Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Stars on screen
Late-night homecoming: James Corden is heading home.The host of CBS’s “The Late Late Show” announced that he’s taking a trip to his home city of London next month, marking the late-night talk show’s first international foray since Corden took the reins in 2015.
From June 6 to 8, the cheeky Brit will broadcast from the city’s historic Central Hall Westminster, while giving his unique blend of comedy and music an extra bit of a British twist.
When Corden took over “The Late Late Show” from Scottish comedian Craig Ferguson (“Celebrity Name Game”), he immediately put his own stamp on the venerable franchise. As a Tony Award-winning actor, he has music in his blood, and he’s transformed the nightly talk show into a melodious hit on both sides of the Atlantic.
It’s segments like Carpool Karaoke and Crosswalk the Musical that have helped to endear Corden to red-eyed viewers on this side of the pond, but it’s not only audiences that have fallen in love with his brand of humor; his latenight talker has also won two Critics’ Choice awards and an Emmy.
“To bring ‘The Late Late Show’ to London is a dream come true for me,” Corden said in a statement announcing his trip. “I’m incredibly proud of the show, and we’re going to do our best to make this week in London memorable.”The episodes will also be broadcast in the U.K. on Sky 1 and Now TV.
This isn’t the first time that “The Late Late Show” has visited the United Kingdom. Ferguson filmed a week’s worth of shows in Scotland in 2012. It is, however, a chance for Corden to show off his own home city and country when the episodes air June 6 to 8, on CBS.
Hardwick gets ‘Awesome’: NBC has expanded its relationship with Chris Hardwick.The actor and comedian has hosted the game show “The Wall” on the peacock network since last December, pulling in strong ratings, and now he and legendary reality TV producer Mark Burnett (“The Voice”) have paired up for a new science-based program.
“The Awesome Show,” which doesn’t yet have a premiere date, has been given a six-episode order. In it, Hardwick explores the cutting edge of scientific advancement and innovation, finds the pioneers of tomorrow and celebrates the achievements of humanity — those that are happening right now, as well as ones on the cusp of happening.
As a fast-paced series about innovation’s cutting edge, “The Awesome Show” couldn’t have found a more qualified host than Hardwick. “The opportunity to develop a prime-time show that celebrates science and technology was too good to pass up,” he said in a news release. “I started Nerdist 10 years ago as a tech news site. I was a contributor to Wired magazine for several years, and hosted ‘Wired Science’ on PBS.”
Burnett, who has been behind some of TV’s biggest reality hits, including “Survivor” and “Shark Tank,” gave the host his personal seal of approval. “Chris Hardwick has the perfect balance of humor and knowledge when it comes to exploring the depths of what is possible, and the audience will be entertained while, at the same time, having their minds blown!”
NBC’s “The Awesome Show” is still early in production with no premiere date as of press time.