Thank you David for covering Craig Ferguson's attempt at experimental television. To me it was a very interesting and engrossing hour of television. Having grown up in the 90s I have only known talk shows that have the same tired standard of monologue and multiple guests (Jon Stewart having done the best with this format). I hope Ferguson continues taking bold steps like hour long conservations with a single guest without an audience, no side kick and of course puppets and robot skeleton armies!

I caught a little bit of the Craig Ferguson interview of Stephen Fry. I'm a bit of a Fry fan anyway (Fry and Hugh Laurie - got to love them as one of the best comic duos from the other side of the Atlantic!), and thought that their interview was really fascinating and so erudite (Fry has quite a mind).

I like your idea about Craig doing a different format once in awhile (I really enjoyed his interview with Desmond Tutu - it was such a refreshing thing to see on network television, and so rare too). I don't think it should hurt Craig at all to do it, and it would make him very unique among the late night folk (and he's already pretty terrific as it is!).

Oh, Craig gave us advanced notice, you just had to be following him on Twitter, which is where he dropped the news.

[True -- but I presume he'll settle down soon about his skeleton robot Twitter army, and post less, and enjoy it more. I was referring to TELEVISION promotion, but you're absolutely right. -- David B.]

Once again Craig entertains us in a very smart way with fantastic guests. Ferguson is so much better than any other Leno or Letterman combined. I hope he will do the same kind of interview with Hugh Laurie in the near future. Now if PBS could get the Fry & Laurie TV series on Saturdays as British funnies that would be the cherry on top.

I just went home at lunch and watched the first half of this show from my dvr. I was first turned onto Craig by you when you blogged about his puppet show episode and I've had him on my dvr ever since. I don't watch every single one, but I do like watching him a couple of times a week for something that feels much less uptight and tense than the other talk shows. I loved his references to Tom Snyder because my brother and I used to stay up late to watch his show as young teenagers (yes, really) and we always enjoyed his simple, straightforward talk. I think that Craig can take a similar style and make it a little bit funnier and more modern and still have the same basic feel. The once-a-week suggestion is spot on because we certainly don't want him to lose his other strong point which is the human interaction with his live audience.

The Leno part of the story has a certain degree of fascination. Really no one there worth spending any time time for me. Most sports figures (including 98% of the Olympics) have few people worth a chat. Palin? Letterman's jokes at the same time could prove more interesting. Doesn't she get it that McFarlane wasn't making fun of her child (hey,he was EMPLOYING an actor who is also autistic to do the voiceover-this from a guy who employs a white guy to voiceover a black guy). McFarlane was making fun of St.Sarah, patron Saint of the Humorless and Thinskinned. And Jay won't do anything but give her a bigger platform (network TV vs. O'Reilly's cable spinfest) and throw softballs. Musical guests include Brad Paisley, a competent current country throb, but no edge here. Letterman has showcased Melody Gardot while Ferguson recently had Patty Griffin and Nellie McKay - nowhere near the marquee names of a Paisley,but each lightyears more interesting. Leno has Morgan Freeman during the first week, but Charlie Rose brought out the serious Freeman a few weeks ago and Ferguson let Morgan cuss up a storm on pseudo promos (the CBS News one should be the real take). Leno will do neither. Same old, same old, followed by Lorne Michael's throwaway hour with Jimmy Fallon. NBC - No Body Cares.