I've been thinking about this for a while now, and I think I've hit on what makes Ferguson's experimental episodes so fascinating. They're the TV equivalent of a concept album. Whether this Stephen Fry solo show, the all-puppets 1000th episode or the Mythbusters lovefest, he's demonstrated a willingness to take an idea and run with it.

You know what I'd love to see him try next? A music episode; something akin to what Elvis Costello has been doing. Traditionally, music guests only get to perform a song (two at best) at the end of a late night show. Given his appreciation for rock music, and his longstanding relationships with several acts, I suspect there's someone out there that could make this work.

I watched half of it before turning in, but how is an interview sans audience innovative?

It's not. But he completely changed formats for a night, just to see how it went. How many other late-night talkshow hosts would be willing to try that? And Ferguson's attempt was REALLY GOOD and done sincerely. Other hosts would have done it as a joke and would have been awkward during the show. Ferguson could pull this off every night if he wanted to. Jimmy Kimmel sure as hell couldn't.

I'll give you the 'changing formats for a night' angle, but as much as I love Craig, I'm not pretending he's more innovative than any of the other hosts. Hell Carson Daly does the personal interview thing all the time(well, I haven't watched in a while but, last I checked).

It's not innovative, he even said so on his show. What's innovative is he is willing to change things up. Puppets one night, one-on-one interview the next. He keeps it fresh and seems to care and have fun with it. And even when he's doing basically the same show that everyone else does, which is most nights, he is hands-down the best interviewer.

Did you really just compare him to Carson Daly??

A Great Hour Of TV- From EW.com

Sometimes, I'm disappointed in myself for not being clearer in expressing my thoughts. Then, before I can clarify for myself, someone else manages to articulate my thought for me which alleviates some of the chagrin.

Other hosts tinker, yes, but typically as segments. When Ferguson experiments, he dedicates an entire episode. The recent Greek Chorus is a great example of this. Letterman would have had them out during the post-monologue segment of the episode, but dismissed them before the "Top Ten List." Ferguson had them appear throughout, and time and time again demonstrates a creative restlessness with his show's format.

people actually watch Carson Daly?? lol

Look, I'm not disagreeing with you guys, I'm just saying the term 'innovative' is the wrong word you guys are looking for. Experimental is more appropriate.

I watched a clip of Yvonne Strahovski on YouTube. I can guarantee you I wasn't watching for Carson.

Give the guy his due. He did invent the concept of karma, you know.

In regard to the one show, then yes, it was experimental. In regards to the Late Late Show under Craig Ferguson, I believe innovative is exactly the right word. He has taken a television format that hasn't changed in literally fifty years and turned it on its head and has been incredibly successful with it.

Well put. In the strictest literal sense, I think Corvin has us here, though I would be quicker to agree with him were we characterizing Ferguson as "inventive" rather than "innovative."

If I might return to the music analogy I hinted at in a previous post, Ferguson's tenure as host reminds me of Willie Nelson's discography. In just this decade, Willie has released a blues album, a reggae album, several live recordings, an album with Asleep at the Wheel and another with Wynton Marsalis. Individually, yes, you could name any number of people with the same things in their discographies. But as a cumulative volume of work, it shows an innovative spirit.

Very well said. I love Craig almost as much as I love Willie.

Craig never said it was "innovative" and pretty much said in his monologue that this was a nod to Original format of the Late Late show with Tom Snyder and that this was an experiment for him. He also said, "Larry King does interviews like this every night".

Agreed and his Monologue touches on all this. This video is in the link above.

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I wanted to hear more about Fry and Laurie. I am just starting to watch Jeeves and Wooster now, and will follow up with A Bit of Fry and Laurie afterwards, but individually I really like them both. Anyone know what their relationship is like now? I think that it is still friendly, but curious to know if they still talk, etc.

Sweet - I Tivo'd this ep and was looking forward to it. Glad to hear good things.

Make it happen people. Make it happen.

http://twitter.com/grantimahara/status/9847418643

He's up to 90,663 as of this post.

Am I the only one who's had several bouts of deja vu watching tonight's episode with Lauren Graham? I could have sworn we'd already seen that opening bit with them, and that "jefe" had already been the Spanish word of the day.

Yeah they did a bit with those puppets before but this was new.

Alright, i gotta ask, whats the vacum cleaner 'with the proper amount of suction" that craig always jokes about.

And i wonder if he gets enough requests on twitter, if he'd dye his hair blonde for a night

Dyson vacuums. The guy on the ad, Sir James Dyson, is the inventor and he's British with a very posh accent.

The Ball ad

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Another of his cool creations

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Grant just passed 100,000 followers - get ready to welcome your new robot skeleton overlords!

Ok, what was Steven Wright on, or is he always like that, even craig seemed to have a little trouble moving things along

Seemed pretty "normal" to me. You know, for being Steven Wright and all.