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CBS will replace the quirky Craig Ferguson in its post-midnight “Late Late Show” with British actor James Corden, in what looks to be the last – at least for now – of a major series of talent shifts in wee-hours programming set off in large part by David Letterman’s decision to leave his CBS roost some time next year.

In doing so, CBS is likely hoping the new host’s experience in British TV and Broadway will help expand the appeal of “The Late Late Show” despite competition.

On NBC, “Late Night with Seth Meyers” gets a heady lead-in from the new “Tonight,” helmed by Jimmy Fallon, and also enjoys a wide level of recognition from the host’s years on “Saturday Night Live.”

Both have helped his program win move viewers overall and more in the advertiser-coveted 18-to-49 demographic than “Late Late Show.” On ABC, “Nightline” has also often outmaneuvered its CBS counterpart in its first half hour.

Corden was the co-creator of U.K. sitcom “Gavin & Stacey,” about a long-distance romantic relationship, which ran for three cycles over 20 episodes. He won a BAFTA Television Award for Best Comedy Performance for his effort as one of the show’s co-stars. Corden, whose middle name is Kimberley, was also one of the forces behind the ill-fated sketch show “Horne and Corden,” which aired for a little while in 2009.He is also one of the creators behind “The Wrong Mans,” a comedic series about two regular guys who get caught up in a web of intrigue and conspiracy, that has been available on both the BBC and Hulu.

Yet it is the theater, perhaps, that has made him better known to global audiences. In 2011 and 2012, he starred in the play “One Man, Two Guvnors” and went from the National Theatre to the West End to Broadway, winning the 2012 Tony for “Best Actor in a Play.”

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