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On the box

On the box

In Australia, the history of late-night television is much revered.

However, since Rove left a big gaping hole in local variety programming back in 2010, nothing and no one has stepped in to fill the void. That is to say, nothing and no one who is Australian, anyway.

Late night television is something of an institution in the States, and has been so for the better part of 30 years.

In fact, the hours of 11pm-1am are coveted slots of almost prime-time proportions.  

Twelve-piece bands, carefully-crafted jokes and relevant Hollywood star guests are a stark contrast from our local equivalent – though there are people that do enjoy learning how to use that steam mop or that re-run of that really interesting episode of Offspring (nothing personal, Offspring, I’m just not that into you).

The Late Late Show occupies the airtime directly following David Letterman’s Late Show on the CBS Network.  Craig Ferguson – better known as being playing a supporting role in the Drew Carey Show in the early 2000s – took over the program in 2005 and has slowly built up a large cult following.

Ferguson is fast becoming a real success story in the entertainment industry and his quirky style and ability to break a lot of the conventions of television in general, makes his show refreshing to say the least.

In comparison to competitors such as The Tonight Show, The Late Show or even Letterman’s own program, The Late Late Show is very toned down in its delivery. There is no band leader, there is no orchestra and there is no smarmy human offsider.

The set is incredibly minimalist, and Ferguson’s co-host is a broken skeleton robot (named Geoff Petersen). The program is presented in such a stripped back way that it almost gives off an “underdog” feel. Instead of the glamorous vibe synonymous with late night television presentation, Ferguson’s show almost has a no frills, a grainy feel to it and this is one of the reasons that it is so endearing.

As a host, the Scottish-born Ferguson is charming and hilarious and is always at his best. Everything Ferguson does on the show almost references the fact that his show is a little different – from the fact that Ferguson starts every show with members of his audience joining him onstage for a questionnaire, to the use of animal puppets that use foul language.

Ferguson takes elements from the standard late night program formula and puts his own take on them – electing to have his desk littered with personal objects, tearing up guest cue cards to acknowledge that the interview is ad-libbed.

Even his audience interaction through his staple mailbag segment has Ferguson’s quirkiness stamped on it. 

To put it plainly, the Late Late Show is a captivating deconstruction of the entire variety genre.

If you’re not already watching it, you’re either asleep or stupid.

The Late Late Show airs on Channel 11 on weeknights at 10.30pm.

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