The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson is coming to an unfortunate end tonight. During its ten years in CBS' 12:30 AM time slot, it's been home to over two thousand episodes of the most refreshingly format-bending programming any late night talk show has ever produced. Even with over half of its run being spent in a rinky-dink closet of a studio where Murphy's Law ran wild, Ferguson's razor-sharp wit and improvisational style made the show a true standout.
Like many, I first took notice of TLLS somewhere between 2006 and 2007 when highlights began hitting Youtube. While there were plenty of amusing sketches to go around, the monologues and interviews are what really piqued my interest. The initial approach was admittedly more traditional, but it became more and more relaxed with time. As Ferguson's confidence in deconstructing the genre grew, worn out standbys like jokes read from monitors and mapped out celebrity chats were long gone. One of the show's most famous trademarks is the shredding of the pre-interview questions as the guests are seated. It's long been clear that this was something special, and I quickly found myself making sure to catch every single episode.
My viewership has rewarded me with innumerable laughs and good vibes all around. Alongside its wonderfully warped version of the obligatory talk show fare, additional oddities like intentional awkward pauses, over-the-top puppet-filled lip sync numbers, and absurd Tweet and E-Mail answer segments insured that each episode was well worth staying up for. While Ferguson ultimately eased into a bit more of a routine once the robot skeleton and pantomime horse sidekick characters Geoff Peterson and Secretariat were in full swing, the unique voice of the show has remained firmly intact the whole way through.
Despite my deep admiration of the topic at hand, finding the words for this post has been a daunting task. The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson has been a remarkable landmark of television, and its importance to me on a personal level can not be understated. There's no way to adequately convey its positive impact. It's raised my spirits through many of my worst moments, and lifted me higher on even the best of days. I know there are countless others who can say the same.
The silver lining here is that the ever talented Ferguson will surely go on to do many more great things with his career. I'll continue rooting for him at every step of the way. Even so, seeing this iteration of The Late Late Show come to an end is bittersweet at best. Hopefully I and the rest of the devoted Robot Skeleton Army can "smile because it happened" rather than "cry that it's over."
For now Mr. Ferguson, I bid you adieu.
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I'm kind of sad I never wathed the Late Late Show. Ferguson was definitely the most insightful, and the funniest of the late night hosts.
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