Who is Craig Ferguson

On a Tuesday night in February Craig Ferguson tried something a little different. He did away with the audience, moved out to center stage, and spent an hour chatting with Stephen Fry. It couldn't have gone better.

Fry was erudite and charming, ("There are British people who are cool... There are people like me that are simply made of tweed.")

Stephen Fry: "Mr @craigyferg was entirely charming. Most unusual Late Late Show. Him, me - no audience. There was breeze & we shot it, fat & we chewed it"

Craig was his usual combination of interested and interesting, Even the robot skeleton army was appeased, perhaps by Frye's mention of Twitter, which he compared to the Agony Column of the Times of London.

A day or two later, Roger Ebert, the film critic, tweeted: "On Craig, Stephen Fry compared Twitter to the Agony Column of the 19th century Times of London." I found the Agony Column as interesting as Twitter, to tell you the truth, and the comparison is really right on the money.

CBS has only a 5 minute clip on their site, so the rest has been youtubed below.

This is one of those "don't miss" interviews, so don't miss it!

Craig Ferguson's Late Night "Experiment" Should Be Done More Often - "Great conversations don't take place when other people are watching them. They happen in the moment when the only people involved are the ones involved in the discussion. It felt real. Imagine such a concept on television." -TV Squad

"... for one night last week, Craig Ferguson of CBS' "Late Late Show" experimented with simply a one-on-one interview in a largely empty studio with actor, author and friend Stephen Fry. It was about funny stories, not jokes. It was sensational and, alas, just one night..." - Chicago Tribune

...Craig Ferguson delivered another brilliant night of TV by simply doing away with the audience and talking for one hour to one guest. Of course, he loaded the deck by making that guest the endlessly witty, clever, insightful, thoughtful talk show-guest-of-your-dreams Stephen Fry. But still, it was an arresting, wonderful hour akin to the glory days of Dick Cavett when he would just spend a day or two or an entire week talking to someone that fascinated him (and therefore us). - Huffington Post

Gerard Butler plays the Viking Stoick, chieftain of the Hairy Hooligans, and Craig Ferguson plays his sidekick, Gobber the dragon-fighting instructor.

Read more here.

How To Train Your Dragon is a hit! With a 97% favorable rating on the Tomatometer at Rotten Tomatoes, you know it's a winner.

"Consensus: Boasting dazzling animation, a script with surprising dramatic depth, and thrilling 3-D sequences, How to Train Your Dragon soars."

Check out Craig's "5 Favorite Movies" and see the interview with him about Dragons here.

If there's still an Emmy category for talk or variety shows, The Late Late Show's 1000th Episode should be a shoe-in. I can't remember a funnier, or more innovative show than this one was.

"You know how at night when you go to sleep, and the toys take over the nursery? That's what happened here." - Craig Ferguson (who did not appear in the show - at least not in human form. And no, I don't count Prince Charles as human.... )

"I don't think I'm a late night talk show host, and I don't think this is a late night talk show. I think that what we make here is just ours."

Take a look behind the scenes for a brief post-show interview with Craig.

" I don't know about you, but I feel like Ferguson has catapulted himself onto another level as late night host, separating himself from the pack." - Sly Oyster

" Ferguson is the best thing to happen to late night talk since Johnny Carson. Really. " - Cinema Spy

"... chock full of puppety goodness." Thus Spake Drake

"Funniest hour of TV anywhere. Wavy was in rare form." and "This is the most wonderfully demented thing I have seen on TV in a long while." - Commenters on Huffington Post

"Bitch, I will eat you!" - Wavy

Love Wavy the Allicrocodile (Crocoalligator)? Steve the Unicorn, Brian the Shark, Nadine the Kitty, or Kronos the Monkey? They were created by Folkmanis Puppets.

"I am personally such a huge fan of Craig Ferguson, so I was quite honored that he chose Folkmanis Puppets as an extension to his wonderful comedy" says Judy Folkmanis, creator and founder of Folkmanis. "It's thrilling to see Folkmanis Puppets used in late night comedy. Working in conjunction with The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on this amazing milestone show has been an exhilarating experience".

Ferguson, 48, wed his longtime girlfriend Megan Wallace Cunningham, an art dealer in 2008. - People Magazine

Comedian and talk show host Craig Ferguson's secret Christmas wedding almost ended in disaster when a snow storm forced nearly all the guests to miss the ceremony. - IMDB

For more photos of Megan Wallace Cunningham, visit here.

Watch his announcement to his studio audience.

That wicked Scots accent. How can you resist?

Please - the man even looks good in a kilt with a cowboy hat.

