Is it just me or the late night talk shows all seem so bland now? With the hosts busy sucking up to their guests, and doing short youtube friendly skits to attract the young demographic. So many shows, yet so little compelling content (exception: carpool karaoke).
That’s why I think very fondly of Craig Gerguson’s 9 year stint on The Late Late Show.
He was funny, irreverent, heartfelt, surly, witty, and genuine.
Above all, he was unique, so was his show. How unique was it? Here are just a few examples:
- He wrote his own theme song, sang lead vocal and played drums
- He never had a band, nor a human sidekick, instead, he had a witty robot skeleton named Geoff
- He always rips up the guest’s prepared note card before each interview, prefers to go off the script instead
- Many cold opens with a puppet rabbit, followed by two guys in a horse costume thrown in at random intervals for good measure
- He never refrained from constant cussing, which of course is bleeped out, but he made a game out of trying to circumvent the censors with clever worded jabs
- His guests are often not from show business, but authors, writers, and artists from all stripes. No lame cooking segments or animals trainers. It’s one of only talk shows where you can actually learn something useful.
Through it all, Craig remained unabashedly true to himself. He’ll make you laugh one minute, melancholy the next, and introspective after. With Craig, you’ll more than likely to experience the full emotional spectrum under 60 minutes.
Boy was it fun while it lasted.
Here’s a clip of his funny yet honest take as a recovering alcoholic and defending Britney Spears no less.
His memorable banter with the late and great Robin Williams.
A taste of his legendary flirty interviews with young actresses.
Secretariat dance!
And finally, my favorite late show opening song of all time.
Oh Craig, in the age of political correctness, clickbaits and meaningless chatter, your show was a breath of fresh air and a not so subtle middle finger to the established norms and “the man”. For that, I can’t thank you enough.
The show had ended, the memories live on, bless you Youtube!
What’s your favorite Craig moment? Feel free to share in the comments!