TV Is Art

Your personal TV recommendation engine

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

Now Showing

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

6.8

Yr 2005

Rt 60m

Status Ended

Comedy Talk

Series Brief

Overview

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson is an American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish American comedian Craig Ferguson, who is the third regular host of the Late Late Show franchise. It follows Late Show with David Letterman in the CBS late-night lineup, airing weekdays in the US at 12:37 a.m. It is taped in front of a live studio audience from Monday to Friday at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California, directly above the Bob Barker Studio. It is produced by David Letterman's production company Worldwide Pants Incorporated and CBS Television Studios. Since becoming host on January 3, 2005, after Craig Kilborn and Tom Snyder, Ferguson has achieved the highest ratings since the show's inception in 1995. While the majority of the episodes focus on comedy, Ferguson has also addressed difficult subject matter, such as the deaths of his parents, and undertaken serious interviews, such as one with Desmond Tutu, which earned the show a 2009 Peabody Award.

Why fans love it

Craig Ferguson carved out a singular space in late-night television by stripping away the rigid artifice typical of the format. While the show maintained a traditional schedule and studio setting, the result often felt chaotic and improvised. The comedy frequently drifted into surreal territory, yet these lighthearted moments existed alongside rare instances of profound gravity.

The balance of tone defines the late-night run that began in 2005. It achieved the highest ratings in the franchise's history by pivoting between absurdity and genuine reflection. A 2009 Peabody Award recognized this depth, specifically highlighting a segment featuring Desmond Tutu that prioritized honest conversation over promotional soundbites. Even with a large ensemble including frequent guests like Hugh Laurie, the focus remained on a conversational style that treated audience members and interview subjects as equals rather than props.

Featured Players

Cast 75

James Woods

as Self

2 episodes

Hugh Laurie

as Self

3 episodes

as Self

2 episodes

Stephen Fry

as Self

2 episodes

Cedric the Entertainer

as Self

2 episodes

William Shatner

as Self

2 episodes

Lena Headey

as Self

2 episodes

Tim Meadows

as Self

4 episodes

Jeffrey Dean Morgan

as Self

2 episodes

Jim Gaffigan

as Self - Guest

3 episodes

Kenneth Branagh

as Self

2 episodes

as Self

2 episodes

Emmy Rossum

as Self

2 episodes

as Self

3 episodes

Neil Patrick Harris

as Self

7 episodes

Don Rickles

as Self - Guest

3 episodes

Sharon Jones

as Self - Musical Guest

4 episodes

as Self - Host

2057 episodes

Josh Robert Thompson

as Geoff Peterson (voice)

6 episodes

Tory Belleci

as Self

2 episodes

Show all 75 cast

Ben Schwartz

as Self - Guest

2 episodes

John Goodman

as Self

2 episodes

as Self

2 episodes

Rosie Perez

as Self

3 episodes

as Self

2 episodes

Saffron Burrows

as Self

2 episodes

as Self

3 episodes

Eddie Izzard

as Self

2 episodes

Jean Reno

as Self

5 episodes

Judd Apatow

as Self - Guest

2 episodes

Mila Kunis

as Self

4 episodes

as Self

4 episodes

Michael Clarke Duncan

as Self

4 episodes

Lauren Cohan

as Self

2 episodes

as Self

4 episodes

Kat Dennings

as Self

2 episodes

as Self - Guest

3 episodes

as Self

2 episodes

Ed Alonzo

as Self

2 episodes

Jon Cryer

as Self - Guest

2 episodes

Amy Smart

as Self

2 episodes

Danny DeVito

as Self

2 episodes

Quentin Tarantino

as Self

2 episodes

Eric Idle

as Self

3 episodes

as Self

4 episodes

Adam Savage

as Self

2 episodes

Ariel Tweto

as Self

10 episodes

as Self

2 episodes

Samuel L. Jackson

as Self

3 episodes

Jane Lynch

as Self

2 episodes

as Self

4 episodes

Jennifer Carpenter

as Self

3 episodes

Betty White

as Self

4 episodes

Jeff Daniels

as Self

2 episodes

as Self

2 episodes

Kristen Bell

as Self

14 episodes

Sophia Bush

as Self

3 episodes

Jason Segel

as Self

2 episodes

as Beth

11 episodes

Lisa Kudrow

as Self

3 episodes

as Self

3 episodes

Paula Poundstone

as Self

6 episodes

Ray Romano

as Self

2 episodes

as Self

2 episodes

as Self

2 episodes

as Self

4 episodes

as Self

3 episodes

Jeff Garlin

as Self

3 episodes

Anne Heche

as Self

2 episodes

Jane Levy

as Self

2 episodes

as Self

8 episodes

as Self

4 episodes

Drew Carey

as Self

4 episodes

Julie Chen

as Self

4 episodes

Larry King

as Self

3 episodes

Production Board

Crew

Producer

Tom Keaney

Director

Brian McAloon

Signal Match

Cast Similarity

7 shared cast members

Shared Chris Hardwick, Jane Lynch, Jim Gaffigan +4 more

Late Show with David Letterman

6 shared cast members

Shared Sharon Jones, Regis Philbin, Jim Gaffigan +3 more

The American Revolution

5 shared cast members

Shared Kenneth Branagh, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeff Daniels +2 more

5 shared cast members

Shared Megan Mullally, Tim Meadows, Ben Schwartz +2 more

4 shared cast members

Shared Jane Lynch, Betty White, Saffron Burrows +1 more

Parks and Recreation

4 shared cast members

Shared Megan Mullally, Ben Schwartz, Rashida Jones +1 more

4 shared cast members

Shared James Woods, Josh Robert Thompson, Mila Kunis +1 more

Golden Globe Awards

4 shared cast members

Shared Pierce Brosnan, Morgan Freeman, William Shatner +1 more

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

4 shared cast members

Shared James Woods, Hugh Laurie, Megan Mullally +1 more

4 shared cast members

Shared Samuel L. Jackson, Regis Philbin, Lauren Graham +1 more

Topic Overlay

Topic Keyword Similarity

2 shared keywords

Topics talk show, late night

1 shared keyword

Topics talk show

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

1 shared keyword

Topics talk show

1 shared keyword

Topics talk show

Late Night with Conan O'Brien

1 shared keyword

Topics talk show

Late Night with Seth Meyers

1 shared keyword

Topics talk show

1 shared keyword

Topics talk show

1 shared keyword

Topics talk show

1 shared keyword

Topics talk show

John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's in L.A.

1 shared keyword

Topics talk show

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

talk show late night

Next Signal

Similar Shows

Late Show with David Letterman

Late Show with David Letterman

Shared people: 6

Conan

Shared people: 7

The Late Late Show with James Corden

The Late Late Show with James Corden

Shared keywords: 1

Shared people: 3

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

Shared keywords: 1

Shared people: 4

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Shared keywords: 1

Shared people: 3

Late Night with Seth Meyers

Late Night with Seth Meyers

Shared keywords: 1

Shared people: 2

The Colbert Report

The Colbert Report

Shared keywords: 1

Shared people: 2

The Kelly Clarkson Show

The Kelly Clarkson Show

Shared keywords: 1

Shared people: 3

See all similar shows →

Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired: January 03, 2005
Status: Ended
Episode Runtime: 60 minutes
Origin: US
TMDB Votes: 115