Craig Ferguson's Monologue Interupted - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 07-12-2007, 10:58 AM

'LATE Late Show" host Craig Ferguson was forced to take an un precedented commercial break in the middle of his Tuesday- night monologue - under a new mandate from management.

CBS, Ferguson's network, is trying to goose the ratings by cramming ads into the hourlong broadcast earlier, since Nielsen will begin measur ing commercials for view ership this fall.

"This is a proactive response to an upcoming ratings system that will be put in place for the new season," says CBS spokes person Chris Ender.

"We want to get ahead of the game and experi ment to see if the first commercial [break] works creatively and pro vides more value for our advertisers."

Ferguson was about four minutes into his monologue Tuesday night when he suddenly stopped.

"Listen, we got to take this little break thing now because of the new com mercial rating experiment," he said.

"You know about this? They're going to show the commercials early and then. . . I don't know. Anyway, we'll be right back and I'll talk about prostitutes."

Around five minutes later, at 12:45 a.m., the show returned from its commercial break and Ferguson tried to pick up where he left off.

It's believed that CBS is front-loading "The Late Late Show" (12:35-1:35 a.m.) with more ads because viewers fall asleep the later it gets.

But unlike other late show hosts Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Kimmel - who offer a barrage of jokes on a variety of subjects - Ferguson tends to stick to one or two topics for about 10 minutes.

That means this new experiment may interfere with his style - which CBS officials prefer to call "an extended conversation with the audience" rather than a "monologue."

Fans of the show found the interruption disconcerting and voiced their frustration on Web sites and blogs devoted to the "Late Late Show."

Some promised to start a campaign to bombard CBS with letters pleading to drop the experiment.

"The new commercial break stinks," a fan going by the moniker Imahaint moaned.

"You could see where it totally threw off the continuity of the monologue. Craig seemed to take it in stride, but still. . .if it throws him off, it does the same to the audience."

Ender said the experiment is expected to continue for the rest of the week and throughout the summer. Ferguson, he said, has been "extremely agreeable" to the process.

Ferguson took over as host of "Late Late Show" in January 2005, replacing Craig Kilborn.

The show's ratings have increased since Ferguson's been hosting while critics have praised his style - for which he received an Emmy nomination last year.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/07122007...don_kaplan.htm

JulieSomoski · 07-12-2007, 11:52 AM

I saw that the other night. When he was told to do it, you could tell he was trying to stay very calm and funny about it, yet it bothered him as much as it bothered us.

AKA · 07-12-2007, 01:07 PM

This is so insane. Commercial breaks are getting out of control. The FCC needs to do some good for once and regulate the length of commercials on broadcast networks to a maximum of 5 minutes per half hour.

07-12-2007, 10:58 AM	#1
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,107	Craig Ferguson's Monologue Interupted 'LATE Late Show" host Craig Ferguson was forced to take an un precedented commercial break in the middle of his Tuesday- night monologue - under a new mandate from management. CBS, Ferguson's network, is trying to goose the ratings by cramming ads into the hourlong broadcast earlier, since Nielsen will begin measur ing commercials for view ership this fall. "This is a proactive response to an upcoming ratings system that will be put in place for the new season," says CBS spokes person Chris Ender. "We want to get ahead of the game and experi ment to see if the first commercial [break] works creatively and pro vides more value for our advertisers." Ferguson was about four minutes into his monologue Tuesday night when he suddenly stopped. "Listen, we got to take this little break thing now because of the new com mercial rating experiment," he said. "You know about this? They're going to show the commercials early and then. . . I don't know. Anyway, we'll be right back and I'll talk about prostitutes." Around five minutes later, at 12:45 a.m., the show returned from its commercial break and Ferguson tried to pick up where he left off. It's believed that CBS is front-loading "The Late Late Show" (12:35-1:35 a.m.) with more ads because viewers fall asleep the later it gets. But unlike other late show hosts Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Kimmel - who offer a barrage of jokes on a variety of subjects - Ferguson tends to stick to one or two topics for about 10 minutes. That means this new experiment may interfere with his style - which CBS officials prefer to call "an extended conversation with the audience" rather than a "monologue." Fans of the show found the interruption disconcerting and voiced their frustration on Web sites and blogs devoted to the "Late Late Show." Some promised to start a campaign to bombard CBS with letters pleading to drop the experiment. "The new commercial break stinks," a fan going by the moniker Imahaint moaned. "You could see where it totally threw off the continuity of the monologue. Craig seemed to take it in stride, but still. . .if it throws him off, it does the same to the audience." Ender said the experiment is expected to continue for the rest of the week and throughout the summer. Ferguson, he said, has been "extremely agreeable" to the process. Ferguson took over as host of "Late Late Show" in January 2005, replacing Craig Kilborn. The show's ratings have increased since Ferguson's been hosting while critics have praised his style - for which he received an Emmy nomination last year. http://www.nypost.com/seven/07122007...don_kaplan.htm
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07-12-2007, 11:52 AM	#2
JulieSomoski Roseanne Reboot - March 27! Forum Veteran Join Date: Nov 06, 2004 Location: Michigan Posts: 7,558	I saw that the other night. When he was told to do it, you could tell he was trying to stay very calm and funny about it, yet it bothered him as much as it bothered us.
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07-12-2007, 01:07 PM	#3
AKA Member Forum Star Join Date: Dec 17, 2001 Posts: 15,746	This is so insane. Commercial breaks are getting out of control. The FCC needs to do some good for once and regulate the length of commercials on broadcast networks to a maximum of 5 minutes per half hour.