After eight years working within the late-night TV space, James Corden signed off from The Late Late Show for the final time this past April as part of the 2023 TV schedule. And he did so in tremendous fashion, as he enlisted buddy Tom Cruise for one final stunt and had Adele pop in for Carpool Karaoke. CBS subsequently announced the replacement for Corden’s show – @Midnight, a former Comedy Central production. All the while, some may have been wondering what the British presenter’s next career move might be. Well, he found it, as it’s been confirmed that the star landed a radio gig. Now, we can add him to the list of former talk show hosts who found intriguing jobs after their time on the small screen was done.

What Does James Corden Have Planned?

SiriusXM announced in a press release this week that it’s teaming up with the Into the Woods alum for a new program. The show is called This Life of Mine with James Corden and will see the eponymous host chat with major stars, who will discuss the key aspects of their lives. The overall goal of the series is to shed light on different facets of the entertainment industry’s most notable talents. The broadcasting company’s president and COO, Scott Greenstein expressed his excitement over collaborating with Corden, calling him “an incredible talent.” The star also shared some positive sentiments about launching the production: 

This is a major professional step for the 45-year-old London native. He previously explained that he felt it was time to say goodbye to The Late Late Show because he wanted to spend more time with his family across the pond. While the regional logistics for the series weren’t specified, one would think it’ll be recorded in the UK. What we know for sure is that the company is aiming to launch it in early 2024. A radio show feels like a unique gig for the Cinderella alum, but he’s far from the first late-night vet to stick with interviewing after leaving a program. 

Jay Leno, David Letterman And More Found A Variety Of Ways To Keep Working After Ending Their Talk Show Stints

Contrary to popular belief, there is life after late-night TV. Since exiting The Tonight Show in 2014, Jay Leno – who’s said he doesn’t miss having the show – has done a lot. The veteran comic has continued to tour and participate in stand-up engagements. He’s also filled his time with speaking engagements and a few commercials. On top of all that, he had a CNBC show called Jay Leno’s Garage, which was canceled after seven seasons in 2022. 

David Letterman has mostly been leading a chill life in the years since he stepped down from his post at The Late Show in 2015. He has, however, made a few surprise appearances at comedy shows and more. And in 2018, Letterman returned to TV with the now-acclaimed series My Next Guest Needs No Introduction (which is available to Netflix subscribers). And even before ending Conan in 2021, the titular Conan O’Brien started a weekly podcast titled Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend. And of course, one has to mention the fact that Craig Ferguson, James Corden’s predecessor, has hosted game shows like Celebrity Name Game and The Hustler and written books since leaving the desk.

So James Corden is in good company when it comes to former late-night stars who’ve had second chapters. I’m interested in seeing just how his radio show pans out and hearing the Hollywood stories that are unearthed because of it. 

The world of late night TV will get shaken up a few months into 2023, as James Corden will be saying goodbye to The Late Late Show after eight seasons. It’s not yet clear who’ll be replacing him on the CBS staple, with many possible options for the gig, and I haven’t been alone in hoping that former host Craig Ferguson would opt in on getting back behind the desk. That’s now less likely than ever to happen, however, because Ferguson is actually trying to get back into the late night game with an entirely different series that looks to shake up the status quo. 

If the TV gods are listening to what Sony Pictures TV is pitching, then audiences around the country may soonishly be tuning into Channel Surf with Craig Ferguson. The new project, which Deadline reports is being shopped around Los Angeles this week, will put the spotlight squarely on the Scottish-American comic’s comedy skills, while still utilizing his talents as a host.

Serving as Ferguson’s first potential return to late night since exiting The Late Late Show in 2014, Channel Surf won’t be a talk show in the traditional sense. Instead, it’ll feature the longtime sober host and friends reviewing the most amusing, shocking, and ridiculous clips from other TV shows airing that week, which sounds like something similar to the former E! series Talk Soup. Here’s how Ferguson explained his motivation for bringing this concept to life:

It’s not often humanity’s televised foibles  get compared to trios of savory birds being combined for prime chow-down-ability, but I’m as hungry for that as anything else on the small screen if Craig Ferguson is at the forefront. Especially if one of the “friends” that he brings around is, for example, a blue-eyed robot skeleton who answers to the name Geoff Peterson. (Not sure if that would be a creative rights issue with The Late Late Show, but whatever it takes!)

Rather than just hitting up Hollywood with a game plan and an eye twinkle, Craig Ferguson, Sony and the production company Whisper North filmed a pilot episode in the UK in early January that will be used as a proof of concept. It’s being formatted as a 30-minute series, as opposed to the full hour slot that talk shows take up in the late night realm, and will also (perhaps obviously) be going the syndicated route. In that way, it can perhaps fill the gaps once filled by other recently concluded or in-flux series, from Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (canceled) to The Daily Show and The Late Late Show itself, which are both currently without permanent hosts lined up for the foreseeable future.

Ferguson definitely hasn't been slouching in the years since he left late night, as he went right into hosting the game show Celebrity Name Game for the following few years. He's put out two comedy specials, hosted the mystery reality series The Hustler, and has guested on a variety of other projects such as Name That Tune and Jay Leno's Garage, and also popped up in the star-filled tribute video to Bob Saget last year. Not to mention all the scripted work he's done, from voicing Gobber in various How to Train Your Dragon shows and films to the 2020 feature Then Came You to Netflix's Love, Death + Robots. But still, we need him in late night, agreed?

So here’s hoping Channel Surf with Craig Ferguson lands a home successfully, quickly, and with the best platform possible. Until then, head to our 2023 TV premiere schedule to see what else is hitting the small screen soon.

When I first learned that The Late Late Show with James Corden was coming to an end because Corden was stepping down as host of CBS’ talk show after nearly a decade on the job, I knew the announcement would be met with some differing reactions from the public. However, all that went through my mind was the question of whom the English Emmy and Tony Award winner would be passing the torch to when he officially leaves in the spring of 2023.

Later, I heard from Variety that CBS was considering abandoning the single-host format and replacing the actor with a whole panel. I will certainly keep that exciting idea in mind as I present a few people I think would make for a great new Late Late Show host (or hosts, perhaps).

Neil Patrick Harris

Like James Corden, Neil Patrick Harris has won multiple Emmy Awards and a Tony Award and has hosted a few award ceremonies to great acclaim, including the Oscars in 2015. Of course, that information just barely scratches the surface as to why the multi-talented and effortlessly charming former How I Met Your Mother cast member would kick serious butt as the new face of The Late Late Show.

Tig Notaro

Acclaimed stand-up comedian and Army of the Dead cast member Tig Notaro once hosted an online talk show called Under a Rock, which sheds light on her inability to immediately recognize celebrities by challenging her to guess the name of her guest in each episode. I think the experience might have served as great preparation for her to take on a job like hosting The Late Late Show, which would also give her the opportunity to become a little more in tune with pop culture.

Samantha Bee

Someone with experience hosting a late night show and whose own Emmy-winning program was recently and suddenly cancelled after seven seasons on TBS is Samantha Bee. I believe the Full Frontal host deserves to be given another chance to have her bold, unfiltered voice heard as the headliner of another show and I like the idea of her following her fellow former Daily Show correspondent — Late Show host Stephen Colbert — every night.

