Craig Ferguson close to signing on for syndicated talk show

Craig Ferguson may be leaving “The Late Late Show” after many years as the host of the program, but that does not mean in the slightest that he is stepping away from the world of talk shows at all.

Rather, sources claim to The Hollywood Reporter that Craig is getting closer to a deal now to host a syndicated talk show with Tribune that will air at a pretty unusual timeslot: Right around 7:00 or 7:30 p.m. Eastern.

Tribune had a role in the creation of the recently-canceled late-night show hosted by Arsenio Hall, and our general sentiment here is that Craig is closer to a slam dunk given that he is still on TV right now, he is familiar to many viewers, and he has an extremely devoted following. The only question is whether or not any of them would follow him to a time this much earlier in the night, when they may be eating dinner rather than getting ready for bed.

Still, we don’t blame Craig for trying and hope it works out for him. This timeslot has become to us one of the dreariest on television, given that unless you like game shows or watching the same entertainment news that you can get on the internet earlier in the day, there is not a whole lot else on. This is what Rosie O’Donnell and OWN were banking on for a time with “The Rosie Show,” but it did not end up going according to plan, either, after the ratings were not strong enough to keep it on the air.

Craig will most likely sign off later this year; while no official replacement for “The Late Late Show” has been named, there is a reported frontrunner.

What do you think: Do you want to see Craig on another talk show in the future? Share your thoughts with a comment, and head over here to get some further updates on everything we cover via our CarterMatt Newsletter.

Photo: CBS