would be great in late night.“NEWS, Fixmer, Andy, CBS’s Moonves Says Woman Would Be ‘Great’ as ‘Late Late’ Host,www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-04-11/cbs-s-moonves-says-woman-would-be-great-as-late-late-host.html, April 12, 2014, Bloomberg News, April 11, 2014, However, CBS Entertainment chairman Nina Tassler said that the CBS management are “big fans of Craig” and that “Craig is here and doing his show at 12.30am, and we love having him there”.NEWS, CBS explains why they picked Colbert, confirms dropping conservative character,insidetv.ew.com/2014/04/10/cbs-interview-colbert-letterman/, April 12, 2014, Entertainment Weekly, April 10, 2014, Chelsea Handler had reportedly begun negotiations to take over hosting of The Late Late Show when Ferguson’s contract expired;Nededog, Jethro and Sharon Waxman (April 4, 2014). Chelsea Handler, CBS in Talks for Late-Night Spot . TheWrap. Retrieved April 11, 2014. however, both Handler and CBS later denied this, saying she was in fact in negotiations with CBS’ syndication arm for a daytime show.NEWS, CBS shoots down rumors of Chelsea Handler late night show after she drops Instagram hint,www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/cbs-slams-rumors-chelsea-handler-late-night-show-article-1.1757421, April 21, 2014, New York Daily News, April 15, 2014, NEWS, Chelsea Handler addresses rumors of hosting CBS late-night show: ‘I would never be on a regular network’,www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/chelsea-handler-addresses-rumors-hosting-cbs-show-article-1.1759577, April 21, 2014, New York Daily News, April 17, 2014, John Oliver was also reportedly approached by CBS as a possible Late Late Show host prior to his signing a contract with HBO,NEWS, CBS Approached John Oliver for Late Night Show as Major Shuffle Looms (Exclusive),www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cbs-approached-john-oliver-late-693587, April 12, 2014, Hollywood Reporter, April 3, 2014, Lacey, Rose, as were Neil Patrick HarrisNEWS, Carter, Bill, Craig Ferguson to Leave CBS at End of Year,www.nytimes.com/2014/04/29/business/media/craig-ferguson-to-leave-cbs-at-end-of-year.html?_r=0, April 28, 2014, New York Times, April 28, 2014, and James Corden.NEWS,www.extratv.com/2014/08/06/james-corden-may-take-over-the-late-late-show-who-is-he/, James Corden May Take Over the ‘Late Late Show’... Who Is He?, Extra (U.S. TV program), Extra, August 6, 2014, August 29, 2014, On April 28, 2014, Ferguson announced he would leave the show in December 2014. He had made the decision prior to Letterman’s announcement but agreed to delay making his own decision public until the reaction to Letterman’s decision had died down.AV MEDIA,www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dya74k5M6E&t=46s,ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/1dya74k5M6E, 2021-12-13, live, Would Craig Ferguson Have Taken David Letterman’s Gig?, YouTube (Larry King Now official channel), 0:46, July 23, 2014, October 28, 2014, {{cbignore}}{{efn|Ferguson in his cold open for the April 28 broadcast noted that it was “my decision to go. This is not Jay [Leno] and Conan [O’Brien] at NBC, this is not Jay and Dave [Letterman] all these years ago, it’s not that.” Several unofficial uploads of the video are available at YouTube.}} He had also originally intended to leave in the summer of 2014 but agreed to stay until the end of the year to give CBS more time to find a successor.NEWS, Craig Ferguson: ‘I Wanted to Leave the Show Before I Stopped Enjoying It’ (EXCLUSIVE),www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2014/04/29/307994790/how-craig-ferguson-unmade-the-late-night-talk-show, April 30, 2014, Variety, April 30, 2014, In a statement following his announcement, Tassler said that in his decade as host, Ferguson had “infused the broadcast with tremendous energy, unique comedy, insightful interviews, and some of the most heartfelt monologues seen on television”.NEWS, Craig Ferguson Announces Late-Night Retirement,abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/craig-ferguson-announces-late-night-retirement-23508685, April 29, 2014, ABC News, April 29, 2014, In an interview with Larry King, Ferguson stated that the final episode of The Late Late Show with him as host would air December 19, 2014.Weprin, Alex (July 24, 2014). Craig Ferguson wants to do another talk show. Capital New York. Retrieved July 24, 2014.In September 2014, comedian James Corden was announced as host of The Late Late Show with James Corden, beginning in 2015.NEWS,www.people.com/article/james-corden-replaces-craig-ferguson-cbs-late-late-show, James Corden Officially Announced to Replace Craig Ferguson on Late Late Show, People (magazine), People, Lynette, Rice, September 8, 2014, September 8, 2014, In November 2014, CBS announced Jay Leno would be Ferguson’s guest on his final show; during December “notable friends of the show” scheduled for appearances in December included Kristen Bell, Steve Carell, Jon Hamm, Rashida Jones, Mila Kunis, Thomas Lennon, Tim Meadows (whose 41 appearances set the show’s record), Jim Parsons, Michael Sheen, Ariel Tweto, Betty White, and Henry Winkler.WEB,tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/11/06/the-late-late-snow-with-craig-ferguson-announces-popular-friends-of-the-show-as-guests-during-final-weeks/324784/,tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/11/06/the-late-late-snow-with-craig-ferguson-announces-popular-friends-of-the-show-as-guests-during-final-weeks/324784/," title="web.archive.org/web/20141108204516tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/11/06/the-late-late-snow-with-craig-ferguson-announces-popular-friends-of-the-show-as-guests-during-final-weeks/324784/,">web.archive.org/web/20141108204516tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/11/06/the-late-late-snow-with-craig-ferguson-announces-popular-friends-of-the-show-as-guests-during-final-weeks/324784/, dead, November 