Nish Kumar

A comedian known for hosting the United Kingdom’s own equivalent to The Daily Show, The Mash Report, from 2017 to 2020 is Nish Kumar, who is severely underrated and underexposed in the United States. Because James Corden was also not very widely known to American audiences before taking over as host of The Late Late Show, maybe the gig could help the British-Indian comic — who already deserves another show, in my opinion — achieve greater status here.

Richard Ayoade

Another supremely talented British comedian I thought of to replace Corden (and I promise the amount of fellow U.K. natives on this list was purely coincidental) is Richard Ayoade, whom most probably recognize as Maurice Moss on one of the funniest British comedies on Netflix, The I.T. Crowd. He has brought his signature, subversive wit to various hosting gigs over the years — i.e. his Oscars Slap joke at 2022’s British Academy Television Award — and I believe it deserves a more stable home for American audiences to bear witness to on a nightly basis.

Matt Berry

Ya know, if The Late Late Show does become a panel talk show, I think it would be a great opportunity for Ayoade to reunite with fellow The I.T. Crowd star Matt Berry as co-hosts. Yet, that being said, the star of FX’s series adaptation of What We Do in the Shadows (and Toast of London, to name just a few) — with his velvety, booming voice and impeccable comedic talent — would be a more-than-perfect choice on his own, too.

Keegan-Michael Key

Ever since he and Jordan Peele brought their beloved, eponymous sketch comedy series to a close in 2015, Keegan-Michael Key has been busy doing a bunch of stuff, from poking fun at musicals with Cecily Strong on Apple TV+’s Schmigadoon! or doing the same with Hollywood’s obsession with reboots in the Reboot cast for Hulu. The Emmy winner has also tried his hand at hosting the likes of game shows, awards ceremonies, and even daytime TV (with a guest host gig on Live with Kelly and Ryan), but not late night, which I think he would be a fantastic candidate for. 

Tiffany Haddish

Tiffany Haddish has also been a guest-host on Live with Kelly and Ryan, as well as Ellen, in addition to hosting TBS’ movie presentation lead-in talk show, Friday Night Vibes, for 13 episodes and winning an Emmy for hosting Saturday Night Live in 2018. Let alone the fact that she is one of her generation’s most renowned comedians and versatile talents, she certainly has the right experience to show that she is ready to take on a gig like hosting The Late Late Show.

Aziz Ansari

Since he and the rest of the Parks and Rec cast had their final curtain call, Aziz Ansari has been up to a lot of different things — such as creating and starring on the Emmy-winning Netflix comedy, Master of None, and working on his feature-length directorial debut, Being Mortal — but “host” is not a title he has added to his resume since the 2010 MTV Movie Awards. I think we should change that, because The Late Late Show could use someone with the unique, comedic perspective that he has shown in some great stand-up specials over the years.

Billy Porter

I am not sure if there is anything that Billy Porter cannot do, based on his Emmy Award win for his starring role as Pray Tell on Pose, multiple Tony Award wins, and reputation for consistently employing the most entertaining presence in whatever project he is involved with — such as in Amazon Prime’s Cinderella cast, for instance. Therefore, even if he was not brought on as the sole host of The Late Late Show, his lively, infectious, flamboyant personality would easily make him the most memorable member of the panel.

Craig Ferguson

Do you remember when Conan O’Brien took over The Tonight Show for an astoundingly brief seven months and people got pissed when the person he replaced, Jay Leno, came back to host it afterward? I think that if Craig Ferguson — the person James Corden replaced — were to come back to The Late Late Show, it would have the opposite effect, because the Scotsman remains, in the eyes of many, the most beloved host in the show’s history.

Especially if the multi-host format becomes a reality, the possibilities of who could take The Late Late Show to new heights in its next era are endless.

While Scottish folk can stereotypically be tethered to libations such as beer and whisky, celebrated comedian and TV host Craig Ferguson hasn't been associated with spirits and ales in quite a long time. The long-sober Ferguson has long been one of the entertainment world's most thoughtful and authentic speakers on the topic of alcoholism and sobriety, so it's with no small feelings of celebration that the former talk show frontman shared the personal hallmark that he is now 29 years sober.

One of social media's more subtle gems, Craig Ferguson took to Twitter to share the great news with the world, marking nearly half of his lifetime has been spent on the sober side of the coin.

Let's all give a joyous, but non-alcoholic, toast to Craig Ferguson for making it 29 years without relapsing into drunken regrets. That kind of an achievement is especially important to a lot of people out there who are struggling with sobriety during pandemic isolation. It's as vital a time as ever for people to find friendships and support online even beyond in-person relationships. Anything to make it through one day at a time.

Fans of Craig Ferguson no doubt remember some of his most moving monologues and stories that dealt with his sobriety and the demons of his past. Check out one of the best examples below from 2007, which is no less relevant today.

Craig Ferguson has been in the news recently for a completely different subject, though one that still reflects on his thoughtful and kind nature. As reactions to Framing Britney Spears have been making waves (and inspiring celebs like Justin Timberlake to make years-later apologies), Ferguson has been applauded by fans anew for being the rare TV personality to show Britney Spears any form of compassion during the time when she was making headlines during various stages of her mental distress. And to think, he thought he was going to get in trouble for that kind of thing.

Even though everyone has been reflecting back on the excellent and still-missed The Late Show with Craig Ferguson, fans probably should not build up any big hopes that the comedian might return to a similar gig any time in the near future. Here's how Craig Ferguson reacted as recent as late January 2021 to a fan's request for a Ferguson-fronted talk show to return to TV.

Maybe there will be a day in the distant future where Craig Ferguson takes a second look at the talk show world and decides to come back for a project similar to Netflix's My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman. With plenty of interesting and thought-provoking projects that came to life in the wake of his Late Show stint, Craig Ferguson can currently be seen heading up ABC's trivia game show The Hustler, which airs Thursday nights at 10:00 p.m. ET.

Late night television can be tense. Writers scramble to write jokes relevant to the daily news cycle, sometimes before thinking about whether or not a joke needs to be made in the first place. While many back in 2007 were coming up with their best material poking fun at Britney Spears' very public troubles, Craig Ferguson was ready to make a stand for the pop star. That meant no jokes about Spears, even if it cost him his job.

Ferguson is currently doing press for his recently released docuseries Hobo Fabulous and talked about the time he stood up for Britney Spears. This was President's Day 2007, and Ferguson was headed to work not long after Spears made national news for checking out of a rehab facility after one day and then shaving her head.

Craig Ferguson didn't want to kick Britney Spears while she was down, and instead, delivered a monologue about concern for Spears and shared his own struggles with addiction. Ferguson told Yahoo he had just celebrated 15 years of sobriety that weekend, so for him to see what Spears was going through made him recall some of his own rock-bottom moments.

Obviously, Craig Ferguson kept his job on The Late Late Show for seven more years after the incident, and didn't say he faced any repercussions for his defense of Britney Spears. Ferguson said he never heard from Spears, nor did he expect or need to, though he did share a story that possibly confirmed Spears got word of his monologue and wanted to thank him for it.

As mentioned, Craig Ferguson is currently promoting his Hobo Fabulous docuseries, which is part standup comedy, and part Ferguson chronicling his ups and downs of traveling on the road. Viewers also get to hear the comedian talk a bit about his life, which should be a treat for anyone who misses seeing the former host of The Late Late Show host late at night.

