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.