8, 2014, ‘The Late Late Snow with Craig Ferguson’ Announces Popular Friends of the Show as Guests During Final Weeks, November 6, 2014, Press release, TV by the Numbers, 2014-11-07, Meanwhile, several of Ferguson’s final episodes dealt with his distaste for abstract expressionism—Mark Rothko in particular—and public reactions to that stance.E.g. “Kunal Nayyar, Sarah Chalke”, Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, 11 December 2014.Ferguson’s final episode started with the usual cold open, but this time showing a montage of friends from the show while they performed Dead Man Fall’s song “Bang Your Drum”.Cameos included: Kevin Bacon, Kristen Bell, Jack Black, Pierce Brosnan, Steve Carell, Don Cheadle, Kristin Chenoweth, Marion Cotillard, Tenacious D, Jeff Daniels, Ted Danson, Kat Dennings, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Carl Edwards, Cedric the Entertainer, Tony Hale, Jon Hamm, Sean Hayes, Samuel L. Jackson, Rashida Jones, Toby Keith, Jimmy Kimmel, Larry King, Angela Kinsey, Lisa Kudrow, Mila Kunis, Thomas Lennon, Justin Long, Jane Lynch, James Marsden, Matthew McConaughey, Mary McCormack, Joel McHale, Tim Meadows, Metallica, Kunal Nayyar, Geoff Peterson, Regis Philbin, Ray Romano, Bob Saget, Kyra Sedgwick (plus dog Lily), William Shatner, Michael Sheen, Dax Shepard, Quentin Tarantino, Josh Robert Thompson, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Betty White, Henry Winkler, Shailene Woodley, Weird Al Yankovic, and various friends.NEWS, Fuller, Bonnie, Craig Ferguson Celebrating Final ‘Late Late Show’ With Huge A-List Lineup,hollywoodlife.com/2014/12/19/craig-ferguson-late-late-show-final-guests/, December 20, 2014, Hollywood Life, December 19, 2014, The pre-taped montage segued to the studio with Ferguson continuing the song backed by the occasional semi-house band Bone Patrol, Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones,NEWS, An Exclusive Farewell Q&A With Late Late Show Producer Michael Naidus,www.cbs.com/shows/late_late_show/news/1003625/, January 2, 2015, CBS, December 23, 2014, a full choir, various celebrities, musicians, and friends of the show.NEWS, Lloyd, Robert, Review On ‘The Late Late Show,’ Craig Ferguson became best host on TV,www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-et-st-ferguson-farewell-review-20141220-column.html, December 20, 2014, Los Angeles Times, December 19, 2014, The monologue began with a short time lapse of Craig coming out to start show through the last 10 years, starting on his first day (January 3, 2005) to his last. Craig thanked his comedic partner Josh Robert Thompson, the viewers, the crew, and explained:{{blockquote|Over the years, going with this show out and around, or going and doing stand-up with Josh, I’ve come into contact with a lot of people who are viewers of this show, and although I said my goodbyes to the crew, the people who made this show are you. You came to a show that, let’s be honest, was a bit of a fixer-upper. It kind of stayed that way, but what I hope we’ve done [...] maybe art is a very grand word, but I think what we managed to do here is make something that wasn’t here before. So in that sense maybe it is a piece of art, it didn’t exist and now it does. What we’ve done here, it doesn’t go away because I stopped doing it, we stop doing this and we start doing something else [...] maybe [...] later, or maybe I go away and this is it! But I think what was more overwhelming than anything else in the experience of doing this show was making a connection with a country that I became a part of, which is astonishing to me. Even in the course of this show I became an American, officially and particularly for my friends at the IRS, I am now a fully-fledged American. However, what I can’t be is a member of a club, which I didn’t really ask to join, I wanted to do this show [...] and now we’ve done this show, and if you will indulge me in whatever I’m doing now and come to whatever I do next I’d be very grateful, because my kids are still young.}}After reading his last Tweets & emails and doing his final interview with guest Jay Leno, the show ended with his final segment: What Did We Learn on the Show Over the Last 10 Years, Craig? Craig tells Geoff he wants to finally find out who the real identity of Secretariat is. Asked to lift up his mask, it’s revealed to be Bob Newhart. Craig asks, “Bob Newhart?! What are you doing here?” to which Newhart replies, “Hey, guy, it’s your dream.” Craig wakes up next to Drew Carey as Nigel Wick and proceeds to spoof the finales of Newhart (the show was all a dream), St. Elsewhere (he imagined it all from a snowglobe), and The Sopranos (cut to black with Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’“).NEWS, ‘Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson’: Jay Leno Gives Host Great Sendoff,hollywoodlife.com/2014/12/20/the-late-late-show-with-craig-ferguson-finale-jay-leno-drew-carey-newhart/, December 20, 2014, Hollywood Life, December 20, 2014, NEWS, Late Late Show: Craig Ferguson Says Goodbye With Incredible Twist Ending,tvline.com/2014/12/19/craig-ferguson-late-late-show-finale-bob-newhart-drew-carey/, December 20, 2014, December 19, 2014, NEWS, Craig Ferguson Signs Off ‘Late Late Show’ with Jay Leno, Homage to Classic TV Finales,variety.com/2014/tv/news/craig-ferguson-signs-off-late-late-show-with-jay-leno-homage-to-classic-tv-finales-1201384206/, December 20, 2014, Variety, December 19, 2014, Cynthia, Littleton,

