Craig Kilborn calls it quits at Late Late Show

[Chris R]

From my http://www.mytelus.com/news/article.do?pageID=cp_entertainment_home&articleID=1686879 (ISP.

Craig Kilborn calls it quits at Late Late Show

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Craig Kilborn has decided to quit CBS's Late Late Show after five seasons, leaving the network to find a new host for the hour that follows Late Show with David Letterman.
"It was easily the greatest job I've had, and CBS was very generous in their offer to re-sign me," Kilborn told Daily Variety. "But I simply want to try something new. I can now focus on writing and producing different television projects I haven't had time for."

Not one to pass up a gag, Kilborn added: "And this is cool: I will continue to wear makeup in my everyday life."

Kilborn had drawn solid ratings for CBS since he took the time slot over from Tom Snyder. Since 1999, the audience had grown 34 per cent to this season's average of 1.7 million viewers.

He likely will wrap up his tenure by within a month, according to a source close to the production, Variety reported Friday. The program is produced by Letterman's company, Worldwide Pants.

CBS, which learned of Kilborn's decision Thursday, had no comment on his replacement, a CBS spokesman said Friday.

There was immediate speculation that Conan O'Brien, whose contract with NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien has more than a year to run, might be a candidate - if he could eventually could end up with Letterman's job.

Industry speculation has it that Letterman is likely to exit late-night TV before Leno does.

Kilborn was the original host of Comedy Central's Daily Show and had a role in the 2003 film Old School.

© The Canadian Press, 2004
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I am so bummed out by this. I watch Craig Kilborn regularly at my girlfriend's place. She has a satalite dish and we watch the early feed out of the Buffalo CBS affiliate. I find Kilborn very funny. Hope CBS can find a good replacement, however he will be a hard act to follow.

I also liked how Kilborn championed Morrissey for so many years.

"Play that funky music white boy..."

[ascot]

Yeah, I'm going to miss Kilborn, too. I like his re-creations of press photos.

[floyd]

I my area they ran a rerun of the Drew Cary show after Letterman so I alway switch over to Conan for a half hour and then go to bed I never saw Kilborn due to stupid local programing.

[VeeDub]

I my area they ran a rerun of the Drew Cary show after Letterman so I alway switch over to Conan for a half hour and then go to bed I never saw Kilborn due to stupid local programing.

It's the flip here in Denver: After Jay & Dave simultaneously, Kilborn is "on time" while our NBC affiliate has a Cheers rerun, then Conan. Helps when trying to catch both Craig and Conan, but sometimes I wish O'Brien were on earlier!

He's no Conan, but I'll miss Kilborn too.

[Beatlelennon65]

I always thought Craigers thought too much of himself.

[Evan L]

Kilborn has/had a good, solid show. But Conan's show is better. Still, Craig will be a hard act to follow. Guess he won't be replacing Letterman when the latter retires now...


Evan

[thxdave]

I never really "got" Craig. I tried and tried for the first few months, but I never warmed up to his approach. I still enjoy Dave and Conan a lot. I hope that Conan can move up to a more reasonable time as I think he still has a certain "Ernie Kovacs-like" love for the medium.

[Green Tea]

Never really cared for Kilborn - Conan is THE late night show to watch. Go, Cone-dog!

[John Oteri]

[QUOTE=miike]From my http://www.mytelus.com/news/article.do?pageID=cp_entertainment_home&articleID=1686879 (ISP.

Craig Kilborn calls it quits at Late Late Show

QUOTE]

What up, Craig?

[VeeDub]

I've read some speculation that O'Brien may want to consider a jump to Kilborn's spot, anticipating that Dave will retire long before Jay leaves NBC, thus giving Conan the chance to slide into the earlier time slot (on CBS) sooner. Just some print media guessing at this point, though! Seems like CBS would need to make a pretty generous offer to get him to change networks without changing time slots....

[stever]

Kilborn is good, but he's not Conan. I don't think he's either as funny nor are his writers as good.

Maybe he should return to ESPN. After watching Old School this past week, I miss the personality and professionalism of people like Bob Ley, Charley Steiner, Tom (can't remember his name, but he died a few years ago). Sportscenter's gotten too cute and clever for me.

[Steve Hoffman]

I liked him on Comedy Central but he's just too cynical for me.

At any rate, I bet he asked for a raise and didn't get it. Therefore, bye bye.

