The Late Late Show (CBS)
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Another program called The Late Late Show is Ireland's longest-running TV chat show.
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Image:Craig ferguson.jpg The Late Late Show is an American late-night television talk and variety show on CBS. It immediately follows The Late Show with David Letterman and is produced by Letterman's Worldwide Pants Incorporated in CBS Television City, next to the studio of the game program The Price Is Right. The program dates to 1995, and has had three permanent hosts: Tom Snyder, Craig Kilborn (1999), and Craig Ferguson (2005).
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Snyder
Tom Snyder hosted the program until 1999 in an intimate interview format somewhat similar to the Charlie Rose show.
Kilborn
The show was reorganized into a format closer to Letterman and other major late-night programs when Craig Kilborn took over in March 1999. Kilborn left The Daily Show to become the new host.
When Kilborn was on the show, it began with a full moon wavering behind gray stratus clouds on the screen, rated with a white TV-14 D logo, to the warm-up tune of a violin, while the announcer, the recorded, modulated voice of Kilborn himself, blurted out, "From the gorgeous, gorgeous Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles, California, it's the Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn. Tonight [...]", and then the guests were announced with the show's theme song composed by Chris Isaak. Then Kilborn was presented, "Ladies and gentlemen, this... is Mister Craig Kilborn", with the 1970s disco band Wild Cherry song Play That Funky Music.
After Kilborn's stand-up monologue, he walked to his "Bavarian old desk" while Isaak's theme song continued playing with the chorus "The Late Late Show gets started now".
Segments included:
- In the News
- What Up?, a Friday segment where Kilborn and three other panelists discussed and joked about the news; included a guest, and the director of the program, Mike Gibbons, who was introduced by Kilborn as "[One] of the most brilliant minds in show business", and, then, staff writer Goldie, "He was the editor of his high school newspaper". Each panelist, in turn, greeted, "What up, Craig?".
- Alex, the Disgruntled Old Page, a bad-tempered page acted by one of Kilborn's staff members, who thought his private thoughts "aloud", unintentionally.
- Sebastian, the Asexual Icon
- To Blank with Love; Kilborn dedicated verses to different people and things
- Five Questions; Kilborn asked a geography question, a "blank" question where the guest had to fill a blank with a word related to the guest, a "Now think of other one" question in which the guest had to guess what Kilborn had in mind
- Tuesdays with Buddy, with Buddy Hackett
- Clippings That Tickle Your Funny Bone
- a movie poster review segment
- A Recreation of a Press Photo
- Yambo, an elimination game between two guests
- Craig Kilborn, Man of 537 Faces
- A Late Late Show Do-Over
- a dance segment in which Kilborn said, "All I wanna do is dance"
Kilborn left the program on August 27, 2004, following negotiations which ended unexpectedly when he opted not to renew his contract.
Transition
Subsequent new shows featured guest hosts, culminating in week-long showcases for four finalists: Craig Ferguson, D. L. Hughley, Damien Fahey (an MTV VJ), and Michael Ian Black. It was announced on December 7, 2004 that Ferguson, a Scottish comedian best known from his role on The Drew Carey Show, was to become Kilborn's permanent replacement. A Chicago Sun-Times television critic reported that Letterman made the decision.
Ferguson
Ferguson's first show as permanent host aired January 3, 2005. Ferguson, who introduces himself as "TV's Craig Ferguson", spent the show's first few months tailoring the show to his own style, a comic sensibility far wackier than Kilborn's. He often opens the show with a (relatively) long monologue consisting of a single topic that weaves its way through each joke (similar to a stand-up comedy routine), rather than just a list of unrelated one-liners. Occasionally there will be story arcs for several days, such as "Flu Watch: 2005" and his ambition to be cast as "Fisherman #1" (formerly Fisherman #2) in the made-for-TV movie "Vampire Bats" (Premiered Sunday October 30, 2005).
Current regular segments include answering emails sent by viewers (his e-mail address varies with each episode), writing letters to his boss (David Letterman) asking for a raise, interviews done with a green screen (often played by Ferguson in costume), soap opera-style showdowns with actor Dan McVicar, and Craig "Getting his freak on" during comercial breaks.
One recent recurring segment has had clips of US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in a news conference with a second pair of hands added, performing various activities to occupy himself while being questioned, such as sorting a deck of cards and folding paper.
Other impersonations frequently done by Ferguson on the show include Michael Caine, Dr. Phil, Larry King, Kim Jong Il, Johnny Cash, Prince Charles, and Sean Connery.
The old opening theme for the show was dropped after Kilborn left. When Ferguson was hired as full time replacement, a new theme was rescored with Ferguson singing the original lyrics.