    Show elements

    Cold open

    {{rquote|right|Most nights, he introduces himself as “TV’s Craig Ferguson”, and pronounces it a “great day for America.” After that, no one knows what might come next, not even the host himself.|TV Critic Eric Deggans of the St Petersburg TimesNEWS, Craig Ferguson a standout at standup, August 16, 2007,www.sptimes.com/2007/08/16/Tv/Ferguson_a_standout_l.shtml, St. Petersburg Times, 2009-09-01, }}Ferguson starts with a cold open, which is a two-minute segment before the first commercials, theme song, and actual show. Originally, it was a miniature monologue and to talk about the guests on the show. Over time, this segment expanded to include short skits and musical sessions often involving puppets, and occasional interaction with members of the studio audience. In actual practice, the cold open was the second segment presented when the show was recorded at the CBS studios. The open was actually recorded after the monologue but aired before it, something Ferguson originally thinly disguised, but later openly mocked.On November 22, 2010, Ferguson opened the show with evidence that a French talk show called Ce Soir Avec Arthur had stolen his show’s opening sequence, as well as some of his puppet and song-and-dance concepts.WEB,www.tvsquad.com/2010/11/23/craig-ferguson-considers-suing-a-french-late-late-show-rip-off, Craig Ferguson Considers Suing a French ‘Late Late Show’ Rip-Off (VIDEO), Tvsquad.com, 2011-11-05, On November 29, 2010, Ferguson introduced Arthur in the cold opening of the show; they joked back and forth for about two minutes, and then Arthur returned to help Ferguson answer viewer emails and again at the end of the show.WEB,www.cbs.com/late_night/late_late_show/video/?pid=5fIUD_18avw5DovahduFyOAEYiOZlaLP, The Late Late Show Video â€” The Late Late Show – 11/03/2011, CBS.com, 2011-11-05, dead,www.cbs.com/late_night/late_late_show/video/?pid=5fIUD_18avw5DovahduFyOAEYiOZlaLP," title="web.archive.org/web/20101204055125www.cbs.com/late_night/late_late_show/video/?pid=5fIUD_18avw5DovahduFyOAEYiOZlaLP,">web.archive.org/web/20101204055125www.cbs.com/late_night/late_late_show/video/?pid=5fIUD_18avw5DovahduFyOAEYiOZlaLP, December 4, 2010,

    Theme song

    When he was hired as the full-time replacement for Craig Kilborn, Ferguson co-wrote and recorded a theme song. The theme tune was re-recorded for the show’s switch to HD, premiering on August 31, 2009, and produced by Andy “Stoker” Growcott. Except for when the show traveled (i.e. Paris, Scotland, New Orleans), the lyrics to this theme were the same during the entire 10-year run.

    Flirting

    Ferguson flirts with female guests.WEB,www.thethings.com/craig-ferguson-flirt-celebrity-female-talk-show/#irina-shayk, 10 Times Craig Ferguson Flirted with His Celebrity Guests, 28 December 2021, WEB,www.vice.com/en/article/wjyjyn/how-craig-ferguson-became-a-flirting-god-on-youtube, How Craig Ferguson Became a Flirting God on YouTube, 10 October 2018, WEB,www.thethings.com/craig-ferguson-put-in-an-awkward-spot-when-talk-show-guest-lindsay-sloane-claimed-he-was-her-hall-pass/, Craig Ferguson Was Put in an Awkward Spot when a Talk Show Guest Claimed He Was Her Hall Pass, 29 November 2023, WEB,www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/news/a28512/farewell-craig-ferguson/, Farewell Craig Ferguson, the Most Hit on Man in History, 29 April 2014, WEB,www.tiktok.com/discover/craig-ferguson-flirting-women, TikTok - Make Your Day, WEB,okmagazine.com/videos/craig-ferguson-today-flirting-kathie-lee-gifford/, Watch Craig Ferguson Shamelessly Flirt with Kathie Lee Gifford, 27 March 2017, WEB,www.uexpress.com/life/ask-dr-nerdlove/2021/09/28, Is It Possible to Learn to Flirt Without Being a Creep? - Ask Dr. Nerdlove, 28 September 2021, WEB,lasvegasmagazine.com/entertainment/2019/apr/05/craig-ferguson-green-valley-ranch-comedy/, Make some memories with Craig Ferguson,

    Sidekicks

    (File:Geoff Peterson, Craig Ferguson and Sandra the Rhino.png|thumb|right|Geoff Peterson (left) and Sandra the Rhino (centre) as they appeared on the show, with Ferguson (right))

    Geoff Peterson

    On April 5, 2010, Ferguson began featuring a robot skeleton sidekick, Geoff Peterson, voiced by Josh Robert Thompson. The robot was created by former Mythbuster Grant Imahara.WEB,www.popularmechanics.com/science/mythbusters/projects/4350887, Popular Mechanics, Craig Ferguson’s New Mythbuster Robot Sidekick: Exclusive Pics, Erin, McCarthy, 2010-04-09, 2010-04-02, According to a web article by Jeremy Kaplan, when Imahara became aware of Ferguson’s idea to have a robot sidekick, he responded with a March 1, 2010, tweet:{{cquote|1=@CraigyFerg I hear you are looking for a robot sidekick. I think I can help... for a price: get me 100,000 [Twitter followers]. If you can.NEWS,www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/04/05/craig-fergusons-robot-skeleton-takes-shape/, Fox News, 2010-04-05, TV’s Newest Talking Head Actually Talking Robot Skeleton, Jeremy A., Kaplan, }}Ferguson subsequently came through with the followers and Imahara came through with the robot.While Geoff began with pre-recorded phrases, Thompson voiced him live in studio for almost every episode since late June 2011twitter.com/joshrthompson/status/86267271504334848 {{dead link|date=December 2017|url=|bot=TweetCiteBot}} including those filmed in Paris and Scotland. Three people are often given screen credit at the end of the show as being responsible for Geoff: Imahara, writer Tom Straw (and later Bob Oschack), and voice actor Thompson.WEB,www.cbs.com/late_night/late_late_show/, The Late Late Show: Watch Episodes and Video, CBS.com, 2011-11-05, {{Failed verification|date=January 2015}}Ferguson has said that the robot is “my metaphor for deconstructing the dead art form of the late night talk show”, and that he selected the name because of its commonness.Craig Ferguson, “The Late Late Show” July 09, 2010 Ferguson has jokingly referred to Geoff as an “appliance” who is being used because the show’s small budget does not permit a typical (and living) sidekick or band. But as the years progressed, mainly due to Thompson’s performance, even Ferguson would admit that Geoff Peterson came to fully embody the very sidekick cliché that they intended to mock.WEB,www.azcentral.com/thingstodo/events/articles/2012/04/11/20120411craig-ferguson-standup-phoenix-wild-horse-pass.html, Craig Ferguson talks Phoenix-area show, standup, The Arizona Republic, Randy, Cordova, April 14, 2012, May 12, 2012, Geoff has a running “feud” with recurring guest Kristen Bell, who claims that she had wanted to be Craig’s sidekick and was upset when Geoff was selected.EPISODE, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, CBS, September 14, 2010, 7, 12,