How Craig Ferguson Really Felt About Not Getting David Letterman's Job

Those looking to check out Craig Ferguson's Hobo Fabulous can find it on Amazon Prime and various other platforms. Stick with CinemaBlend in 2020 for all the latest news happening in television and movies.

The best episodes of Lip Sync Battle often result from the most unexpected appearances. Actors, comedians, and celebrities not necessarily known for high-energy performances have a tendency to cut loose when they appear on the Spike TV series, and the results are generally fantastic. This week's episode of Lip Sync Battle will see a showdown between late night comics when Craig Ferguson goes head to head with Jay Leno, and it is already clear that Ferguson is bringing his A-game to the affair. In fact, a clip from one of his performances has just hit the web, and it is guaranteed to be one of the most insane things that you will see all day. Check out the clip below to see for yourself. You have been warned.

I know that clip does not provide us with a look at Jay Leno's performance on the upcoming episode of Lip Sync Battle, but it is very clear that he has his work cut out for him. Craig Ferguson goes full out with his rendition of ABBA's "Take A Chance On Me," and he holds nothing back in his performance. Whether or not that's commendable is up to you to decide, but there's certainly no denying that Ferguson gives this performance everything he has. His intensity alone is phenomenal, but the song is made all the more memorable by the inclusion of a bizarre blonde wig and a delightful cat shirt. Seriously, where do I buy one of those shirts?

Arguably no reaction to this clip sums up Craig Ferguson's performance more than the look on LL Cool J's face as he watches the late night comedian make a complete and utter fool out of himself. The Lip Sync Battle host has pretty much seen it all since the Spike TV series premiered in 2015, but Ferguson seems to have induced a face that we have seldom seen from the rapper-turned-actor.

That is the beauty of a show like Lip Sync Battle; it affords well-known and beloved public figures the chance to cut loose and showcase a side of themselves that we do not often get to see. Sure, Craig Ferguson is known as a career comedian all around the world, but he is still a relatively straight-laced comic who wears a suit, tells nightly monologues, and interviews guests. Unlike Jimmy Fallon, he is not known for passionate lip-syncing, and it's awesome to see an entirely new side of the TV funnyman.

We will keep you up to date with all of the latest and greatest Lip Sync Battle news as more information is made available to us. Make sure to watch Craig Ferguson and Jay Leno square off against one another on Thursday, January 19 at 10 p.m. EST on Spike TV, and check out our comprehensive midseason premiere guide for more information about all of the most highly anticipated spring TV debuts.

They say you should always write what you know. Second to that would be to always give clues in game shows about what you know. And one would think that former Beverly Hills 90210 star Shannen Doherty would be able to describe a certain part of the female anatomy to another woman with little trouble. And yet...well, just watch.

If we’re being honest, if I was the guessing contestant in this game, it would probably take me a few tries to get to uterus as well, but nothing Doherty said in the clip (from Zap2It) would have brought me any closer to the correct guess. But I suppose “It’s inside,” would have clued me in to it not being her outer thighs or her pubis.

Power to the giggling Doherty for continuing through it, though, as she clearly just wanted to run away and hide her face, which she did immediately after the round was over. We should all be so lucky as to have a Craig Ferguson to use as a shame shield. His face here was absolutely priceless.

Ferguson, a master at pointing out the ludicrousness behind things, gives the perfect piece of silver lining criticism to the actress after she was done hiding.

This is the second game show moment involving a vagina that’s come up this week, as just the other day a Family Feud contestant destroyed Steve Harvey by referring to it as “the lower front.” We have to assume that there won’t be anything involving genitalia appearing on The Price is Right, as that might involve breaking a law or two.

Now in Season 2, Celebrity Name Game will soon feature such entertainers as Candace Cameron Bure, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, “Weird” Al Yankovic, Mario Lopez, Randy Jackson, Cat Deeley, Kate Walsh and more. Meanwhile, Doherty was one-half of the GAC reality show Off the Map earlier this year, will reprise her role for Kevin Smith’s upcoming MallBrats, and will star in James Franco’s delayed biopic Bukowski whenever it comes out. Not to be left out, Ferguson will expand his hosting career with a new show on History Channel called Join or Die.

You can find Celebrity Shame Ga…er…Celebrity Name Game airing every day in syndication. Check your local listings.

It’s a great day for America everybody. Craig Ferguson may not care that he isn’t the host of The Late Late Show, but for fans there has been a significant lack of the off-the-cuff, tell-you-what-he-thinks comedian on television. That looks to be changing as his production company just got the greenlight for a new series. Ferguson will be the host of Join or Die a new series for the History Channel which, believe it or not, will actually deal with history.

According to a press release sent out by History’s parent A+E Networks, 16 episodes of the new show have been ordered. Called Join or Die, the new show will be a panel discussion show where Ferguson will talk about a different topic in American history with a combination of scholars, celebrities, and, via social media, the public. Who was the greatest Founding Father? What was the biggest presidential campaign flop? These and other topics will be discussed in a 30 minute format that will combine Ferguson’s trademark iconoclasm with his own knowledge of history. The series is being produced by Green Mountain West, Ferguson’s own production company.

The title comes from the slogan coined by Benjamin Franklin to attempt to unite the disparate colonies prior to the American Revolution. It’s also the tattoo that Ferguson got when he became a US citizen in 2008. In his memoir American on Purpose he told the story not only of his career but of his voyage to becoming an American citizen. He probably has a better working knowledge of much of American history that the rest of us, having studied it much more recently. This should make him a more than adequate host when discussing historical realities with scholars. We already know he can hold his own talking with celebrities. The series also promises extensive digital pieces, so expect to see a lot of YouTube material bouncing around social media in order to help promote the show. This will likely also be how the creative team plans to bring in the public to interact with the show.

Producing Join or Die will put Ferguson on double duty as he’s still also hosting the syndicated game show Celebrity Name Game. There had also been talks about getting the late-night veteran back into a regular talk show, but that idea hit a number of stumbling blocks and appears to be dead.

It’s going to be great to see Craig Ferguson back on TV in a format that will showcase his strengths so well. No premier date was mentioned so we’ll have to play the waiting game for a while, but if you’re a fan of Ferguson, history, or both this should be a great show.

The late night talk show world can be a vicious and cutthroat environment. When Conan O’Brien was asked to take a step back for Jay Leno, he left town. When David Letterman didn’t get Johnny Carson’s job, he did the same thing. So when Craig Ferguson announced he was leaving The Late Late Show shortly after Stephen Colbert was announced as Letterman’s replacement, many assumed the two items were related. But were they? According to Ferguson, fuck no.

Ferguson holds little back speaking to The Daily Beast about his decision to leave CBS after 10 years. According to him, he was never angling for the earlier time slot. While Ferguson has nothing but positive things to say about his time with the show, you also get the distinct impression that he’s glad to be doing something else for a change. He’s currently hosting the syndicated game show Celebrity Name Game and has a new stand-up special Just Being Honest about to premier with EPIX.

Ferguson’s show was very different from anything else in late night television. He regularly shared the stage with an effeminate robot and a pantomime horse. He once turned an entire episode into a wake for his father. He gave a monologue on the history of his own sobriety. It’s hard to believe Ferguson would have been able to get away with such things in the more-watched 11:30 pm time slot. This may come much closer to explaining Ferguson’s exit. “Late Night TV” is a special class of television that it seems like Ferguson was never comfortable being grouped into.