[Leppo]

I found Mr. Kilborn's Late Late Show unwatchable. Though I did force myself to watch a fews time to see Morrissey. :sigh:

[Paul G]

Kilborn was quite good as host of Comedy Central's The Daily Show before Jon Stewart took over. From what little I had seen of The Late Late Show -- I too found it virtually unwatchable -- it's hard to believe that I actually remember him seeming to have some chemistry with Janeanne Garafolo when she was a guest on TDS.

Paul

[whitenoise]

My father-in-law thought Kilborn was a lot better than Jon Stewart on TDS, which is unfathomable to me, but I never saw the Daily Show prior to Stewart's reign.

[poweragemk]

My father-in-law thought Kilborn was a lot better than Jon Stewart on TDS, which is unfathomable to me, but I never saw the Daily Show prior to Stewart's reign.

It was a VERY different show. Much more like the first :30 of the Late Late Show than the show it became under Stewart.

[reechie]

At any rate, I bet he asked for a raise and didn't get it. Therefore, bye bye.
Steve calls it! The word in the papers is, despite the "amicable parting" talk for the press release, Kilby wanted a sum similar to what Conan's getting at NBC, and CBS balked.

[John Oteri]

Maybe Conan can loan CBS his Frankenstien...so Frankenstien can waste a full hour on CBS.
Or maybe the Masterbating Bear can finally get his own show! ;)

[MMM]

Or maybe the ************ bear and Triumph the insult comic dog could do a show together.

[nukevor]

Couldn't believe it...I was flipping the channel late Friday night (8.27.04) and caught the last CK show. Not bad. They had Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn and a few other guests. I fell asleep for about five minutes near the end; I woke up and the crew were dancing to that song "Roller Coaster." Verry Surreal. Even more surreal is how they ended it, some fictionalized story narrated by the show's announcer.

I can see why Craig quit after five years...he probaly didn't want to pigeonhole himself (a la Greg Kinnear and "Talk Soup") and wanted to branch out and do other things. After all, he had a cameo in "Old School" with WF and VV. Even the former SNLer Jimmy Fallon has a new movie coming out co-starring Queen Latifah (sp?). Looks good...

***

I read somwhere that David Letterman has been in late night for 20 years. 10 more years and he can match Johnny. David seems to be improving with each show. Lots of interesting and even non celeb guests. He has turned into a great interviewer. (He was really good talking with Janet Jackson; serious yet comical) The other night he had Maureen Dowd on, a columnist, I think.

[ubsman]

Never really cared for Kilborn - Conan is THE late night show to watch. Go, Cone-dog!
Has Conan ever worked a 5 day week though? Even once? What's up with all the repeats?

[njwiv]

After watching Old School this past week, I miss the personality and professionalism of people like Bob Ley, Charley Steiner, Tom (can't remember his name, but he died a few years ago). Sportscenter's gotten too cute and clever for me.

Steve,

You're referring to the late, great Tom Mees, who sadly drowned in 1996 rescuing his 4-year-old daughter from a neighbor's pool.

I agree with what you've said about the evolution of SportsCenter. The economy and dignity of Tom Mees, Bob Ley and Charley Steiner is much missed.

Jay

[Evan L]

Has Conan ever worked a 5 day week though? Even once? What's up with all the repeats?

Letterman only worked 4 day weeks when he hosted Late Night as well.

Kilborn's last show was actually pretty good; the epilogue was excellent("Craig never actually died" :laugh: ).


Evan

[quentincollins]

I used to watch the Daily Show regularly when Kilborn hosted, and yes, it was a very different show. Not necessarily better or worse than Jon Stewart, because I still like the Daily Show, but it was just different. The same concept presented with a different attitude, or somethin' like that (I guess)

Either way, I watched some episodes of the Late Late Show back when Kilborn first started hosting it, and didn't watch much after that. I thought he was much better on TDS.

For me, as far as late night goes, Conan is da man :righton: . Everything he's done even prior to his show has been funny. I mean, come on, the man was a writer at SNL during the late '80s/early '90s, considered by many (myself included) to be SNL's second peak/rebirth. Likewise, he was a writer for the Simpsons in the early '90s, which was when the Simpsons really started to take off. I don't think it's a coincidence. I used to like Leno, but after hearing about "having so much leftovers after holidays that you get a tan from the refrigerator light" for the 20th time, I stopped watching. Leno reuses waaay too many jokes, end of story.

[Captain Groovy]

Who's taking over? They'll definitely have a new guy in there no doubt... My guess is Jon Stewart by year's end.

JEFF!