    Secretariat

    (File:Secretariat, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.png|right|thumb|Secretariat first featured on The Late Late Show in October 2010, and continued to feature until the final episode in December 2014)Secretariat is a pantomime horse which first appeared on October 11, 2010, as a joke reference to the Disney film Secretariat which was based on the life of the 1973 triple-crown winning racehorse, Secretariat. The people playing Secretariat were Joseph Bolter and Ryan McGowan.WEB, Tennant, Thomas, Top 5 Memorable Moments from the ‘Late Late Show’,talkshows.about.com/od/craigferguson/fl/Top-5-Memorable-Moments-from-the-lsquoLate-Late-Showrsquo.htm, dead,talkshows.about.com/od/craigferguson/fl/Top-5-Memorable-Moments-from-the-lsquoLate-Late-Showrsquo.htm," title="web.archive.org/web/20150405071955talkshows.about.com/od/craigferguson/fl/Top-5-Memorable-Moments-from-the-lsquoLate-Late-Showrsquo.htm,">web.archive.org/web/20150405071955talkshows.about.com/od/craigferguson/fl/Top-5-Memorable-Moments-from-the-lsquoLate-Late-Showrsquo.htm, 2015-04-05, 2015-03-04, About.com, Secretariat’s appearances on the show would begin through a doorbell ring, which Ferguson would press at random moments in the show, even in the middle of an interview. Ferguson would ask, “Who’s that at the door?,” prompting Secretariat to enter and dance around the stage accompanied by techno music, with Ferguson, the guest, and the audience standing up to dance with him. Secretariat would initially leave through where he entered, but later episodes would show him proceeding to his “stall” at the right-hand side of the stage.WEB, Stewart, Julie June, 2014-11-10, A Late Night Staple: Craig Ferguson’s Secretariat,www.americasbestracing.net/lifestyle/2014-late-night-staple-craig-fergusons-secretariat, 2021-01-31, America’s Best Racing, By December 2010, he had become a regular on the show, and Secretariat would often appear even if unprompted, such as the cold opens or when talked to from his stall. Sometimes, Secretariat would be provoked by Ferguson or a Tweets & Email submission, causing him to angrily kick his stall open; Geoff would jokingly aggravate the situation by saying, “Kick his ass, man!,” though he varies in rooting for either Ferguson or Secretariat.Secretariat has appeared in some sketches, including one on January 7, 2011, when a clip was shown of Secretariat traveling to New York City to deliver a Christmas present to Jimmy Fallon, who competed against Ferguson in the same time slot on NBC. In the clip, Secretariat makes appearances on other New York-based CBS programs such as Live with Regis and Kelly, The View, CBS News (where Katie Couric did the Secretariat Dance), and Late Show with David Letterman.WEB,www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXtzW_Kv2Aw&feature=feedlik,web.archive.org/web/20140513183201/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXtzW_Kv2Aw&feature=feedlik, 2014-05-13, dead, Craig Ferguson 1/7/11C Late Late Show sketch XD, YouTube, 2012-10-20, When Ferguson hosted the show from Paris during the week of August 1, 2011, Secretariat played a role in several locations. He again accompanied the show during its week of programs taped in Scotland, airing in the summer of 2012. Secretariat also appeared in several background shots of ESPN remote shows during the show’s visit to New Orleans for Super Bowl XLVII in 2013.A following has been built around the false horse, with multiple fan pages existing on Facebook,WEB,www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Secretariat-Craig-Ferguson/101235663282092, Welcome to Facebook â€” Log In, Sign Up or Learn More, Facebook.com, 2013-01-17, and several websites selling Team Secretariat T-shirts.WEB,www.zazzle.com/team_secretariat_t_shirt_white_logo_for_dark_tee-235150412490644337, T-Shirts â€” The hottest tshirts on the Internet, Zazzle.com, 1990-01-01, 2012-10-20, dead,www.zazzle.com/team_secretariat_t_shirt_white_logo_for_dark_tee-235150412490644337," title="web.archive.org/web/20110716042623www.zazzle.com/team_secretariat_t_shirt_white_logo_for_dark_tee-235150412490644337,">web.archive.org/web/20110716042623www.zazzle.com/team_secretariat_t_shirt_white_logo_for_dark_tee-235150412490644337, 2011-07-16, WEB, mb,scottishking.blogspot.com/2010/12/team-secretariat-shirts.html, the Scottish King: team secretariat shirts, Scottishking.blogspot.com, 2010-12-10, 2012-10-20, WEB,surfpack.com/team/secretariat/t/shirt, 2023-05-09, July 28, 2013,surfpack.com/team/secretariat/t/shirt," title="web.archive.org/web/20130728034936surfpack.com/team/secretariat/t/shirt,">web.archive.org/web/20130728034936surfpack.com/team/secretariat/t/shirt, Archived, {{dead link|date=May 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}WEB,zisl.com/detail/team_secretariat_t_shirt-235150412490644337, Shirt, Zisl.com, 2012-10-20, As part of the finale’s last sketch, Secretariat unmasks himself and reveals himself to be Bob Newhart.