In his 2009 memoir American on Purpose, Ferguson says more than once, “between safety and adventure, I choose adventure.” While hosting The Late Show certainly would have been an adventure, it doesn’t look like it was the one Ferguson wanted. It’s one he’d already been on for a decade. Meanwhile, The Late Late Show is now being hosted by James Corden.

The world of late night talk shows isn’t often one of fluid tumultuousness and frequent reorganization, but the last couple of years have seen nearly constant changes on all fronts. Some desk-bound stalwarts are leaving, some have already left, and new faces are here to take their places. It’s a far different time from the days when Jack Paar and Steve Allen were the cream of the crop, and so we thought we’d pay tribute to the after-hours hosts by ranking the 15 greatest late night personalities of the modern era.

No, you won’t find the still-in-its-youth Last Week Tonight here, nor the ridiculously short-lived Chevy Chase Show. But we’ll certainly be seeing another Saturday Night Live vet in here somewhere.

15. Tom Snyder

Because of his newscasting background, Tom Snyder could sometimes come across as the driest of all the late night hosts, but it also meant that he was capable of delivering an interview that you just wouldn’t see on anyone else’s program. As the chainsmoking host of Tomorrow with Tom Snyder, he interviewed the Sex Pistols, John Lennon and Charles Manson. And when he debuted as host of the newly-formed Late Late Show in 1995, he kept the no-audience interviews going, perhaps most notably with a pre-arrest Robert Blake. Nobody did cool like Tom Snyder.

14. Joan Rivers

Joan Rivers became a household name as a Tonight Show guest, certainly a feat on its own, and ended up becoming the first female late show host in 1986 with Fox’s The Late Show with Joan Rivers. (A show that essentially ended the close friendship between Rivers and Johnny Carson.) The ratings were unfortunately abysmal, since Fox was still struggling at that time, and she and her producer husband were soon fired and replaced by others. And though she went on to host other successful series, I always wished Rivers would return to late night in some way.

13. Craig Kilborn

Can’t you just hear that opening lick of “Play that Funky Music?” Starting out as a Sportscenter anchor, Craig Kilborn brought Comedy Central’s The Daily Show to national prominence in 1996, leaving that show behind to take over The Late Late Show in 1999. With segments like “5 Questions” and “Yambo,” Kilborn tried to spice up the late night scene by keeping things playful, and he was pretty successful at it, depending on who you talk to. He exited the show rather abruptly in 2004, and has yet to return to the late night format. Or any longterm hosting format, really.

12. Bill Maher

Arguably the most “love him or hate him” entry on this list, the sarcasm-spewing Bill Maher is undoubtedly the King of Opinionated Late Night. With the long-running Politically Incorrect, Maher mixed politics and comedy years before The Daily Show would excel at it. Maher then wisely jumped from broadcast TV to HBO for the even more pointed talk show Real Time with Bill Maher. Despite not having a closet full of Emmys to go along with his plethora of nominations, Maher remains as pundit-ly poignant as ever, since the political machine will never stop whirring.

11. Jimmy Fallon

Jimmy Fallon, who left Saturday Night Live in 2004, took over NBC’s Late Night after Conan O’Brien went off on his shortlived Tonight Show stint. Oddly enough, Fallon also followed in O’Brien’s footsteps (and Jay Leno’s) when he took over The Tonight Show in February 2014. Though his signature style of laughing at everything grates some viewers’ nerves, there’s no denying that he turned The Tonight Show into a celebrity-drenched viral phenomenon, bringing a slew of younger viewers to the late night crowd.

10. Jay Leno

Jay Leno is a prime example of how a job can change a man, as his run on The Tonight Show turned him from a genius stand-up comic into a rounded-out showman. A genial and supremely talented showman, to be sure, since honing oneself to an audience is probably the best way to keep a hosting gig for over 20 years. Removing personal opinions about how his shortlived Tonight Show exit went, Leno seems like the kind of guy that could walk into any room imaginable and win at least most of the audience over. And if all else fails, there’s always “Headlines.”

9. Chelsea Handler

It’s a damned crime that there aren’t more women in the late night host annals, but I’m pretty sure Chelsea Handler would have run them all out of the room anyway. When she started up E!’s Chelsea Lately in 2007, Handler was an instant firecracker, mixing lewdness and pop culture with a revolving door of promising new comedians and performers beyond her celebrity guests. We can’t wait to see what she does next with her Netflix-exclusive series coming next year. We’re going to watch it late at night, so that she still fits on this list.

8. Arsenio Hall

With a seemingly endless abundance of energy, Arsenio Hall broke out in the late night game taking over The Late Show after Joan Rivers’ run, soon getting his own Arsenio Hall Show, which ran in syndication from 1989-1994. He got a second chance to achieve post-primetime fame with the revived series of the same name, but it only lasted a single season from 2013-2014, despite a Season 2 renewal. It’s a shame, as Hall’s interview style was enjoyably relaxed and often silly, with a selection of guests – Jim Henson, Jason Voorhies, Bill Clinton – that rivaled any other show.

7. Stephen Colbert

The one person on this list whose hosting persona is a fictional extension of his own personality, Stephen Colbert stepped out of his Daily Show correspondent spot to make some Eagle-wing-shaped waves as the host of the satirically conservative Comedy Central series The Colbert Report. With an unwinking smile and a reliance on The Word, Colbert often used hyperbole to make his points; it sometimes led to awkward interviews, but they were almost always memorable. He’ll be taking over for David Letterman as the Late Show host starting in September, and we’re optimistic he’ll make a smooth bear-free transition.

6. Jimmy Kimmel

As the former host of Win Ben Stein’s Money and The Man Show, Jimmy Kimmel seemed destined for late night stardom, and it came in 2003 when he brought Jimmy Kimmel Live! to audiences on ABC. (It’s not actually live, as Thomas Jane’s filthy mouth put an end to that fairly quickly.) Though it took Kimmel a while to fully adjust himself to the gig, the show has become an online sensation in recent years, with nearly every episode producing viral videos, often involving people reading Mean Tweets about themselves.

5. Craig Ferguson

Stand-up comic and actor Craig Ferguson wasn’t necessarily the most obvious choice to take over The Late Late Show following Craig Kilborn’s departure, but he immediately made it his own. Who needs a human sidekick when you can use a skeleton named Geoff and a pantomime horse named Secretariat? Though the series had its fair share of jokes and silliness, Ferguson was a master storyteller, and often worked more serious subject matter into his interviews and segments to accompany the product plugging. His presence on late night, which came to an end after Stephen Colbert landed the Late Show job, has been missed.

4. Jon Stewart

With pointed flabbergast and anger-tinged sarcasm as his biggest weapons, Jon Stewart turned The Daily Show from a humorous talk show into a nightly social studies lesson. By honing down the most important events plaguing 24-hour news cycles, Stewart has given a flashy education to his series’ younger demographic, and he’s seemingly one of the few hosts out there whose form of self-editing is largely absent. His upcoming departure from The Daily Show will be almost as hard to take as (insert joke about any Presidential administration), and I can’t foresee anyone as a suitable replacement.

