One Reason To Stay Up Late Late

I don't have video yet of what Craig Ferguson said last night—but here's a great show opener from the night before. He'll never get the acclaim that Johnny Carson got—no one ever will—but Ferguson has a style that reminds me more of Carson than anyone else in late-night. It's not so apparent in the video below—while there's usually a Carsonesque warmth to his jokes, he's trying to make a point here, which isn't something I associate with Carson. But Ferguson's monologues are loose and filled with silly asides, and he'll often do sketches during the show, much like Carson did. (He regularly plays Aquaman, Prince Charles and Jessica Fletcher, for example.)

Ferguson tends to treat his guests like friends at a dinner party. Rather than flogging whatever new thing they're selling, he takes the time to talk to them, person to person. He's warm, likable, and fairly gentle with his jokes. He doesn't feel like an overgrown kid, like Conan (or even Dave). He's a grownup, albeit a silly one.

Anyway, all that is an introduction to a clip that really doesn't need an introduction, and lays out another reason Ferguson is a favorite of mine.



Rob