    Sandra the Rhino

    Voiced by Dana DeLorenzo, Sandra is a rhino head mounted above the studio’s faux fireplace. Craig would try and get Geoff and Sandra to speak at the same time and they couldn’t so everyone would just laugh hysterically about the lack of having more staff.

    Alfredo Sauce and the Shy Fellas

    Over the course of his run as host, Ferguson wished to have a house band. As a substitute, Alfredo Sauce and the Shy Fellas were created,{{when|date=November 2018}} billed as “the Shyest Band in Late Night.” Said to be hiding behind the curtain covering the studio bandstand, in reality Alfredo Sauce and the other band members were voiced by Thompson and their musical cues were stock recordings. Though the characters’ faces were never shown, Alfredo Sauce’s hand (an oversized prop) made an appearance in one episode when it reached out from behind the curtain.NEWS,www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2014/12/22/cuba-obama-craig-ferguson-letterman-fallon/20759889/, Punchlines: Obama and Cuba; Ferguson out with a bang, USA Today, February 6, 2017,

    Impersonations and characters

    Impersonations and sketch characters frequently done by Ferguson on the show include Prince Charles (usually hosting ”The Rather Late Programme“), Wilford Brimley, Sean Connery, Bill Clinton, Queen Elizabeth II, Andy Rooney, Aquaman, Michael Caine, David Bowie, Elton John, Bono, and Mitt Romney. He claims that he developed his imitation of Caine after an eight-hour-long plane ride on which he sat behind Caine, who “gabbed” with his wife the entire trip.{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}}Less frequent impersonations include Dr. Phil, Simon Cowell, Kim Jong-il, Mick Jagger, Morgan Freeman, Regis Philbin, Angela Lansbury (as “Jessica Fletcher” on Murder, She Wrote), Jay Leno, Jimmy Fallon, Larry King (“of the Jungle“), Arnold Schwarzenegger, and J. K. Rowling.{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}}

    Puppets

    Beginning in 2008, the show began incorporating puppets in the cold open; many were given to Ferguson by Folkmanis Puppets.WEB, December 11, 2009,www.folkmanis.com/latelateshowpuppets.php, Craig Ferguson and the Folkmanis Puppets who love him, Folkmanis Puppets, 2011-06-11, For more than a year, Ferguson has been using an array of fantastic Folkmanis® Puppets in comedy skits. On Tuesday, December 15, to celebrate the milestone 1,000th episode, specially created puppets and old favorites will take over the entire show!, dead,www.folkmanis.com/latelateshowpuppets.php," title="web.archive.org/web/20110607224240www.folkmanis.com/latelateshowpuppets.php,">web.archive.org/web/20110607224240www.folkmanis.com/latelateshowpuppets.php, 2011-06-07, Ferguson stated in an interview with Playboy magazine that the impetus behind starting to do the puppets is hearing an episode of Jonesy’s Jukebox during his drive in to work where “The Lonely Goatherd” was played. Upon arriving he decided to lip synch the song on air that night using some hand puppets that were already on hand.JOURNAL, Spitznagel, Eric, December 2011, Playboy Interview: Craig Ferguson, Playboy, 60, The cloth puppets were phased out of the series after its move to a new studio in the fall of 2012, and were not featured in the show’s opening that premiered in September 2013, but marionettes of Drew Carey and Morgan Freeman were used frequently in cold opens during the fall of 2013.Puppets used on air:{{div col}}
    • Sandra Biggerstaff: An adorable male giraffe that is a representative for BP.
    • Sid: A cute, yet vulgar white rabbit, with a North London accent.
    • Wavy Rancheros: A crocodile with a Cajun accent prone to waving his left hand at the audience (hence his name), Wavy “hosted” the show’s 1,000th episode.
    • The Pig/Gustave Flaubert: Used during the initial outbreak of swine flu,{{citation needed|date=October 2012}} a pig with sideburns and a tuft of hair who has a “contempt for the bourgeoisie”.
    • Kronos: A monkey who wears a bellhop’s uniform and claims to be from another planet.
    • Brian: A shark with a wonderful singing voice.
    • Punxsutawney Phil: A groundhog that speaks in a German accent.
    • Sebastian Trousers: A wolf objecting to the portrayals of wolves in the movies.
    • George: A slow talking French snail.
    • Craig Ferguson: A highly satirized version of the host, with a giant Liza Minnelli cut-out for the head. Voiced by Josh Robert Thompson in scenes with Craig portraying Tiny Drew Carey
    • Evangeline: A female ferret with a deep, male voice who is on steroids in preparation for the Olympics.
    • Sandra Peterson, a remote-controlled rhino head that hangs over the fireplace; originally voiced by Dana DeLorenzoWEB,twitpic.com/au1d3s, Share photos and videos on Twitter, Twitpic, 2012-10-20, (who also portrayed “Beth”, a bespectacled “CBS executive“), Sandra “returned” in 2014, voiced and operated by Josh Robert ThompsonWEB,www.facebook.com/jrtcomedy/posts/10152146157516075,ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/228195266074/10152146157516075, 2022-02-26, limited, Yes, I’m voicing Sandra the rhino. No, I don’t like the voice, either., Facebook (jrtcomedy official), January 23, 2014, October 27, 2014, {{cbignore}}{{efn|The character’s return occurred during a Tweets and E-mails segment in January. Unofficial videos have been uploaded to YouTube.}}
    • Tiny Drew Carey: A small marionette of Drew Carey (though the body and head reflect Carey before his weight loss in 2010). A miniature desk is sometimes featured for Tiny Drew Carey to “sit” behind.
    • Morgan Freeman: A large Morgan Freeman marionette who usually interacts with Tiny Drew Carey; voiced by Josh Robert Thompson.
    • In one episode, Lauren Graham operated Nadine, a cat puppet, which appeared to have a romantic relationship with Wavy.WEB,www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldaK57mtJJo,ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/ldaK57mtJJo, 2021-12-13, live, Lauren Graham playing Nadine the sexy english cat on The Late Late Show, YouTube, 2011-11-05, {{cbignore}}
    {{div col end}}