3. Conan O’Brien

With a head full of red hair and The Simpsons on his resume, Conan O’Brien was tapped to take over as host of Late Night when David Letterman shot out for CBS. With Andy Richter and drummer Max Weinberg’s band (and a masturbating bear) by his side, O’Brien became an instant jolt of offbeat comedy and absurdity. Though it seemed like his Tonight Show snafu might derail the host completely, O’Brien changed things up for TBS’ Conan, which is arguably an even more enjoyable series than Late Night was. Viva la Cuba!

2. Johnny Carson

There’s no way to sum up what Johnny Carson meant to the world of late night hosting, as he serves as the clear connection between the format’s early years and the modern era. As the host of The Tonight Show from 1962 until 1992, Carson was a towering benchmark for many hosts to come, and inspired just about anyone who ever sat behind a talk show desk, late night or otherwise. Beyond the stellar bits like Carnac the Magnificent, The Tonight Show created careers for comedians and other entertainers, and Carson was the man to impress in those situations. His career and influence are unparalleled.

1. David Letterman

Yes, Johnny Carson may be the most inspirational talk show host who ever lived, but he bowed out in 1992, when the late night scene was started to thrive. (Because of age, but still.) David Letterman got his big break in 1982 on NBC’s post-Carson Late Night, for which he served as the kooky young guy running around Rockerfeller Plaza until 1992, when he was surprisingly passed over for the Tonight Show gig so that Jay Leno could achieve stardom. From there, Letterman hopped ship to CBS for The Late Show, created just for him. With only a minimal insertion of calmness, Letterman has been rocking the Late Show stage ever since, and over the years has run the emotional gamut from hilarious to sincere to pissed off to sardonic to saddened. He lived to see late night explode, and will presumably leave an enormous crater when he steps down from the Late Show desk in May. We’ll all just have to start contacting the home office in Sioux City, Iowa to get our own Top Ten lists from now on.

With all the shake-ups happening in the world of late night talk shows, it’s not surprising that there would be a failure in the bunch, though this one sadly got canned before getting a chance to do anything. Former Late Late Show host Craig Ferguson had plans to bring his good-natured comedy to audiences with another talk show of a different nature, but it looks like negotiations have fallen through before anything was set in stone. Lame move, Tribune Media.

Back in August, four months after he first announced that he would be leaving The Late Late Show, it was revealed Ferguson was moving forward with a Tribune Media-produced syndicated talk show, also with a daily schedule planned. Expected to premiere in the fall of 2016, the series would have also featured Ferguson’s robot sidekick Geoff (along with voice actor Josh Robert Thompson), his pantomime horse pal Secretariat, and showrunner Michael Naidus, none of whom Ferguson wished to part with. But like Secretariat’s mane, it’s all in the wind at this point.

According to Deadline’s sources, the deal fell through for several reasons. One of them was a problem getting stations cleared in non-Tribune markets, and that numbers discussions between Tribune and Sinclair Broadcasting were full of issues, with no agreements made in the end. Both companies push Ferguson’s other syndicated gig, the game show Celebrity Name Game, which seemed like a good lead-in for the Scotsman getting this project off the ground as well.

It was somewhat surprising that the excellent Late Late Show finale came and went with still no news of the new series, but I guess now we know why that was. While I won’t name any names, it’s shameful how many uncharismatic people get hired to host their own daily shows, while the always genial and hilarious Ferguson gets the runaround. While it’s vaguely possible that someone else would step in and bring this show to fruition, it’s not likely.

Oddly enough, one of the last times that a comedian had a syndicated talk show deal fall through, it involved Craig Kilborn and his Fox project The Kilborn Files. Kilborn, of course, was the host of the Late Late Show before Ferguson got on board. Tribune was also the company behind Arsenio Hall’s recent return to late night, and that show ended up getting canceled after one season despite getting a second season renewal. I’m going to have a grain of salt handy the next time Tribune hooks up with any funny people.

Meanwhile, The Late Late Show is currently in its first week of guest hosts, which will continue until permanent host James Corden takes over on March 23. Do you guys miss Ferguson yet?

Craig Ferguson has done a lot of outside-the-box things during his run with The Late Late Show, and there was little doubt that his final show as host would contain some big surprises. But for a while there, it looked like Ferguson was taking a gracious and straightforward bow out. And then this twist ending galloped along.

First of all, I’d like to give Craig Ferguson and his team a slow clap, not only for putting together a fantastic talk show over the past ten years, but for paying homage to two great sitcoms of years past during his final show. Pop stars be damned.

In true deadpan style, Ferguson’s old four-legged pal Secretariat pulled off his fabric head to reveal comedy icon Bob Newhart inside the costume. (I’d like to think this is how Bob Newhart has spent his time over the years, but that’s probably animal cruelty.) Newhart then doubles down on the surprises by revealing the Scot’s entire Late Late Show has all been a dream.

This superb ending recalls the memorable Newhart finale, in which The Bob Newhart Show’s Bob Hartley wakes up and reveals Dick Loudon’s run at the Stratford in was all a dream. Only instead of Suzanne Pleshette and Newhart in bed, it’s Ferguson and Drew Carey, reprising their respective roles from The Drew Carey Show. I don’t think anyone expected these guys to end up in bed together all these years later, but times are a’changing. There’s a great well-meaning jab at Carey, where Ferguson says he’s better when he’s not “thin and game show host-y.”

Beyond a solid and non-showy final interview with Jay Leno, Ferguson also put the following star-studded video out there, set to Glasgow band Dead Man Fall’s “Bang Your Drum.” Steve Carrell. Lisa Kudrow. Samuel L. Jackson. William Shatner. Kristen Bell playing drums on her pregnant belly. It’s all here!

Now that Ferguson is leaving, the world will enter a dark period (of repeats) until Drew Carey takes over as the first in a line of guest hosts, bridging the gap until The Late Late Show's new host James Corden takes over later next year. He’ll be following Stephen Colbert’s Late Show gig, and TV will never be the same.

Farewell, Craig, Secretariat and Geoff. May the grass always been greener.

James Corden is not a household name…yet. The British actor that has been tapped to take the mantle of Late Late Show host recently discussed just what convinced him to make the leap into late night. Just as his day job of acting was taking off, Corden got the nod as one of the frontrunners to take over for Craig Ferguson in the cushy 12:30 late night slot on CBS. But just what exactly convinced him to take the offer seriously?

With his acting career starting to flourish and a cushy role in the Christmas tentpole film Into the Woods, you would think that late night was the last thing on the actors mind. According To Deadline, Cordon may not have initially taken the job if it wasn't for the email he received from Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn.

Corden will be the youngest of the late night hosts and is thus feeling the pressure to bring a young and hip feeling to his vision of the show. Corden believes that the new show should be “a party every night”, especially since it will be filming in Los Angeles and have a slight advantage in booking guests. Corden has already received well wishes and phone calls from late night staples like Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Colbert who advised not to beat himself up for the six months should things go sour at the get go. Still, for Corden, it all comes back to that phone call from Horn.

Sometimes it just takes that extra push and it appears that Mr. Horn was “The Godfather” to Corden in making his final decision to dip his toes in the late night waters. Outgoing host Craig Ferguson has established a fierce fan base over the past decade and Corden hopes to build upon that when his show debuts on March 9th of 2015.

