Craig Kilborn: Back on Comedy Central?
Update: Breaking news! Craig has a new show in the works. (posted May 5, 2010)
Ever since this blog was born, Talk Show News has wanted to write about Craig Kilborn. What the heck happened to the guy? He seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth since giving up "The Late Late Show" in 2004. A check of his IMDB profile shows no credits after 2007, and that was for a supporting role in a straight-to-DVD teen comedy called "Full of It."
All efforts to track down Kilby's whereabouts were unsuccessful, though, so there was no point in writing a post. Until today. Now, please note that this is just the merest wisp of news. Still, it's something.
In the inbox this morning was a request from Comedy Central to take a short survey about its programming. After clicking through, there were a bunch of questions about "Krod Mandoon" (nope, haven't watched, don't plan to). And then, finally, came this:
One last thing, could you see Craig Kilborn back on Comedy Central, or is it the worst idea since Kate talked Jon into unprotected sex?
Please select one response only.
That's a great idea, he's awesome!
I don't care, as long as the show's funny.
If Craig's in it, the show would have to be especially funny for me to watch.
No way, he sucks!
I've never heard of Craig Kilborn.
So somebody at Comedy Central is obviously thinking about bringing former "Daily Show" host Kilby back into the fold. Further updates if we get 'em. Meanwhile, if anybody knows anything, please post a comment or e-mail talk (at) interbridge.com.
Follow-up, posted Sept. 29, 2009: Sorry, it looks like Craig has retired.
42 comments :
For some reason, Kilborn always struck me as very smug and full of himself, and I could never watch him because of that.
Craig was the best interviewer and one of the funniest guys on late night. He would be the best if he showed up against the current crop as well. Let's hope he does.
agreed with #2 comment - he was great
Holy hell I'd love for Kilborn to have another show
Craig getting a new show would be beyond awesome. I really missed this guy and would love to see him on television again.
i hope they take colbert off the air and replace him with craig i'm sick of his republican rightist attitude
I heard that he is broke and homeless.
where are you Craiggers?! I miss you!
(drunk and homeless was from The Onion--fake news)
Colbert's show is satire at it's finest. Spoof of that idiot on Fox. But Craig started The Daily Show and I would love to see him on tv again! Bring back Craig!
I would love to see Craig return to Comedy Central. He is the reason I started watching the Daily Show and when he left I stopped watching for quite some time. Eventually John Stewart grew on me and now I couldn't imagine anyone else hosting that show. Stewart has reached a cultural icon status that Craig never reached and probably couldn't have repeated. But, Craig still has loads of talent and I would welcome his return to the lime light.
Funny guy. I'd watch.
ya i love craig he ws so much funnier than any talk show host we have now. him goldy and the other guy, they were comedy genius. please come back kilby, i used to record every show.
Bring back Kilby!! Please!!!!! He left a void no other talk show host can fill. Quirky, funny, handsome and smart. He is the complete package & we all miss him!! Kilby, come back!!
Melissa & Co in Florida
Kilborn combined the best of Carson and Letterman and made it his own. Carson had charisma and quick wit, early Letterman consisted of him ripping apart his vacuous guest without them knowing. Kilborn recognized these traits and used them in his own way.
His smugness was part of the act and added to his character of a quick witted host who was always 20 steps ahead of some dim witted starlet. If you got that then you were always in on the joke. If you didn't get it then seemed like an arogant prick.
Watching Kilborn work a guest was entertaining even at it's worst. I would put him #3 behind Letterman and the King Carson as the best late night host
I want Kilby back, he is one of the funniest guys in the world
Yes! Bring him back!
word, the world needs more kilborn, as those shows he was going to make don't seem to have materialized
craig kilborn wasn't tops -- but watchable.... his replacement, craig fergeson is A W F U L! it's like watching someone flirt with a mirror for 40 minutes, then 8 minutes of 2 guests and 12 more of commercials...
send him on the road to dive bar stand-up..
and
bring on a 3rd craig! (please?!!)
I love Craig Kilborn's unconventional humor and mid-western charm. His Late Late Show was top-notch and always fresh and innovative. I would watch anything he chooses to do - bring him back, please!
i miss craig, he has to come back!!
Its time for Craig to surface. I'm sure all the life experience he has kept to himself will be a boon for the "becoming dull" talk show variety.
Craig is a gas, even when he's gassed. Let's call him back to the limelight.
I LOVED Craig Kilborn. Someone PLEASE bring him back. I loved his wit, his personality, everything about him was funny. And you can take his replacement Craig Furguson off the air..he's creepy, I can't watch him longer than 1 minute, if that. Craig Kilborn was the best.
I REALLY liked Craig Kilborn, and I'd even enjoy a show with him in it. I think it'd be great to see him on TV again!
All that being said, however, I LOVE Craig Ferguson. LOVE. He is such a sweet breeze of hilariousness and calmness late at night. (Yeah, that didn't make much sense, but let's go with it...)
Whomever above me here that doesn't like Craiggers F. just doesn't get it. His ratings are higher than Kilby's ever were, as well (not that that always matters. but still).
anyways, would love some news on Kilborn nevertheless, as I always wondered what das happened.
