James Corden departs "The Late Late Show" on Thursday, April 27, after manning the desk for eight years. I'm surprised he lasted that long.
The time slot and format were never a proper fit for a song-and-dance man who was being asked to toss his tap shoes in the closet and only bring them out for special occasions.
CBS' late-night talk show host never seemed comfortable playing in such a confined sandbox, at least not compared with others. David Letterman and Conan O'Brien treated the post-midnight space like a science lab, eager to see what they could pull off without adult supervision and a substantial budget.
Seth Meyers, Corden's superior competition, gets a twinkle in his eye whenever things go off the rails. Tom Snyder, the original "Late Late" host, conducted interviews as if he was bonding with a childhood friend over Scotch. Snyder's followers, Craig Ferguson and Craig Kilborn, were at their best when they scrapped the scripts.
Corden was never very good at winging it. Casual conversations seemed rehearsed. What passed as monologue jokes were punctuated with punchlines inspired by Bazooka gun wrappers.
That's the risk you take when hiring a host without a stand-up background. Corden's first love is theater, where your instincts are always to put on a really big show. And he was good at it, winning a Tony Award for "One Man, Two Guvnors" and positioning himself to become a Broadway staple. Then he took his ill-advised detour.
Corden, 44, was at his best when he was released from the confines of the cramped quarters on the Los Angeles lot of CBS Studios. His "Crosswalk the Musical" sketches, in which he literally stopped traffic to perform alongside folks like Hugh Jackman and Idina Menzel, were spectacular.
"Carpool Karaoke" was always a joy ride. It was fun to watch legends like Adele and Paul McCartney let loose and wail along to the car radio. But they also worked because of Corden's ability to hold his own, a talent he relished with boyish enthusiasm.
In one of his final remotes, he spent a day as the Kardashians' butler, feeding Khloe a salad and sneaking wine into Kris Jenner's smoothie. This is where Corden is most comfortable: long recorded bits with big stars that could be perfected in the editing room.
Corden might have been more suited to host "The Late Show," shot in New York's spacious Ed Sullivan Theater. But I doubt it. With the exception of Letterman, late-night personalities have to behave like they're thrilled to tuck you into bed. Every. Single. Night.
Corden is a good actor (see his recent work in Amazon Prime's "Mammals"), but he's not that good. His impression of the genuinely giddy Jimmy Fallon may be the least convincing performance of his career. Rumors that he can be rude to waiters and crew members only confirm my suspicions.
Corden may not have won me over but I'll be tuning in to his final week that should be packed with the kind of "big" moments he loves. Tom Cruise will appear in a sketch. A prime-time special will air at 10 p.m. ET Thursday, the same night of his final 12:35 a.m. broadcast with Will Ferrell and Harry Styles scheduled to be his final guests. One more "Crosswalk the Musical" remains.
I'm most looking forward to seeing what kind of acting roles Corden takes on. Is it time for a revival of "The Producers"? He'd make an interesting Max Bialystock.
That move would give him an excuse to return to late night in a more natural role: celebrity guest.
———
