Late Late Show’s James Corden may get CBS primetime show
By Hector Cruz
The British comedian is reportedly in talks to get his own primetime variety show on CBS.
James Corden’s short tenure as host of The Late Late Show has been such a success that he’s said to be fielding offers from rival networks for once his contract expires next year, spurring CBS to offer Corden the opportunity to star in his own variety show in primetime.
A source recently told The Daily Mail:
"“James has become one of the most wanted men in Hollywood. He has been getting all sorts of offers and CBS doesn’t want to risk losing him. The plan is for a primetime variety show which showcases all his talents. The move will happen sooner rather than later. The talks started last week.”"
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It’s best to take the news with a grain of salt for now, but Corden getting his own primetime variety series does make sense for several reasons. First, CBS previously gave him a primetime special highlighting the best of his “Carpool Karaoke” segments, which may have been used to test the waters. It drew solid if unspectacular ratings, but it was mostly a clip show with one new segment featuring Jennifer Lopez. Corden’s musical segments such as “Drop the Mic” and the aforementioned “Carpool Karaoke,” starring such famous names as Adele and Michelle Obama, have become huge viral hits, far surpassing the digital buzz of his lead-in Stephen Colbert, but he’s stuck in a timeslot where it’s difficult to capitalize on the star power that his show has been able to attract. Corden’s profile has risen in recent months thanks not only to his viral clips, but also his well-received turn as host of the Tony Awards just hours after the Orlando shooting.
There’s been rumors that Corden could replace Colbert as host of The Late Show, giving him an earlier time slot to directly compete with the younger-skewing Jimmy Fallon, but CBS has shot down those reports and instead seem firmly committed to making Colbert’s version of the show a success despite inconsistent ratings, recently allowing him to go live to cover the political conventions for what turned out to be his strongest two weeks of shows since he stepped in to replace David Letterman.
There’s also been a renewed interest in reviving the variety show format, though NBC’s recent attempts — Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris and Maya & Marty — haven’t exactly lived up to expectations, with the former getting cancelled after one season, while the latter’s fate remains unclear. But if there’s one person who could revive the genre, it could be Corden, who routinely shows off his singing (and even rapping) skills alongside famous celebrities on The Late Late Show while providing plenty of laughs, which could easily translate to a family-friendly primetime gig.
However, the move could also prove to be a gamble, reminiscent of Jay Leno’s unsuccessful move to primetime after briefly exiting The Tonight Show, though Corden’s show is likely to air on a weekly instead of nightly basis. But it could also erode whatever gains CBS’ late-night lineup has made in the past year, particularly among younger viewers. Whatever his next move may be, it makes sense for the network to try to keep his talents in-house for as long as possible given his increasingly global appeal.
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The Late Late Show with James Corden airs Monday through Thursday at 12:35 a.m. on CBS. Tonight’s guests include Matt Damon and Keegan-Michael Key, while the rest of the week will feature Bradley Cooper, Salma Hayek and Hugh Grant.
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