The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn
The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn
| 30 March 1999 (USA)
SEASON & EPISODES
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  • Reviews
    BroadcastChic Excellent, a Must See
    Supelice Dreadfully Boring
    Aedonerre I gave this film a 9 out of 10, because it was exactly what I expected it to be.
    Lollivan It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.
    Mister Two A few months ago I forced myself to watch Kilborn because a friend of mine had sent in a short video that was going to be used as a bumper when the show went to commercial. Not only did the show renege on showing my friend's short, I didn't laugh once the whole time I was watching the show.It's been several years now since Kilborn jumped from "The Daily Show" to CBS to take over the timeslot that was once held by the venerable Tom Snyder. All in all, Kilborn should have stayed on cable. Now, the only thing keeping the network from cancelling this show is the fact that Kilborn draws about the same ratings as Snyder did, and CBS doesn't want to lose face by firing him. With the aging Letterman's tired irony shtick and "The Late Late Show"'s sorry writing which drags down Kilborn's otherwise incisive and entertaining on-screen personality, it should come as no surprise that NBC can claim the title of "America's Late Night Leader" with its virtuoso trio of Leno, Carson Daly, and especially Conan O'Brien, who, as Kilborn's competitor, will continue to succeed in his part of the network hot clock.People say the same pejorative things about Kilborn now as they said about Conan when he first started, but the difference here is that "Late Night" kept getting better, while the "Late Late Show" goes on stagnating. I wish Craig Kilborn all the best, but this show is need of a new producer and writers; otherwise, when Letterman finally checks out, CBS will be up a creek without the proverbial paddle to resuscitate their faltering late night schedule.
    llihilloh I recently started watching Craig for whatever reason. I have been watching Conan for a long time and while he will always be my favorite of all the late night talk show hosts, Craig is just so addicting.First, Craig is *not* that funny. He can toss out some good jokes here and there, but the show is sort of bland. So, why do I continue to watch him? Well, he just has that quality. It's the one where I can't seem to put my finger on but I know it's there. Oh yeah, he's also really gorgeous. (Yes, this is a FEMALE speaking!) Secondly, Kilborn is so cocky that once in a while he actually persuades me to change the channel to his competition. He needs to settle down a little. Lastly, he's a poor interviewer and only seems to hold the show together during his monologue (In the News, those sometimes funny but not really jokes when he first walks out). I also like 5 questions.'The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn' is not a bad show, but it does fail to deliver entertainment some of the time. Kilborn is irresistible, but I'm going to have to resist and go back to the number one late night talk show host, Conan O'Brien. Craig's good, Conan's great, so I suppose I can flip between the channels during commercials.
    bitchin When I was about eight years old, I used to tune in to Letterman or Leno from time to time. While their juvenile antics amused me when I was young, and on rare occasion still do to some extent-- I grew weary of their repetitive, unfunny jokes and stupid skits. In my mid-teens, I started watching Conan. I thought, this guy is succeeding where the others have failed. But I also tired of Conan, and rather quickly, as I found his range as a comedian quite miniscule and his jokes monotonously shallow. I still tuned in occasionally, but not more than a few times a year, because that seemed to be the only way late shows could stay funny and fresh to me.And then, about a year ago, my friend started nagging me to watch Craig Kilborn. I kept forgetting about it, and so he started taping episodes and making me watch them whenever I was over at his house. At first, though I noted Kilborn to be a skilled comedian with a very diverse portfolio of perfectly executed facial expressions, I didn't understand a lot of his jokes. This is because he has built his show upon a foundation of inside jokes that are sometimes rephrased and repeated a number of times within any given week. As a new viewer, I was unfamiliar with his inside jokes. But now, I feel they are one of the best parts of his show, because for an inside joke to be funny-- the audience has to KNOW what he is talking about. It makes you feel like a part of the show.I treasure parts of Kilborn's show, such as In The News, Five Questions, and Yambo. Not only are these segments often the highlight of Craig Kilborn, they (more often than not) dwarf the competition in terms of wit, humor, and intelligence.But the thing that makes The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn succeed more than anything else is Craig Kilborn. He has a style of comedy that is very self-referential, and he puts on the act of a vain man who thinks he is more important than he really is. He'll act like he thinks he's a big star, while in reality, he's really making fun of himself.You have to hand it to him. This man with no announcer and no band has single-handedly created the greatest late-night talk show of our time. If you don't like Craig Kilborn, then try watching it for a couple of weeks straight. If you're not converted by the end of those two weeks, then you're simply not American.
    M. Tedman The Late Late Show has a perfect mixture of style, cleverness and comedy. The writers have conceived material that is freshly original and keenly witty. The show has never-before-seen segments in talk shows, including one in which Kilborn looks at the camera saying something completely out of place... irreverent, yet original and funny, given a special touch to by Kilborn's charm and talent. As time goes by, it improves, which accounts for Kilborn's, the writers' and the entire staff's hard work. They have now created a game for the two interviewees of the night called "Yambo"... come on, just that name is hilarious (it's also fun to say... try it yourself). Furthermore, the quality of the jokes and the manner in which Kilborn tells them has been perfected. Kilborn seems to enjoy himself more and is more assertive than what he was a year ago. Kudos to him and the entire staff.I earnestly recommend this show to anyone that can keep awake after eleven at night... actually, if you cannot keep awake after that hour, drink some coffee and watch it. Kilborn is sure to give you a few laughs (sometimes even those hard to get belly-laughs) before you go to sleep. I dare say that he will one day obtain the same degree of expertise in talk show hosting as Johnny Carson. I am enthusiastically looking forward to that. Great host, great material, great show.