Late Late Show fans sadly only have around six weeks left with longtime host Craig Ferguson, as he is packing up and shipping out of the host chair on Friday, December 19. For his last show, he’s bringing in someone very familiar with departing the late night world: former Tonight Show host Jay Leno. That’s a pretty stellar way to go out, don’t you think?

Jay Leno last hosted the Tonight Show on February 6 of this year – after previously “last hosting it” in May 2009 during the Conan O’Brien debacle – and he’s actually returning to The Tonight Show on Friday night to chat it up with current host Jimmy Fallon. He’s been on the Late Late Show before, as seen in the video below, so it should be a pretty good time, especially if Ferguson is manically treating it like the last day of school.

Chances are, the discussion will center on Leno’s new show Jay Leno’s Garage on CNBC, which will presumably be just like his web series of the same name. Ferguson may also develop another series for himself in the future, but for now, he’s hosting Celebrity Name Game. Perhaps neither of their future projects will come up, and they’ll just do keg stands and try to ride Secretariat around the set. Perhaps not.

All of Ferguson’s December guests have been revealed, and he’s got a host of superstars lined up, many of whom have made his quirky show their home multiple times in the past. The early weeks of the month will see actors like Steve Carrell, Don Cheadle, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis and Carrie Fisher show up to talk about their projects. (I cannot wait to see Fisher in particular.)

For the final week, he’ll have on Tim Meadows, who holds the title of most appearances on Late Late Show, with 41. Later we’ll see Thomas Lennon, who’s been on the show 30 times, and Betty White, who’s shown up for 23 appearances. That last week also has Jon Hamm, Angela Kinsey, Larry King and Jim Parsons. Go big or go home. Or in this case, go big AND go home.

Following Ferguson’s departure on December 19, CBS will be handing over the Late Late Show reins to James Corden. Perhaps he’ll have Arsenio Hall or some other former talk show host as his first guest.

While we have all been waiting and discussing Letterman taking his last bow on the Late Show stage, Craig Ferguson’s transition away from CBS has been a whole lot quieter. Ferguson’s last day on air will happen this December and CBS is looking to switch to his successor with lighting speed. On Thursday, the network announced that new guy James Corden will be taking over The Late Late Show in March of 2015.

The Late Late Show with James Corden will be hitting the schedule on a Monday March 9, to be exact. A few of the other details have also been worked out with CBS. Producer and director Ben Winston will join Corden on The Late Late Show, serving as his executive producer. CBS Entertainment Chairwoman Nina Tassler mentions in the announcement that Ben and James are friends in real life. The two have also worked with one another on the James Corden: May I Have Your Attention, Please? short.

We don’t know much else at this point about how The Late Late Show with James Corden will be set up, but we do know a bit about the British comedian, who appears to be a jack of all trades. He’s a writer and the co-creator of the British series Gavin & Stacey. In the US, people are probably a little more familiar with his stint on Doctor Who and his role in the Three Musketeers reboot, although you may not recognize him in the latter due to all the additional hair.

Finally, the man’s also a Tony and BAFTA winner.

It will be interesting to see whether or not Corden manages to sink or swim on American late night, but unfortunately, his tenure automatically means the loss of Craig Ferguson, who has dominated in the late late slot for the past decade. The man’s already forging forward with a new career path, signing on to host Celebrity Name Game and working on a deal for another talk show in a syndicated format. In the meantime, Ferguson is still set to host The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson until December 19, giving us plenty of time to say goodbye to the likable Scott and his robot sidekick, Geoff Peterson.

It’s always tough when late night shows transition, and CBS has two different hosts taking over timeslots within the next twelve months. We expect the late night shakeup to come with a few bumps, but maybe that’ll be just what CBS needs to get a leg up in the ratings, once more. Look out NBC and ABC, Colbert and Corden are coming for you.

CBS set plans in motion today to continue the tradition of having a late late night series that is white, male and heavily accented. On Monday, the network announced that British comedian James Corden has been tapped to take over the Late Late Show when veteran host Craig Ferguson leaves at the end of the year. If it took you forever to adjust to Ferguson’s Scottish accent, this may be bad news, as you will soon have an English accent to contend with.

We don’t know much about what Corden’s tenure as the Late Late Show host will look like. CBS did mention that the “multi-faceted performer, host, writer and producer” will be taking over in 2015 and that The Late Late Show with James Corden will be produced by the network. We also know that Corden is one of the names that has been tossed around as a potential host for quite some time. Over a month ago, Corden’s name was listed as one of the possibilities for the CBS series, yet his hiring is still a bit of an odd choice.

While Corden is a Tony and Bafta winner, with writing skills to boot, it would be difficult to find a handful of Americans who know who funnyman is. Honestly, I bet if you threw Corden on the street with Billy Eichner for a Billy on the Street sketch, no one would have any idea who he was. His acting credits include the Orlando Bloom Three Musketeers reboot, How To Lose Friends and Alienate People, and the underseen indie flick Begin Again. He’s also starred in a bunch of British TV shows, but Americans have probably only caught his recurring stint on Doctor Who in the States. He’s basically an unknown and untested entity, here. However, at 36, he does fit the younger profile the networks seem to be skewing toward with their late night hosts.

This isn’t the first time a network has chosen an unknown over a more well-known name. Conan O’Brien was a writer on Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons before he took over as the host of Late Night in the early nineties. Ferguson himself was also a British star before taking over The Late Late Show in 2004. At the time, he was probably best known for a recurring gig on The Drew Carey Show in the States. Corden will probably be able to eke it out like the best of those guys, but he does have an uphill battle ahead of him.

In the meantime, if you are a fan of Craig Ferguson’s silly shenanigans, you can catch The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on CBS until it finishes its run at the end of the year. After stepping down, Ferguson has plans in the works to sign on with Tribune Media and get a new half-hour show on the air in a syndicated format. It definitely sucks that Ferguson felt forced to step down after the coveted earlier late night timeslot was handed to Stephen Colbert, but hopefully this will prove to be a new challenge for the veteran host as well as a new opportunity for Corden.

He may not have been officially fired or even aggressively pushed out, but Craig Ferguson was most definitely a victim of David Letterman’s decision to retire. With CBS electing to go in a different direction, he decided to gracefully walk out the door too. Fortunately for fans, that doesn’t mean he’s done with the talk show hosting game. In fact, he’s apparently in talks to pick right up where he left off.

According to Variety, Craig Ferguson is already in talks with Tribune Media. The potential pact would put him in at least 42% of the United States. In addition, the company will reportedly try and meet with various stations in order to potentially syndicate the content and get him on the air throughout the rest of the country.

That might sound like a tall order, but it’s not impossible, particularly because of the timeslot in question. As opposed to the late night show, or late late night show, he handled before, Ferguson’s proposed new effort would apparently run at 7 PM, which would put him in competition with game shows like Wheel Of Fortune and Jeopardy and gossip programs like Extra and Entertainment Weekly. With the right pitch, someone may want to run this as counter-programming.

According to Variety, the idea would be to pair Craig Ferguson’s new show, now a half an hour, alongside a well-performing comedy re-run from Big Bang Theory or something along those lines.

