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re: What a Great Choice: James Corden to Replace Craig Ferguson

Posted by: Delvino 06:58 pm EDT 08/05/14
In reply to: re: What a Great Choice: James Corden to Replace Craig Ferguson - Thom915 02:54 pm EDT 08/05/14

I had the same response exactly. It seems an odd career decision for such a young, gifted actor about to make an even bigger impression on the screen in an A-list film. And forgive my ignorance, but has he demonstrated this particular skill set? I only know his (wonderful) stage work. Is he a practiced stand-up, if not host?


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re: What a Great Choice: James Corden to Replace Craig Ferguson

Posted by: sf 08:11 pm EDT 08/05/14
In reply to: re: What a Great Choice: James Corden to Replace Craig Ferguson - Delvino 06:58 pm EDT 08/05/14

He hasn't done stand-up (that I know of), but he's hosted a panel show ("A League of Their Own") and a few awards shows and charity fundraisers on British TV, and done a sketch comedy show ("Horne and Corden" with Matthew Horne - it wasn't very good, for reasons that have more to do with the writing and direction than the performances).

He's not a *bad* host, but as far as I'm concerned that kind of work is not where he's most at home. He *is* an effective comic writer, which seems to me to be part of the necessary skill set for hosting something like 'The Late Late Show', but his best work (so far) has been character-driven - at their best, 'Gavin and Stacey' and 'The Wrong Mans' are both very funny.


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re: What a Great Choice: James Corden to Replace Craig Ferguson

Posted by: sf 08:17 pm EDT 08/05/14
In reply to: re: What a Great Choice: James Corden to Replace Craig Ferguson - sf 08:11 pm EDT 08/05/14

...hit send too soon. 'Gavin and Stacey' and 'The Wrong Mans' are both very funny, but they're sitcoms, and they do not particularly entail the kind of topical comedy you expect from a late-night host; "Horne and Corden" was closer to that kind of thing, but the writing (driven by the two stars, but other people participated as well) was the show's biggest liability (he has since said in interviews that he recognises that it wasn't good enough).

With the right team around him, he could make something like 'The Late Late Show' work for him, I think - but it's not the most obvious step for him.


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