Ferguson Scores "Late Late" Gig

Tue., Dec. 7, 2004 10:45 AM PST by Sarah Hall

From one Craig to another: The Late Late Show hosting gig has been filled.

After narrowing down a panel of contenders for Craig Kilborn's vacated post to four finalists--Michael Ian Black, D.L. Hughley, Damien Fahey and Craig Ferguson--CBS ultimately decided Ferguson was the man for the job.

The network announced that the Late Late Show will be in repeats for the last two weeks of December and then dark until Ferguson takes his place onstage Jan. 3.

The show follows David Letterman's Late Show on CBS and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants.

"Craig is a smart, funny and versatile personality who we feel can build a following on late-night television," said Rob Burnett, president and CEO of Worldwide Pants, in a statement.

"This was a difficult decision to make among talented candidates, but Craig is clearly a gifted comic who will be an outstanding host of the Late Late Show."

Kilborn created shockwaves at the Eye when he announced in August that he planned to step down from the position he had filled for the last five years in order to focus more on writing and producing television shows.

The man chosen to be his successor got his start as a top comic in Britain, where he starred in his own shows: The Ferguson Theory and The Craig Ferguson Show.

Ferguson made the move to Los Angeles in 1995 and scored a role as Drew Carey's patronizing boss, Nigel Wick, on The Drew Carey Show from 1996 through 2003.

In his native Scotland, Ferguson is a highly regarded actor-director-producer-creator-comedian-etc., but his multihyphenate tendencies are less well known Stateside.

He won some acclaim for penning the screenplay to 2000's Saving Grace, which he produced and starred in.

He also wrote, directed and starred in 2003's I'll Be There, which costarred British musical sensation Charlotte Church.

Next up, Ferguson will appear as a Person of Indeterminate Gender in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, starring Jim Carrey and due in theaters Dec. 17.

Meanwhile, Ferguson begins his new job trailing in the ratings race behind Conan O'Brien's Late Night on NBC, which consistently wins its time slot.

We're thinking a wee bit of late-night competition is about to ensue.