    Musical performances

    The Late Late Show tapes musical performances separately from the rest of the show. For example, the noise rock band No Age was videotaped on October 2, 2008, for an appearance scheduled to air October 27. That performance was also the subject of an equal-time rule controversy in which guitarist Randy Randall was not allowed to wear a pro-Barack Obama T-shirt. Randall, not wanting to cancel the appearance, chose instead to turn the T-shirt inside out.NEWS,latimesblogs.latimes.com/soundboard/2008/10/no-ages-randy-r.html, No Age’s Randy Randall asked to take off Obama T-shirt for The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, 2008-10-09, 2008-10-10, Los Angeles Times, Soundboard: L.A. Times Music Blog, dead,latimesblogs.latimes.com/soundboard/2008/10/no-ages-randy-r.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20081012181211latimesblogs.latimes.com/soundboard/2008/10/no-ages-randy-r.html,">web.archive.org/web/20081012181211latimesblogs.latimes.com/soundboard/2008/10/no-ages-randy-r.html, October 12, 2008,

    Interview ending activities

    Starting in 2010, Ferguson began ending interviews by variously offering the guest a choice between two or three activities. These have included:
    • Mouth Organ: Ferguson and the guest play the mouth organ (harmonica) briefly. Guests that can play the instrument properly are awarded the Golden Mouth Organ.‡
    • Awkward Pause: Ferguson and the guest act out an awkward pause together. Occasionally Ferguson and the guest would agree on a particular subtext for the awkward pause, for instance ‘sexual tension awkward pause’ or ‘smell my finger awkward pause’.
    • Big Cash Prize: Ferguson will offer the guest $7.50 in nickels for either answering a question (which always start with factoids about Iceland’s capital city), or guessing ‘What’s in My Box?’, an imaginary box that only Geoff knows the contents of. Prior to August 27, 2012, the prize was $50 in $1 bills or in quarters. Ferguson explained that the reduced prize was necessary to help pay for the new studio. During episodes taped in Scotland, the prize was awarded in pounds sterling.
    • Fruit: Ferguson asks the guest if they would like a piece of fruit, selected from a basket on the desk containing tropical fruit such as mangoes, cherimoyas, and other exotic offerings. When a coconut is chosen, Ferguson proceeds to smash it open on his desk and drink the coconut milk with the guest.
    • Throw Frisbees at the Horse: Ferguson and the guest attempt to hit Secretariat with frisbees.
    • Guess What Her Majesty The Queen Is Thinking: A variation of the Big Cash Prize, Ferguson states that they have imagined a scenario where her majesty the queen has been wrongly imprisoned, and the guest must guess what she is thinking. He then proceeds to impersonate the queen and tell whether or not they were correct.
    • True or Not True?: Another variation of the Big Cash Prize, where Ferguson utters a short story (of any matter) and the guest has to decide if it’s true or not true. As with “What’s in My Box”, the real answer is only known to Geoff Peterson.
    • Touch My Glittery Ball: The guest is encouraged to touch a small, spinning disco ball on Ferguson’s desk. By mid-October 2011 Ferguson had only occasionally offered this option.
    • Haggis in a TARDIS/Touch My Haggis: the guest is offered the option to touch a vegetarian haggis, supplied by Neil Gaiman,WEB,journal.neilgaiman.com/2011/11/if-this-is-thursday-then-where-on-earth.html, Neil Gaiman’s Journal: If this is thursday then where on earth did the last week go?, Neil, Gaiman, journal.neilgaiman.com, 4 November 2011, 14 November 2011, which has been stuffed into the model TARDIS which sits on Craig’s desk.
    • Freeze-frame High Five: Craig and guest high-five and keep pose. Only used a few times before being phased out.{| class=“wikitable”
    ARCHIVE-DATE=2011-01-03 TITLE=CRAIG FERGUSON 12/17/10C LATE LATE SHOW BILLY CONNOLLY XD DATE=DECEMBER 18, 2010, October 27, 2012,
    ARCHIVE-DATE=2021-12-13 TITLE=POGUE WINS CRAIG FERGUSON MOUTH ORGAN DATE=FEBRUARY 3, 2011, October 27, 2012, {{cbignore}}
    WORK=YOUTUBE ACCESS-DATE=OCTOBER 27, 2012 ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20140513183210/HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=EWYCEO2J4HA, May 13, 2014,
    ARCHIVE-DATE=2021-12-13 TITLE=HUGH LAURIE WINS CRAIG FERGUSON GOLDEN MOUTH ORGAN DATE=MARCH 2, 2011, October 27, 2012, {{cbignore}}
    ARCHIVE-DATE=2021-12-13 TITLE=NEIL PATRICK HARRIS WINS CRAIG FERGUSON GOLDEN MOUTH ORGAN DATE=MARCH 3, 2011, October 27, 2012, {{cbignore}}
    ARCHIVE-DATE=2021-12-13 TITLE=“CIVILIAN” WINS CRAIG FERGUSON GOLDEN MOUTH ORGAN DATE=MARCH 31, 2011, October 27, 2012, {{cbignore}}
    ARCHIVE-DATE=2021-12-13 TITLE=KEVIN BACON WINS CRAIG FERGUSON GOLDEN MOUTH ORGAN DATE=JUNE 10, 2011, October 27, 2012, {{cbignore}}
    ARCHIVE-DATE=2021-12-13 TITLE=ZOOEY DESCANEL “WINS” CRAIG FERGUSON GOLDEN MOUTH ORGAN DATE=JULY 16, 2011, October 27, 2012, {{cbignore}}
    ARCHIVE-DATE=2021-12-13 TITLE=JIM CUMMINGS WINS CRAIG FERGUSON GOLDEN MOUTH ORGAN DATE=JULY 16, 2011, October 27, 2012, {{cbignore}}
    ARCHIVE-DATE=2013-01-19 TITLE=CRAIG FERGUSON 7/22/11D LATE LATE SHOW JOHN GOODMAN DATE=JULY 23, 2011, October 27, 2012,
    ARCHIVE-DATE=2011-09-15 TITLE=CRAIG FERGUSON 7/22/11E LATE LATE SHOW JAYMA MAYS DATE=JULY 23, 2011, October 27, 2012,
    ARCHIVE-DATE=2012-02-20 TITLE=CRAIG FERGUSON 7/26/11D LATE LATE SHOW WILLIAM H MACY DATE=JULY 27, 2011, October 27, 2012,
    ARCHIVE-DATE=2021-12-13 TITLE=EWAN MCGREGOR WINS CRAIG FERGUSON GOLDEN MOUTH ORGAN DATE=NOVEMBER 16, 2011, October 27, 2012, {{cbignore}}
    ARCHIVE-DATE=2021-12-13 TITLE=WILFORD BRIMLEY WINS CRAIG FERGUSON GOLDEN MOUTH ORGAN DATE=NOVEMBER 24, 2011, October 27, 2012, {{cbignore}}
    WORK=YOUTUBE ACCESS-DATE=OCTOBER 27, 2012 ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20140513182832/HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=XCLPPSCGILW, May 13, 2014,
    Mehmet Oz>Dr. Mehmet Oz| February 28, 2012ARCHIVE-DATE=2021-12-13 TITLE=CRAIG FERGUSON 2/28/12C LATE LATE SHOW DR OZ XD DATE=MARCH 20, 2012, October 27, 2012, {{cbignore}}
    WORK=YOUTUBE ACCESS-DATE=OCTOBER 27, 2012 ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20140513183222/HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=PTZLVQ-WVQI, May 13, 2014,
    ARCHIVE-DATE=2014-05-13 TITLE=CRAIG FERGUSON 2012.05.28 STEVEN TYLER DATE=MAY 9, 2012, October 27, 2012,
    ARCHIVE-DATE=2021-12-13 TITLE=CRAIG FERGUSON 6/12/12D LATE LATE SHOW ANDY GARCIA XD DATE=JUNE 13, 2012, October 27, 2012, {{cbignore}}
    WORK=YOUTUBE ACCESS-DATE=OCTOBER 27, 2012 ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20140513182954/HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=G7XTRSKKFPA, May 13, 2014,
    ARCHIVE-DATE=2012-12-27 TITLE=CRAIG.FERGUSON.2012.11.30 TOM HANKS, TIM MEADOWS, MAYIM BIALIK DATE=DECEMBER 1, 2012, December 1, 2012,

