Craig Ferguson, former host of CBS's 'The Late Late Show,' has no interest in returning to late night television. He discussed this while promoting his new role as host of The CW's 'Scrabble' game show for its second season. Ferguson emphasized his pride in past work but prefers current projects like game shows and podcasts.
Craig Ferguson hosted 'The Late Late Show' on CBS for ten seasons from 2005 to 2014, succeeding Craig Kilborn and preceding James Corden. After Corden's exit in 2023, the show ended, and now CBS plans to cancel 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' in May, marking the end of the franchise that began with David Letterman in 1993.
Ferguson, who rarely watches late night TV, told Variety he feels unqualified to comment on the industry's shifts. 'I didn’t really watch late night television before I did it, and then I certainly didn’t watch it while I was doing it, and then afterwards, I don’t really watch it,' he said. Despite fan suggestions last year to revive the format with him, Ferguson is firm: 'That’s not something that I’m into. You only do it two days in Shawshank, right? First day and last day.' He values his past show highly but believes repeating it would diminish its worth.
These days, Ferguson focuses on game shows. He previously hosted 'Celebrity Name Game,' 'Join or Die With Craig Ferguson' on History, and 'The Hustler' on ABC. Now, he takes over 'Scrabble' Season 2 on The CW, replacing Raven-Symoné, with the premiere set for Thursday at 8 p.m. ET. A lifelong Scrabble player, Ferguson appreciates the game's TV adaptation for capturing its competitiveness. 'I’ve been playing Scrabble since I was a kid,' he noted, adding that contestants are exceptionally skilled.
Hosting appeals to him for its improvisational freedom: 'There’s really no prep. I go and I play the game with the contestants.' Tapings often exceed the 44-minute runtime due to his banter, leading to extensive edits. Fans of his quirky style—featuring elements like a robot sidekick and puppets on his old show—will enjoy his dance openings, though Scrabble enthusiasts seem unfazed by it.
Beyond TV, Ferguson launched his podcast 'Joy, a Podcast, Hosted by Craig Ferguson' in 2023, favoring in-person interviews. His standup tour 'Pants on Fire' resumes February 5 in Charlotte, North Carolina, though he is unsure about filming a special. 'Scrabble' is produced by Hasbro Entertainment, The CW, Mattel Television Studios, and Lionsgate Alternative Television, with David Hurwitz as showrunner.