“The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” wasn’t a turducken of stupid, but it was one of the most irreverent and off-the-wall comedy shows around for the duration of its 11-season run. Flipping to the show for the first time, perhaps in a bleary late-night haze, was a memorable experience for anyone who expected something along the lines of a Jay Leno or David Letterman-like show. Always-off-script Ferguson flirted benignly (and reciprocally) with guests, had full conversations with his robot assistant Geoff (Josh Robert Thompson), sipped from a rattlesnake mug he then sometimes revealed to be empty, and ended up running entire segments of the show behind when his direct addresses to camera or riffs on the time-slot, CBS, or some other topic went overtime.
The show was inspired and uproarious leagues funnier than anything else on late night, and emotionally honest when it wanted to be. Joe Bolton, who worked on production for “The Late Late Show” and appeared as one-half of the costumed horse Secretariat, will return to work on the new series as a writer along with Richard Easter. Ferguson himself is set to executive produce, along with Tom McLennan. Potential buyers are set to see the pilot this week, so we’ll keep you posted when we know exactly where “Channel Surf with Craig Ferguson” will land.