    Ratings

    In 2006, clips of The Late Late Show began appearing on the video sharing website YouTube. Subsequently, Ferguson’s ratings “grew seven percent (or by 100,000 viewers).“WEB,money.cnn.com/2006/12/08/magazines/business2/youtube_piracy.biz2/index.htm, For Google, the YouTube litigation threat was overblown. - Dec. 8, 2006, Chris, Taylor, CNN, During the week ending March 31, 2006, The Late Late Show attracted an average of 1.9 million total viewers,Jay and Conan Collect Week 28 Wins{{dead link|date=February 2013}}, an NBC Universal press release a number that increased to 2.0 million a year later.Jay and Conan dominate the Week of April 2–6{{dead link|date=February 2013}}, an NBC Universal press releaseDuring the week ending April 4, 2008, The Late Late Show attracted an average of 1.88 million total viewers; that week, for the first time since Ferguson began hosting, the show’s “five-night week of original head-to-head broadcasts”, which was later discovered to actually be four nights due to a difference in title,WEB,www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/02/18/craig-ferguson-takes-the-_n_87144.html, Craig Ferguson Takes The Lead In Late Late Night Ratings, Michael, Starr, 28 March 2008, Huffington Post, drew a larger audience than Late Night with Conan O’Brien.NEWS,www.reuters.com/article/television-latenight-dc-idUSN1040090020080411, Craig Ferguson claims rare win on late-night TV, 11 April 2017, Reuters, Reuters noted that “Ferguson’s bigger accomplishment seems to be that he has merely lost fewer viewers this season, with his total audience slipping 12% from a year ago, compared with a 24% drop for O’Brien”; the year-to-year decline in viewership was attributed to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike.The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson encountered new competition in March 2009, the first night of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. During Fallon’s first week, the new show averaged 2.4 million viewers, a half million more viewers than Ferguson’s show.March 13, 2009 review of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon from The Huffington Post Fallon maintained his lead over Ferguson during the show’s second week, but by March 16, The Late Late Show had attracted a larger audience.Late Night Ratings: Craig Ferguson Tops Jimmy Fallon, a March 19, 2009, article from Broadcasting & Cable In July 2009, Ferguson led Late Night in total viewers by a 25% margin.WEB,tvbythenumbers.com/2009/07/30/conan-obrien-wins-the-july-20-24-week-in-18-49-over-all-cable-and-broadcast-competition/23916#more-23916,tvbythenumbers.com/2009/07/30/conan-obrien-wins-the-july-20-24-week-in-18-49-over-all-cable-and-broadcast-competition/23916#more-23916," title="web.archive.org/web/20090802103652tvbythenumbers.com/2009/07/30/conan-obrien-wins-the-july-20-24-week-in-18-49-over-all-cable-and-broadcast-competition/23916#more-23916,">web.archive.org/web/20090802103652tvbythenumbers.com/2009/07/30/conan-obrien-wins-the-july-20-24-week-in-18-49-over-all-cable-and-broadcast-competition/23916#more-23916, dead, August 2, 2009, Conan O’Brien Wins The July 20–24 Week in 18–49 Over All Cable And Broadcast Competition â€” Ratings, TV by the Numbers, 2009-07-30, 2011-11-05, On September 22, 2009, the night Ferguson followed the Letterman interview of President Obama, his audience reached 3.24 million, the show’s biggest ever; Ferguson attracted two million viewers more than Jimmy Fallon and almost a million more than Conan O’Brien attracted an hour earlier.NEWS,www.nytimes.com/2009/09/23/business/media/23ratings.html, Obama Leads Letterman to Ratings Win, The New York Times, September 22, 2009, 2009-09-30, Mr. Obama’s appearance also helped deliver viewers to the program that follows Mr. Letterman, “The Late Late Show,” hosted by Craig Ferguson. Mr. Ferguson attracted his biggest audience ever, with 3.24 million viewers. He beat his NBC competitor, Jimmy Fallon, by more than two million viewers, and outdrew him in every audience category. (He even topped Mr. O’Brien in viewers by almost a million.), Bill, Carter, By the end of 2009, The Late Late Show topped Late Night with Jimmy Fallon in the ratings with a 1.8 rating/6 share and 1.6 rating/6 share, respectively.WEB, Weprin, Alex,www.broadcastingcable.com/article/190133-Late_Night_Ratings_Craig_Ferguson_Tops_Jimmy_Fallon.php, broadcastingcable.com, broadcastingcable.com, 2009-03-17, 2014-03-06, By May 2010, Late Late Show and Late Night were roughly tied in the ratings, with Ferguson leading in total viewers (1.7 million compared to 1.6 million for Fallon) and Fallon having a narrow edge in ratings.