Intelligent, funny, sexy, and ::gasp:: Eur... I mean, an honorary... er, a real naturalized American citizen!

"The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson"
CBS, late night

Upcoming schedule.

There's a lovely list of upcoming appearances at "Craig Ferguson: The Best Thing on TV", stretching from February through October 2010.

CBS has added a page of highlights from Craig's shows, and some favorable reviews and snippets from various critics. I'm still trying to figure out how calling him a "former punk drunk" would be considered flattering. And, uh... don't they mean "salvation", rather than "salvage"?

Late Late Show Highlights

Here's one I haven't seen before - from Scotland on TV, broadcast in 1993, Craig Ferguson in a series of interviews with archaeologists and historians, showcasing Scots heritage sites.

The Scots accent is extremely heavy, so you'll have to pay close attention.

The Dirt Detectives

Great find for Ferguson fans!

Craig Ferguson: Do you do therapy?

Hugh Laurie: I see a gentleman once a week.

Craig Ferguson: I love it, I'm a great convert.

Hugh Laurie: Therapy?

Craig Ferguson: No, just seeing a gentleman once a week.

Update: See the clips below, of Craig taking the citizenship test in late January (he got 100% on the test,) and the swearing in ceremony in February 2008.

"Ferguson is in the process of becoming a US citizen.

On the Tuesday, January 22, 2008 airing of The Late Late Show, Ferguson announced that he was scheduled to take his citizenship test on Friday, January 25, 2008." - Wikipedia

"CHESTER - "Late, Late Show" host Craig Ferguson is expected to soon become a citizen of the United States and a voting resident of the small town of Chester.

The talk-show host, who reportedly owns a farm in Chester, thinks so much of his new home-away-from-L.A.-home that he has named his production company Green Mountain West Inc.

According to a 2006 story in the show business publication Variety, Ferguson named his production company after Vermont because he spends most of his free time here." - Rutland Herald

In a Scottish opera, it ain't over 'till the fat lady bitchslaps you.

I'm a vulgar lounge entertainer, I don't need to wear a tie.

Get well soon, Castro... [pause] Actually, no, don't - die you bastard!

I don't like my politicians entertaining me and I don't like my entertainers politicianing [sic] me.

He's German so he's Herr Ball. Herr Ball. His movies are so bad, cats choke when they hear his name.

That's here on CBS, where the 'C' stands for 'Classy' and the 'BS' speaks for itself.

I enjoy bathing, as many Europeans don't.

[Referring to Smokey the Bear] Kids: If a bear is wearing a ranger hat, it's because he ate the ranger!

Oh, this isn't a talk show; it's more just filling time, really, 'till the infomercials start.

I haven't had a drink in thirteen years, but occasionally I'm tempted to have one beer. The problem is that if I have that one beer, I wake up in Tijuana four days later with a tattoo and a sore ass.

Relax, you're among friends now. The long hard day is over and the roly-poly funny man is before you.

Just a warning: If you're a bunch of sexy teenagers at a lake where other sexy teenagers were killed 30 years ago, leave! The guy in the forest with a hockey mask... maybe doesn't play hockey.

I'm TV's Craig Ferguson, please sit down relax and: "take off your pants"; "dip your hand into a bowl of warm water and fall fast asleep"

The 2008 White House Correspondents' Association dinner will take place on April 26 at the Washington Hilton Hotel. White House Correspondents Association President and ABC News White House Correspondent Ann Compton announced that Craig Ferguson is the act for 2008 dinner.

"Craig Ferguson is a fresh take on late night TV. As a new citizen, a first time uncommitted voter, and someone who has looked at American politics from the outside, I am looking forward to his unique take on
our system," Ann said.

Mr. Ferguson announced it like this, "But I thought as soon as I become an American you know what is going to happen, I am going to get jury duty or the C.I.A. will get in touch and have me assassinate a foreign head of state. Anyway my first job as an American citizen I can exclusively reveal tonight is performing at the White House Correspondents Dinner weekend. I am doing it. I am doing it. I know! We can get that fixed. Anyway, I am not hosting it. President Bush was. It is a big fancy party in D.C. it is like the Oscars for politicians. There are 2,800 journalists in attendance, congress, military brass, cabinet. I sit at the top table with the President and First Lady right there. I am thinking does he know I can't be kicked out now? Like it would be the big thing have the dinner and my last act at President, you go home Ferguson. I am like I am home."

You can get your own rattlesnake mug from the House of Tasso.

Don't forget to visit the American International Rattlesnake Museum in Albuquerque.

This funny column appeared in the Washington Post. Pictured, Craig Ferguson as Tom Cruise.

Don't miss the original video - hosted (for now anyway) on Gawker.com.

"Mom! Tom Cruise is scaring people again!

It's on the Internet, this promotional video he did for the Church of Scientology. I guess it's out there because of this new book by Andrew Morton, "Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography." It was on several sites, but then disappeared on some and reappeared on others. Gawker.com posted a cease-and-desist letter it said was sent by attorneys representing the church. The letter, according to the site, says the "copyrighted" video was stolen from the church, and demands that it be taken down.

In the video, still posted yesterday on Gawker, The Tom is wearing a black turtleneck and talking to an interviewer just off camera -- for nine minutes! -- about how he wants to help and how he's met with "leaders" all over the world and how they want his help, and how Scientology is "wild and woolly" and how he doesn't like people sitting on the sidelines of life, and how he's "canceled that in my area." And he keeps laughing really LOUD and it really doesn't make any sense and he keeps showing all his teeth and barely blinking and I got really scared but I watched the whole thing even if I didn't want to, and now I can't sleep without the light on..."

See more at Washington Post

Interview with the St. Petersberg Times, in which Craig hints he might leave The Late Late Show at the end of his six year contract:

"Turns out, the Glasgow-born entertainer has figured out one thing he doesn't like about his job. He can't stand being famous.

"I just don't know if I like being that visible," he said. "I don't know if I would want to ramp that up any more, you know. And people here find that, I think, quite difficult to (understand)."

The article goes on....

"Clearly, the industry is watching. Last year, Ferguson earned an Emmy nomination - which became a well-worn gag when he lost to Barry Manilow* - and stars such as Rescue Me creator Denis Leary admit recording the show just to watch his opening patter.

Let others trade gossip on whether Saturday Night Live alum Jimmy Fallon will get Conan O'Brien's 12:30 a.m. gig (Conan's scheduled to take the 11:30 p.m. slot when Leno retires in 2009.) Ferguson is quietly setting his own standard, building a loyal audience along the way."

*Note that Barry Manilow is scheduled to be on the show this Thursday night, 11/1.

On that stupid format change that broke his monolog into two parts, and luckily only lasted 4 days:

"The only time Ferguson nearly lost his audience's devotion: when he went along with a test to divide his precious monologue with a commercial break, helping the program's ratings but incensing longtime fans.

"We lasted four days. . . . The reaction was resounding," said Ferguson, who saw e-mails and telephone calls pile up the morning after the experiment started. "When people get p---- at something I say, I pay very little attention to that because, you know, you can't do a show like this every night and not offend somebody. But with something like a format change, I think that belongs as much to the audience as it does to me.""

What a great quote in this article:

"Even when the guest is shambling along, Ferguson is furiously digging around them for comic material with the joy and accuracy of a truffle pig.

... Somehow, Ferguson has got around the "tell a joke" model and creates the impression that everyone in the studio is already party to a joke in progress. In the process he creates an irresistible bonhomie. No need to get the party started. It is already well under way the moment Ferguson starts talking. He insinuates a co-conspiracy and we the audience, go, "well, ok, fine, you're on." The on-air relationship is, in the words of our favorite linguist, Michael Silverstein, maximally presupposing. It assumes what other comedians must labor to create."

4/1/2010 From CBS Press Release:
"Late Show" Wins 1Q over "The Tonight Show" in Viewers for the First Time Since 1995
"The Late Late Show" Notches its First 1Q Viewer Win over "Late Night"

For the first time since 1995, CBS's LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN beat "The Tonight Show" in viewers during the first quarter while THE LATE LATE SHOW (with any host) posted its first 1Q victory in viewers over "Late Night" and also placed first in adults 25-54 for the first time, according to Nielsen most current ratings for 1Q 2010.

LATE SHOW was up +4% in both households (2.8/07 from 2.7/07) and viewers (3.93m from 3.80m) in 1Q 2010, topping "The Tonight Show" in both households (2.8/07 vs. 2.5/06, +12%) and viewers (3.93m vs. 3.71m, +6%) for the first time in the quarter since 1995. LATE SHOW averaged a 1.3/05 in adults 25-54 and 1.0/04 in adults 18-49.

THE LATE LATE SHOW with CRAIG FERGUSON (1.4/05, 1.89m) was up +14% in adults 25-54 (0.8/04 from 0.7/04) in 1Q, and even in both adults 18-49 (0.6/03) and adults 18-34 (0.4/02). LATE LATE SHOW beat "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" in households (1.4/05 vs. 1.2/04, +17%) and viewers (1.89m vs. 1.67m, +13%) and tied in adults 25-54 (0.8/04, each).

THE LATE LATE SHOW (with any host) beat "Late Night" (with any host) for the first time ever in the quarter in both households and viewers, tied in adults 25-54 for the first time and was in its closest competitive position in adults 18-49 (-0.1, 0.6/03 vs. 0.7/04).

Latest ratings via TV By the Numbers February 2010.
THE LATE LATE SHOW with CRAIG FERGUSON posted a 1.6/05 in households with 2.11m viewers, up +7% in both households (from 1.5/05) and viewers (from 1.96m) compared to the same week last year. LATE LATE SHOW was up +25% in adults 18-34 (0.5/03 from 0.4/03), and was even in both adults 25-54 (0.8/05) and adults 18-49 (0.6/04) compared to the same week last year. LATE LATE SHOW posted its best households rating since the week ending Dec. 19, 2008, and best viewer total since the week ending Sept. 25, 2009 (premiere week).
THE LATE LATE SHOW beat "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" by +45% in households (vs. 1.1/04), +33% in viewers (vs. 1.59m), +14% in adults 25-54 (vs. 0.7/04) and tied in adults 18-34.

6/09 via TV By The Numbers:

THE LATE LATE SHOW with CRAIG FERGUSON posted a 1.3/05 in households with 1.72m viewers in the week ending June 12, 2009, up +2% in viewers (from 1.69m) and even in households compared to the same week last year.

THE LATE LATE SHOW was even in adults 25-54 (0.7/04), adults 18-49 (0.5/03) and adults 18-34 (0.4/02) compared to the same week last year.

Television year-to-date, LATE LATE SHOW is up +8% in households (1.4/05 from 1.3/05), +9% in viewers (1.88m from 1.72m) and even in adults 25-54 (0.7/04), adults 18-49 (0.6/03) and adults 18-34 (0.4/02) compared to the 2007-08 television year.

1/23/09 via CBS press release:
THE LATE LATE SHOW with CRAIG FERGUSON out delivered "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" in viewers and households and continues to narrow the season-to-date gap in key measures, according to Nielsen live plus same day ratings for the week ending Jan. 16.

LATE LATE SHOW posted a 1.5/05 in households with 2.08m viewers, up +7% in households (from 1.4/05) and +8% in viewers (from 1.92m) compared to the same week last year. LATE LATE SHOW was up +25% in adults 18-34 (0.5/03 from 0.4/02) and even in both adults 25-54 (0.8/05) and adults 18-49 (0.6/04) compared to the same week last year. Note: LATE LATE SHOW was delayed until 12:53 AM Thursday due to the Bush Farewell Speech.

THE LATE LATE SHOW with CRAIG FERGUSON beat "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" in households (1.5/05 from 1.4/05, +7%), viewers (2.08m vs. 1.85m, +12%) and tied in adults 25-54 (0.8/05 vs. 0.8/04). Note: "Late Night" was a rebroadcast on Friday.

Season-to-date, LATE LATE SHOW is up +8% in households (1.4/05 from 1.3/05), +9% in viewers (1.91m from 1.75m), +14% in adults 25-54 (0.8/04 from 0.7/04) and even in both adults 18-49 (0.6/03) and adults 18-34 (0.4/02) compared to last year.
LATE LATE SHOW has improved its season-to-date competitive position with "Late Night" in viewers (-60,000 viewers in 2008-09 from -120,000 viewers in 2007-08), adults 25-54 (tied in 2008-09 from -0.1 in 2007-08) and adults 18-34 (-0.3 in 2008-08 from -0.4 in 2007-08).

4/10/08 - NEW YORK - Recently sworn-in U.S. citizen Craig Ferguson is being embraced by his new countrymen: The late-night comic hit a ratings milestone last week with his first victory over NBC's Conan O'Brien.

USA Today

10/18/07 - In late night, NBC's "Tonight Show with Jay Leno" finished first for the week yet again, averaging 5.0 million total viewers and a 1.5 rating among adults 18-49. "The Late Show with David Letterman" on CBS had 3.6 million viewers and a 1.1 rating in the demo, with ABC's "Nightline" bringing in 3.6 million viewers and a 1.1 18-49 rating. In late-late night, NBC's "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" had 2.1 million total viewers and a 0.9 in 18-49s, with ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" averaging 1.9 million viewers and a 0.7, CBS's "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" at 1.7 million viewers and a 0.6, and NBC's "Last Call with Carson Daly" bringing in 1.2 million viewers and a 0.5 among 18-49s.
Source: Media Life Magazine