Who Should Be The New Craig Ferguson?

Many of us are bummed that Craig Ferguson is leaving the Late Late Show. I may have a replacement. A little off the wall, but I think the fans of Craig would approve.

Craig is a recovering alcoholic and drug user. Craig is a Celt. Craig is a very proud naturalized US citizen. Craig is an energetic supporter of our troops. Craig is completely crazy. Craig is 52 years old.

My replacement candidate has all these same qualifications. He is a recovering alcoholic and drug user. He is a Celt. He is a very proud naturalized citizen. He is an energenic supporter of our troops. He is completely crazy. He is 55 years old. 

Any guesses yet? I think that last fact is a killer. Craig is 52, my candidate is 55. The networks always want to go younger. Jimmy Fallon was considerably younger than Jay Leno, Stephen Colbert is more than 15 years younger than Letterman. The one exception is Seth Meyers who is slightly older than Fallon but both are around 40.

The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson was/is an oasis in the late night TV landscape. Letterman, Leno, Kimmel, Fallon, Meyers, Arsinio, Conan all did mostly the same show. A topical monologue, a comedy bit at the desk, an interview with a big star promoting their latest project, a lesser celebrity interview, maybe a comedian and a musical act. Craig hardly ever did a topical monologue but it was still funny. He didn't get the big stars and even when he did, he barely mentioned their big movie/TV show/tour/play/project. He often had on an obscure author or an international actor. He very rarely had a musical guest. 

Part of the difference between Ferguson's show and the others was the way CBS has treated that time slot for decades. They never have spent much money on the show. It started with Tom Snyder, two chairs, a table and a couple of ashtrays. The big difference was that Craig was different. He didn't seem to care how popular his brand of humor was. He wasn't concerned that the very good New Zealand author wasn't trending on social media. Craig was mostly funny and irreverent but when a serious guest came on with a serious issue, he showed great knowledge, insight and asked probing questions. For those that don't know, Craig Ferguson won a Peabody Award for his interview of Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The humor is bawdy and off center. Craig flirts with every woman who comes on the show and thankfully many play along and flirt back. He is also not afraid of dead air. An awkward pause is one of his classic bits. 

So, Mr. Ferguson is leaving and we need a new wacko. I think Stephen Colbert will be good as Letterman's replacement but I predict the show will be mostly a traditional late night show. Plug the network shows, get the big stars on to plug their movies, get the reality/social media bimbos on, have a musical guest. We need an off the wall non-conformist on the late night landscape.

Have any idea who my perfect but very obscure recommendation is? He already works for CBS. The scheduling may be a problem if he keeps both jobs, but it is possible. You can get a preview of his twisted mind (or lack of) now.

Still no guess? It is .................... David Feherty. He is an Irish born (Northern Ireland) US citizen with an extremely warped sense of humor. He hosts an interview show on Golf Channel so he has the basic talk show skill. He is not a professional comedian, but he has done monologues and is naturally funny. He is very curious about everything, as is Craig.

I know it's a stretch and I have no idea if David would even take the job if offered. That's my suggestion, what is yours? There have been no leaks from CBS so maybe I'm right.

wjh