‘The Tonight Show With Jay Leno’ & ‘Late Night With Jimmy Fallon’ Deliver May Sweep Wins Over all Cable And Broadcast Competition {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100608095547tvbythenumbers.com/2010/06/04/the-tonight-show-with-jay-leno-late-night-with-jimmy-fallon-deliver-may-sweep-wins-over-all-cable-and-broadcast-competition/53249 |date=2010-06-08 }}. NBC press release (2010-06-04) via tvbythenumbers.com. Retrieved 2010-06-15.During November sweeps in 2011, The Late Late Show was third in late-late night broadcasting; its 1.7 million views were well ahead of Last Call with Carson Daly but behind the 2 million viewers of Jimmy Kimmel Live! and the 1.8 million viewers of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.WEB, Sweeps upset: ‘Late Show’ beats ‘Tonight Show’,www.medialifemagazine.com/forecasters-lower-ad-spending-outlook/, Here & there, December 5, 2011, Louisa Ada, Seltzer, Benefiting from a first-place lead-in and an earlier start time than its rivals, ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” was first in late-late night during November sweeps with 2.0 million total viewers, the show’s best number for any sweeps period in its nine-year history. NBC’s “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” was second with 1.8 million viewers, CBS’s “Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” third at 1.7 million and NBC’s “Last Call with Carson Daly” fourth at 1.0 million. Among 18-49s “Kimmel,” “Late Night” and “Late Late Show” each averaged a 0.6 rating, with the 1:37 am “Last Call” fourth with a 0.3., The 2012 November sweeps saw Jimmy Kimmel Live! edge ahead of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and The Late Late Show with 2.1 million total viewers, compared to Fallon’s 1.75 million and Ferguson’s 1.6 million.tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/11/30/abc-ranks-number-1-in-late-night-for-the-third-sweep-in-a-row/159865/" title="web.archive.org/web/20121203051013tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/11/30/abc-ranks-number-1-in-late-night-for-the-third-sweep-in-a-row/159865/">ABC Ranks Number 1 in Late-Night for the Third Sweep in a Row. ABC press release (2011-11-30) via tvbythenumbers.com. Retrieved 2013-10-20.

    Notable episodes

    {{see also|List of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson episodes}}

    International broadcast

    The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson aired in Australia on Eleven, first premiering on January 11, 2011.WEB, Knox, David, ELEVEN is on the air, TV Tonight, January 11, 2011,www.tvtonight.com.au/2011/01/eleven-is-on-the-air.html, December 25, 2014, NEWS, Joyce, James, Late Late Show Host Craig Ferguson Signs Off, The Sydney Morning Herald, December 18, 2014,m.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/late-late-show-host-craig-ferguson-signs-off-20141208-122ct2.html, December 24, 2014, In Canada, the series aired on CHCH, Global, and Omni Television.WEB,www.rogersmedia.com/late-late-show-with-craig-ferguson,www.rogersmedia.com/late-late-show-with-craig-ferguson," title="archive.today/20130216174500www.rogersmedia.com/late-late-show-with-craig-ferguson,">archive.today/20130216174500www.rogersmedia.com/late-late-show-with-craig-ferguson, dead, The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson - Rogers Media, 16 February 2013, 16 February 2013, rogersmedia.com,

    See also

    Notes

    {{Notelist}}

    References

    {{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

    External links

    {{The Late Late Show (American TV series)}}

    - content above as imported from Wikipedia
    - "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" does not exist on GetWiki (yet)
    - time: 7:20am EDT - Wed, May 22 2024
    [ this remote article is provided by Wikipedia ]
    LATEST EDITS [ see all ]
    GETWIKI 21 MAY 2024
    The Illusion of Choice
    Culture
    GETWIKI 09 JUL 2019
    Eastern Philosophy
    History of Philosophy
    GETWIKI 09 MAY 2016
    GetMeta:About
    GetWiki
    GETWIKI 18 OCT 2015
    M.R.M. Parrott
    Biographies
    GETWIKI 20 AUG 2014
    GetMeta:News
    GetWiki
    CONNECT
    © 2024 M.R.M. PARROTT | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED