Reaction to the News
As word spread Monday evening that Craig Ferguson will step down as host of The Late Late Show in December, reaction poured in from everywhere. Fans expressed a combination of dismay about losing their late-night dose of Craigy goodness, and hope for the future because of the many fun and interesting projects Craig will have time to pursue once he’s away from the daily grind of a network talk show. And it is most definitely a grind: Those involved, from the on-air talent to the writers, to the technical crew and support staff, say it is rewarding but challenging work to create an hour of engaging and entertaining television every day. And while Craig will continue to be involved in television, his new schedule will have some clear time benefits. As host of the syndicated game show Celebrity Name Game, taping will come in bursts; with several shows being taped at once over the course of a few weeks, followed by some time off. And much of his other work in television will be as an executive producer, giving him time to consider the big picture without having to perform on camera every day. We expect he’ll enjoy it and come up with whole new ways to entertain.
Media Reaction
We’ll spare you all of the news stories filled with the (still mostly incorrect) reasons why Craig is leaving the show, and the renewed speculation about who might replace him. As we posted last time, Craig talked directly with the trade publication Variety, which outlined his reasons. A follow-up story Tuesday in Variety careened off into fantasy land again, so we’ll skip that one as well. But there were some wonderful stories that focused primarily on the great work Craig has done in the past ten years. National Public Radio explains how he “unmade” the late-night talk show. The Washington Post offers a guide to the weirdness of the show. Bustle.com understands that he had already been planning to move on. Canoe.ca wonders if anyone can sustain being a “hot” performer for long. And Esquire bemoans the loss of the “most hit-on man in the history of television.”
Fan Reaction
Fans had a lot to say, with an outpouring of emotion on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and every other outlet available to them. Our favorite so far, though, comes from Becka, who explained her feelings on the caigy-fergs Tumblr page. If you have a post on your website, Tumblr, or other story about Craig you’d like to share with the rest of the robot skeleton army, please let us know by tweeting us a link, or by using our Contact Us form. We anticipate there will be many to come over the next eight months.
HTTYD2 Premiere
The DreamWorks animated feature film How To Train Your Dragon 2 hits 2-D and 3-D theaters worldwide on June 13, but as the eagle-eyed @bgrhubarb noticed on a fan blog, there will be a world premiere screening on June 8 at the Regency Village Theatre in Westwood, California. If you’re in the greater Los Angeles area, you’ll have a chance to see it before the rest of the country and maybe spot a celebrity.
Praise from Letterman
On Tuesday’s Late Show, Deadline.com reports David Letterman says Craig made The Late Late Show unlike any other late-night show, and added that for anyone to be truly unique in television is virtually impossible. That says a great deal. Here is the clip:
