I respect him for stepping down
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Craig Ferguson
streetsahead61 — 11 years ago(September 22, 2014 10:13 PM)
When I first heard he was stepping down, I was shocked and saddened. However, after I heard his reasons for stepping down, I understood and respected his decision. He's brought a genuineness to the late night talk show format that hasn't been seen before, and, judging by his replacement and the 2015 host lineup (Colbert, Fallon, Kimmel, Corden, ect) probably won't be seen again. He's opened up about this struggles with alcoholism, eulogized his parent, and took time to acknowledge the Aurora shooting. I can't see any other late night talk show host doing that. His ability to hold is own in conversations with Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Stephen Fry is reminiscent of Dick Cavett and Tom Snyder. However, unlike those two, especially Cavett, his manner is never that of a sophisticated patrician, but that of an everyman who loves dense, intellectual topics. And, the last, but certainly not the least of Craig's abilities is to have actual conversations with his guests, rather than just having them lug their latest project. There's a genuine rapport between Craig and his guests that can't be beat. So, what's my point. Well, for one, I respect Craig as an artist and as a person to accept his resignation from TLLS. And, secondly, Craig brought a unique, innovative, thought provoking, and entertaining perspective to the late n5b4ight talk show format that we more than likely won't see again. Even if we do, it will still be Craig who pioneered the style. If another host takes up ripping up the question cards, it will still be Craig's thing, just like the golf swing was Johnny Carson's thing, setting his guitar on fire was Jimi Hendrix's thing, and dry martinis, shaken, not stirred, is James Bond's thing. Others can pick up on it, but nothing beats the original, which is just what Craig is.
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ColinInLa — 11 years ago(November 06, 2014 02:22 PM)
Letterman is his better by quite a bit. Quick and funny, but when the moment demands, as thoughtful and eloquent a broadcaster as has ever been seen on late night television.
Craig is extremely likable and intelligent, but hit his stride too early. He quite obviously lost his taste for the for16d0mat a long while ago. So many wonderful guests and opportunities for an interesting exchange were brushed aside, only to instead be replaced with with inanity and double-entendre. He became too cute by half. It always struck me as unusual that on a program that airs at 12:35am, he most often vamps away the first thirty five minutes before including a guest, with whom he then seldom bothers to actually interact.
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana. -
Bklyn4ever — 11 years ago(January 13, 2015 12:49 AM)
Exactly. Craig had been phoning it in for a long time. I enjoyed his show in the mid-2000's, but after about 2008 his hijinks became repetitive and stale. Politically, his middle-aged conservative backslide was disappointing as well.
His contract must have paid him off handsomely for not being chosen to succeed Letterman. That gave him a golden parachute and I'm sure he is ready for it.