This is amazing news seeing as how I haven't heard something about ol Craiggers in a while. Could it be to re-take the daily show if Stewart moves on. He should at least be a candidate to take over for Letterman with 5 years working the show behind him. As far as the late night scene goes I really enjoyed Conan when he first started. He was clearly uncomfortable with doing the show and particularly the interviews which made it more interesting. I find it tough to compare Craig to Conan so I won't, but I will say I was a big fan of the Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn run and I feel like Conan seems to have gone downhill somewhat over the years.
you have to "get" craig ferguson. and i DO!! love him. he is fantastic. never cruel & almost always funny. crazy scot!! the accent alone is a magnet.
sorry about the other craig. guess it didn't go well for him. maybe someone will lend him a venue.
but ferguson is a "best kept" secret that is slowly coming out in public and more and more are appreciating him.
Its true Craig is the funniest person ever! Hes funnier than Frank Sinatra, funnier than Oprah or Elvis. Funnier than Johnny Carson or George Burns and Rodney Dangerfield. But I dont think he should return to television. I think he should do something BETTER. He obviously HATES t.v..
The problem that CBS had with Craig Kilborn was the same problem they had with his predecessor, the late great Tom Snyder and that is neither of these two gentlemen in their respective eras as host of the Late Late Show were not able to top Late Night With Conan O' Brien in the ratings. Now five years after Kilborn's departure, the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson seems to besting Late Night With Jimmy Fallon in the ratings. Just recently Ferguson received 2.0 in ratings while Fallon only received 1.4 of the total share in viewership.
Even David Letterman has been heaping praise on Craig Ferguson and publically thanking his long time associate Peter Lasalle for helping to bring Ferguson into the fold and making Late Night fresh again.
In addition to Ferguson's success in the ratings, CBS and Worldwide Pants just extended Ferguson's contract to stay as host of the Late Late Show. Apparently CBS has confidence in Ferguson that they never had with his two predecessors.
I used to think Craig Kilborn was hilarious, until I lived in the same building as him in New York for a couple of years (loooong ago now!) and found out that that vain, conceited persona he plays on tv is not.really.an.act.
He's no longer funny, or otherwise entertaining, to me. Too bad, Kilborn. You should have been nicer to my dog.
Found this post searching for info on Craig Kilborn. I miss his wit on TV. Arrogant and all that? I guess. I don't know how much was an act but here's the thing. I don't want to marry him - he just was enjoyable to watch and loved when he made his guests squirm.
No slight to Craig Ferguson who I could not stand and now also enjoy quite a bit but...Craig, we hardly knew ye. Where are you man? We miss you!
I think NBC is planting a future for Fallon and they don't care too much about ratings. The show is clearly aimed at a very young audience. And Fallon trys to hard and is still learning. I think he will eventually fit nicely into the NBC family. The bigger problem is what to do with Leno. He really looks stale and stupid at 9:00pm (Midwest). I think station affiliates will start to jump ship if a change is not made before next September.
As for Craig Ferguson. There is no one hosting a show anywhere on television that is as smart and entertaining as this guy. He is not operating from cards folks. It is all in his head. No budget. Minimal writers. Terrible lighting which he constantly points out and a growing and loyal audience. Best talk show going if only because Ferguson is doing 90% of the talking.
I liked Craig Kilborn. Ferguson is okay if you can get thru his phoney Scottish accent. Whereever he is I wish him well.
Kilborn...YES!! I have felt a void in my life since the day he exited. Well that may be a bit dramatic, but none the less, I want him back!
Anonymous said: There is no one hosting a show anywhere on television that is as smart and entertaining as this guy.
I could not agree more! Ferguson is hilarious and it's all off the cuff. I am so sick of seeing Fallon bumble thru his Q cards and still not be funny.
don't know why, but got to thinking about the Craig man this evening and wondering what the hell happened to him....YES, bring him back
Kind of coincidental the new host is also named Craig, so you say he's doing good in the ratings I say there isn't that much late night programming. I agree with Saunge on this.
Love Kilby. Miss Kilby. Sad without Kilby. Craiggers, get off the couch and get back on television and make me laugh!
Craig Kilborn was the best. Letterman hasn't done anything new in years, except for becoming a jerk. Conan's weird. The others are worth time. Kilby was a fun show to watch.
Someone said Kilborn was smug. I thought he was truly funny and sarcastic. It seemed the smugness was part of the act. His show was innovative and funny. It would be great if he were back.
The Daily Show has not been funny since Kilborn left. I would love to see him back on TV.
Craig was/is/always will be better than those phoney over-acting, trying-too-hard, overpaid twerps Leno, Letterman and the over-hyped Conan. He's just more real and late night suffers from un-funny guys trying too hard that don't connect with their interviewees. Craig could if he doesn't get too full of himself and as boring as Jimmy Kimmel.
kilborn was good, but lets not forget he chose to give it up. Who walks from your own tv show for "something better to do on TV". He did. Into obscurity he went. Bad decision,but that's what he wanted to do. I liked him and the way he danced into the show.
would really like to see him again, he was refreshing in such a positively annoying way. in a way it is just as annoying for him to disappear. yes i am definitely annoyed and would expect nothing less from him. hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
have i just said ANYTHING?
Yeap! I´d love to see Killborn again on tv, he was the best!!!
I think a lot of the anonymous comments on here are actually from Craig Kilborn. I bet he visits this page every once in a while to pump up "Old Craigers" before he tries to pick up barflies in Silver Lake.
craig kilborn always managed to be playful with his guests, while at the same time allow them to speak. he was/is a great interviewer. most late-nite talk show hosts show no patience or show little respect to their guests. blame it on the format, or the talent...whatever. kilborn is missed!!
Post a Comment