There's no late-night host in history who has gained such a cult-like following as Craig Ferguson. But perhaps the best thing about Craig is the fact that he didn't really try to 'gain' it. His laissez-faire attitude is what people just adored about him. And yet, his show won a coveted Peabody Award. That was the thing about Craig's Late Late Show, which followed the acclaimed David Letterman's Late Show, you didn't know what it was going to be while always knowing what it was. Craig would always be himself but would find ways of authentically surprising you. The same can't be said for any of the current talk show hosts.
In so many respects, Craig Ferguson embodies the talk show audiences need right now. It's an embodiment that hasn't been seen since his 2014 exit from late-night. While the death of late-night, as well as the job of a talk show host, has been slowly occurring for years, there's no doubt that things took a major turn when Craig Ferguson moved on. Here's why...
Inside The Death Of Late-Night
You can't talk about the death of late-night without talking about the rise of technology and the internet. It used to be that people would tune in every night to watch Johnny Carson, Jack Parr, or some of the other kings and queens (ahem... ahem... Joan Rivers) of late-night. It was event television. And it was something that would get into almost everybody's home as there were only so many channels to tune in to. The same could be said of David Letterman and Jay Leno's initial runs on as late-night hosts until corporatism in the realm of the internet and broadcasting came into play.
The more channels that came in, the more talk show hosts, and the audiences for Jay and David diminished some. Then the internet arrived in all its glory and made their shows need to be more and more about click-bait and moment-grabs instead of interviews, comedians doing stand-up, and the host's opening monologue. Jay also got himself wrapped up in a major war with Conan O'Brien that caused friction in the industry. And David, well, as he would probably admit, got bored of the job and that permeated into almost every moment.
Craig Ferguson, on the other hand, was keeping things alive in a very unique way. But more on that later.
After Craig, David, and Jay's departures, audiences saw the rise of Jimmy Fallon, a host who many believed was fake and tried too hard to be liked by his guests and online losing any real depth, edge, or authenticity. He's a boring, safe choice that doesn't try anything new but appeals to the needs of the internet, not unlike Lilly Singh. The same is often said about Craig's predecessor, James Corden, who has reduced The Late Late Show to carpool karaoke gags and living memes. It's not entirely any of their faults, their respected networks are likely making them do this to stay relevant and make them money.
Then there's Stephen Colbert who excelled in his Colbert Report role doing political satire but hasn't looked comfortable filling David Letterman's shoes. This is why politics have become heavy on his show, something audiences don't seem to be interested in as they've always looked to late-night for an escape from that, more or less. The same is true for Seth Meyers who still feels like he's doing "Weekend Update" on SNL.
Jimmy Kimmel was an interesting host for years. He's always been authentic, heartfelt, and funny. But he too has been a victim of the need to create online content over quality late-night programming. Not to mention the fact people are always finding something controversial about his past bits. The guy tries, but he's having a hard time winning.
Between the flaws of the current hosts, corporatism in the technological age, and the rise of long-form interviews like on Joe Rogan's Podcast, Howard Stern's radio show, and even in the political satire realm, such as Real Time With Bill Maher, late-night appears to be over. It would, however, likely return, if there was someone like Craig Ferguson.
Why Craig Ferguson Was The Last Great Late-Night Host
Craig Ferguson took a page from the early work of David Letterman when he took over The Late Late Show in 2005. He went for Avante-Garde bits and took risks. But eventually, Craig found his own footing in the late-night world. ...He made it an authentic satire. While both early David Letterman and Conan O'Brien made a mockery of the genre in their own way, Craig took it in a different direction.
Instead of a real co-host, he had a gay robot skeleton. Instead of pre-planned interviews, he visibly tore up the questions and had an authentic (and sometimes awkward) conversation with his guests. Instead of doing rehearsed joke after joke, he riffed and sometimes spoke about what was really on his mind. On top of this, he wasn't afraid to delve into the strange and wacky even if it didn't always work.
For many, Conan O'Brien did a lot of the same thing. Although, he leaned more towards the silly than he did the heartfelt or genre satirizing. Conan also transformed his hour-long show into a 30 minute one, attempting to make it more relevant to the internet age prior to him leaving the genre this year. He tried to alter things to keep them relevant, personal to him, and simultaneously respectful to what came before. Craig, on the other hand, was a revolutionary. He waged war against the status quo, but he did it with charm, charisma, optimism, and without ego.
Craig Ferguson designed his entire show around poking fun at industry standards, the medium itself, his lack of qualifications for it, and was authentically funny and heartfelt right to the very end. The guests loved him. His fans still can't stop talking about him. And his departure from late-night signaled the end of what the medium once was. Now the hosts repeat versions of the same jokes, compete for internet relevancy, and do everything not to stir the pot.
Boring.