Craig Ferguson is an extremely unique talent. His approach to late night television was completely different than the spin anyone else put on the genre. As such, no one has any idea what the hell he might do with a 7 PM talk show. The proposed offering is being described as mixing interviews with sketches, but exactly how much time either one would get is unclear. In addition, it’s unclear whether Ferguson would try to bring over any of his bits from The Late Late Show, though with showrunner Michael Naidus expected to follow him over from CBS, it’s likely there will be a fair amount of carryover.

Craig Ferguson was never the type of guy to get top billing at 11:35. I’m not sure if that was ever his goal, but it wasn’t going to happen. Still, he’s engaging enough and professional enough that he needs to continue being famous. Hopefully, this potential opportunity is exactly what he needs.

The last few years have brought a series of big late night television changes, among which was Craig Ferguson's announcement that he was leaving The Late Late Show, after hosting the CBS late night talk show for nearly a decade. Since then, we've been left to wait to learn who would be taking over the series. Today, it's being reported that British actor James Corden is being eyed for the spot.

The Wrap reports that James Corden is poised to take over as host of The Late Late Show at CBS, citing an individual with knowledge of the situation. So this is unofficial news at this point, and the site goes on to note that Corden's rep has not commented, nor has CBS confirmed the news yet.

James Corden is a British actor, comedian and TV writer, whose credits include BBC series Gavin & Stacey (which he appeared in and co-wrote, and won a BAFTA for Best Comedy Performance)), two appearances in Doctor Who, and a part in Paul W.S. Anderson's 2011 film The Three Musketeers. Coming up, he's set to play the baker in Disney's Into the Woods. In fact, you can catch a couple of glimpses of him in the recently released trailer...

So we'll be getting another sample of Corden's talent soon enough, whether or not he gets the Late Late Show hosting job. But it would be interesting to see what he might bring to the talk show. Ferguson is expected to finish up his run on The Late Late Show at the end of the year. Meanwhile, over at Late Show, David Letterman is also planning on retiring. It has already been confirmed that Stephen Colbert will succeed Letterman. That's supposed to happen at some point in 2015. So, come next year, we should be seeing a drastically altered late night at CBS, to match the altered NBC lineup, following Jay Leno's exit, and Jimmy Fallon's arrival as host earlier this year.

As mentioned, we learned that Ferguson was leaving The Late Late Show back in April. The host's announcement on air assured fans that his exit was his decision and not the show's or the network's. You can watch that video on the next page...

Well, it was bound to happen. After ten years of crazy stories and silly monologues, Craig Ferguson will be stepping down as host of CBS’ The Late Late Show once his contract expires at the end of December. He made his announcement to the audience at Monday’s taping, making sure to tell everyone that it was his choice to leave, and not CBS’. And I don’t think anyone would call him a liar on that front.

After David Letterman announced at the beginning of the month that he would retire from late night in 2015, Ferguson was thought to be a front runner for the job. Having held down the fort on The Late Late Show after Craig Kilborn left in 2005, Ferguson brought in millions of new fans with his balance of subdued chaos and an abundantly warm personality. Yet CBS looked right past him and gave the Late Night job to Comedy Central faux pundit Steven Colbert, and the rumors immediately started swirling about what Ferguson’s plans for the future would entail. And now we know, via Variety.

“CBS and I are not getting divorced,” Ferguson told his audience, “we are consciously uncoupling. But we will still spend holidays together and share custody of the fake horse and robot skeleton, both of whom we love very much.” It does seem like a crime against non-humanity that the name tag-wearing Geoff and the stuffed horse Secretariat will be gone from our TV screens possibly forever.

And he didn’t stop his weighted jokes there, making a vague prediction about what he might do next. “I’ll go and do something else,” he said. “Probably, I’m thinking, carpentry. But I haven’t made my mind up yet…I feel like doing this show for ten years, that’s enough.” He actually does know where he’s going after this, though, as Ferguson signed up months ago to host the upcoming game show Celebrity Name Game. (That’ll last forever, right?)

You can watch part of his announcement in the video below. No hankies necessary, but we won’t judge.

The late night lineup has changed a little too much in the recent past for my tastes, and now that Craig is leaving, it means Carson Daly is the resident champion of sticking around like a sore thumb. CBS executives are no doubt already thinking about whom they could find to fill Ferguson’s seat, and chances are they’ll be passing an eye on the same talent pool that Comedy Central is looking through to fill Colbert’s timeslot.

The silver lining here is we still get another seven months of Craig Ferguson, and that ain’t half bad. Are you guys sad to see the Scottish comedian vacate late night? Let us know in the comments.

CBS is not a network known for making brash, impulsive (or even exciting) decisions, so it was definitely jarring when the network gave The Word that politi-comic Stephen Colbert would be replacing David Letterman on The Late Show following his retirement next year. It put an end to one debate and spearheaded another: who will replace Colbert in that coveted post-Daily Show time slot?

It’s a long, tall drink of an order that requires a performer capable of captivating audiences both with a signature interview style and a point of view that allows everyone to feel like they’re also in on the joke. Assuming that Comedy Central doesn’t just fill the time slot with repeats of South Park, here are seven people we think could gratifyingly fill the America-sized hole in our hearts that Colbert will be clawing his way out of.

The Hopefully Obvious Choice: Paul F. Tompkins

If you’re going to replace one of the best comedians in the business, why not use one of the other best comedians in the business? This L.A. mainstay comic is a big part of how the burgeoning alt comedy scene in the 1990s became the standard a decade later, and his stand-up specials have become increasingly more esoteric and brilliant over the years. Tompkins has proven himself an entertainer of many hats across TV, radio and a wide range of podcasts. (The Paul F Tompkast, The Thrilling Adventure Hour and The Dead Authors Podcast are especially notable.) His past includes writing for The Daily Show and Real Time with Bill Maher, and his stand-up is filled with enough political touches that his presence wouldn’t be a huge leap for those hungry for Washington D.C. humor.

Tompkins is currently the host of Fusion’s No, You Shut Up!, a Henson Alternative puppet panel discussion series that takes on issues of the day in a rage-filled manner. But it’s his web series Speakeasy that would work best transitioning to cable, as its low-key celebrity interviews over drinks is a welcome change to the traditional format. Watch his talk with Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter below.

The “Take That, CBS!” Choice: Craig Ferguson

If extraterrestrials come to Earth in the future to sum up humanity’s history, how much room do you think “Late Night Talk Show Wars” would get in the write-up? Craig Ferguson has been the host of The Late Late Show since 2005 – the same year Colbert’s spinoff started – and it would have been gracious and smart for CBS to promote the cheery Scot. But they didn’t, and his contract expires at the end of the year, which has spawned rumors on all sides of the spectrum. Ferguson hasn’t shown any animosity, welcoming Colbert to the CBS team, and joking about taking over The Colbert Report in 2015. So why not make that a reality? He has always been far sillier and good-natured than CBS has ever been known to be, and Comedy Central is the perfect place to ramp that zany humor up a few notches.

Admittedly, Ferguson might need to find a gimmick to latch on to. Interviews with Jon Hamm about his dating show video are fun, but I think the host is primed for meatier material.

