It’s less than six months before Craig Ferguson exits late night television -- and CBS still seems far from deciding how to fill his 12:37 a.m. timeslot.
No longer obliged to consult David Letterman, who will himself exit CBS’ “Late Show” at an unspecified point in 2015, CBS seems wide open to suggestions.
The slot may not even be filled by a talk show, noted CBS entertainment chairman Nina Tassler at this week’s CBS TCA executive session.
“The knee-jerk reaction is to go for another traditional, behind-the-desk interview show. But we are looking for all types of hosts, there is the political world, not just the comic world,” she said.
“The Late Late Show” was launched Jan. 9, 1995 as a non-comedy talk show with longtime news anchor and late-night vet Tom Snyder as host.
After Craig Kilborn left “The Late Late Show” in 2004, Ferguson was among the many fill-in hosts (including Michael Ian Black and D.L. Hughley) auditioning on-air for a permanent seat. Tassler said a similar audition process may be employed to replace Ferguson.
Over at NBC, Ferguson’s new late-night rival, “Late Night With Seth Meyers,” is doing so well it not only beats CBS’s “Late Late Show” and ABC’s “Nightline,” it now pulls a bigger audience than “The Late Show With David Letterman.”
Even repeats of NBC’s super-late “Last Call With Carson Daly” drew a bigger demo audience than new episodes of CBS’s Ferguson show last week.
Late Night Adults 18-49
(July 7-11)
1.10 Jimmy Fallon
0.54 Seth Meyers
0.52 Jimmy Kimmel*
0.46 David Letterman
0.35 Carson Daly*
0.31 Craig Ferguson
0.30 Nightline
*repeats
And here are the ratings before the repeat-happy week of July 4:
Late Night Adults 18-49
(June 23-27)
0.88 Jimmy Fallon*
0.63 Jimmy Kimmel
0.45 Seth Meyers
0.43 David Letterman
0.35 Nightline
0.25 Carson Daly*
0.25 Craig Ferguson
*repeats