The Female Choice: Kristen Schaal

We’re not dumb enough to think only one woman should be considered for this job, but network executives rarely give us reason to expect gender equality. Flight of the Conchords and 30 Rock actress Kristen Schaal might not seem like the most obvious prospect for a front-and-center host, but she shares Colbert’s talent for playing aggressively aloof characters who let irony fly right over their heads. While many across the Internet are calling for Tina Fey or Chelsea Handler to get the job, neither of them really reflect Comedy Central’s anarchic nature the way Schaal does. Her stand-up sets are occasionally surreal, and she’s well-versed in voice work on shows like Bob’s Burgers and Gravity Falls, so is it possible the world needs a meta animated interview show with lots of animals and hollering?

It’s no surprise that Daily Show correspondent Samantha Bee is also on everyone’s minds as a replacement, but let’s not forget that Schaal appears regularly on that series as the “Senior Women’s Issues Correspondent,” and her below segment on the children’s dating service KDate should prove how well she could do in the host’s chair.

The Other Political Comedian Choice: Bill Maher

One of the pioneers of “making bipartisan audiences uncomfortable with far-leaning political views,” Maher has built a career out of his bullheaded opinions, sneakily transitioning from conservative to liberal in the past decade or so, all while maintaining a strict anti-religious stance. His brutishness and love of controversy make his 12-years-and-running HBO panel show Real Time with Bill Maher hard to imagine within the confines of a cable network, but TV isn’t what it was when that show began. While both The Daily Show and The Colbert Report deliver solid satire that makes you think twice about our country, the interviews and discussions are generally fluffier and are vehicles for more jokes and product plugs. Maher would give Comedy Central actual political discourse, and maybe that’s what we need to counter Jon Stewart’s winking delivery.

Check out the awesome conversation below between Maher and Science Guy Bill Nye, following Nye’s witty and electric debate with New Earther Ken Ham over the legitimacy of creationism.

The Anti-Conservative Choice: Doug Benson

Sometimes all that Daily Show talk about the government and foreign affairs can really get a person low. And if you’re looking for a quick high, you’d be hard pressed to find a better source than the pot-loving, pop culture-skewing Doug Benson. Sure, they could try to stick Benson in a smart suit and get him to interview celebs from behind a desk, or they could even create a game show based on the “Leonard Maltin Game” from his podcast Doug Loves Movies. But what Comedy Central really needs to do is start airing and producing episodes of Benson’s web series Getting Doug with High, in which different comedians join Benson in getting stoned off their gourd for a 50-minute-or-so multi-threaded conversation about EVERYTHING. If there is any way to combat the stale, pre-written interviews that talk shows are known for, it’s introducing a potent intoxicant into the situation. Granted, this project wouldn’t get the same guest list as The Colbert Report, but I’m sure they’d find some open-minded surprises.

Benson has smoked out everyone from David Cross to Dominic Monaghan to the Workaholics trio, but it doesn’t get much better than watching the team-up of marijuana legend Tommy Chong and boozehound Kyle Kinane.

The Bizzaro Choice: Sacha Baron Cohen as Stephen Colbert

Let’s say the development heads at Comedy Central all took a trip to South America and imbibed on ayahuasca once a week for a month, and upon returning they had the idea to pretend as if The Colbert Report wasn’t losing its host at all. So character genius Sacha Baron Cohen is brought in to play the role of Colbert’s right wing pundit, and the series keeps its wittier segments while moving farther down the rabbit hole of awkward human interactions. Granted, both Colbert and Cohen are separately recognizable for mocking the Powers That Be in the past, but when they combine to become the same person, no one will be able to escape. No one can escape!

Cohen was most recently seen in Anchorman 2 and on FXX’s rebranded airings of Ali G: Rezurection, but he really caused heads to turn last year during the Britannia Awards when he “killed” an awards presenter just before accepting an award.

The Third Time’s A Charm Choice: Craig Kilborn

Former SportsCenter host Craig Kilborn has ties to both sides of this story, so why not bring him back around for a third appearance? Kilborn was the first host of The Daily Show when it began in 1996, and he was the guy who CBS chose to bring the laughs as Tom Snyder’s replacement on The Late Late Show, a gig he left in 2004. (That’s where Ferguson came in.) He went on to later host The Kilborn File for some Fox affiliates, but that only lasted a brief six weeks. Kilborn could come full circle by bringing 5 Questions back to Comedy Central following the show he helped create. I’d leave Yambo behind though.

For his penultimate Daily Show episode, Kilborn interviewed soon-to-be host and game-changer Jon Stewart, and the results are decidedly different than they would be if this interview happened today.

With game show lynchpins The Price is Right and Let’s Make A Deal both airing on CBS, it seems as if the network would be a hot bed for game shows. It’s not. CBS has its act together too much to usually fill primetime evening space with mind-numbing game fodder, which is why it is surprising to hear the network has a pilot order for Identity Crisis, a show that tests contestants knowledge of famous people.

Identity Crisis is based on the Out & About Productions board game of the same name. In the show, teams of two must compete together to identify famous people from various categories of culture including history, sports, pop culture, and literature. Kind of unfairly, fictional characters will count.

The program will be executive produced by famous un-couple Courteney Cox and David Arquette. According to THR the similarly famous name in talks for the pilot is Craig Ferguson. The Late Late Show host is close to signing on to host Identity Crisis, as well as executive produce. No word yet on whether his favorite robot will co-host, but even if Ferguson doesn't bring along any of his standard Late Late bits, it's a good bet his zany personality and goofy charm will be out in full force.

If you’ve seen Forgetting Sarah Marshall then you know that the best thing in, what is easily one of the best movies of the past few years, is Jason Segel’s brilliantly performed, all-puppet vampire rock opera at the end of the film. And now it seems he’s taking the show on the road.

Late night television show Craig Fergusen has a thing for puppets and last night he had Segel on to perform, live, his character’s signature puppet number from Sarah Marshall. In the video below you’ll see Segel on stage with a Dracula puppet, performing a hipped up, rocked out version of “Dracula’s Lament”. I still prefer the version used in the movie, you can’t beat those closing moments when Dracula moans “Die! Die! Die.” But there’s something hilariously fun in watching Segel perform it live. The look in his eyes is one of sheer joy, and that alone is enough to make this worth watching. This guy knows his way around a Muppet, which should mean good things for The Cheapest Muppet Movie, which, he’s in charge of writing. Watch “Dracula’s Lament” live!

So, who is your favorite TV host? There are so many to choose from – what with the morning shows, daytime shows, late-night shows…how could you narrow it down to just one? A new poll has been released, and the results are very telling.

Oprah Winfrey is no longer the queen of the talk show hosts! Ellen came in from the sidelines and has been titled the new champion according to the poll taken by AOL.

The most popular morning host is:

30% Diane Sawyer

26% Matt Lauer

25% Meredith Vieira

10% Robin Roberts

9% Harry Smith

The favorite daytime host is:

46% Ellen DeGeneres

22% Regis Philbin

19% Oprah Winfrey

7% Barbara Walters

5% Martha Stewart

Best late-night host:

41% Jay Leno

34% David Letterman

10% Conan O'Brien

9% Jimmy Kimmel

6% Craig Ferguson

And, the most important, least sexy host of all time:

54% Larry King

25% Whoopi Goldberg

10% Jay Leno

7% Joy Behar

4% Carson Daly

There are more categories, and you can see them all at AOL Television . I would like to add that I am outraged that Stephen Colbert only received 5% of the vote for sexiest. He should have won that category with 99%! I love you Stephen!