Why This Guy Should Be The New Host Of 'The Late Late Show'

Now that Craig Ferguson has officially announced his late-night talk show retirement, speculation over who will succeed him will truly become annoyingly oppressive. Given that CBS has apparently known Ferguson was going to leave for months, I would hope the network has someone in mind for the job.

But who really deserves the job? Here are a few qualifications that matter.

Given that Stephen Colbert is likely to reinvent "The Late Show" when he takes it over, CBS is going to want someone who'll be equally ambitious with "The Late, Late Show." Especially given that NBC's "Late Night With Seth Myers" has managed to become consistently predictable in a way that is the comedy equivalent of punching a time clock.

Ideally, you want someone with prior hosting experience. They don't need to be a stand-up per se, but they need to be have a solid sense of humor and the ability to roll with whatever happens in such an unpredictable format.

You also want a late night host who is intellectually curious. Someone who has non-show biz interests that make them a more well-rounded person. They need to be likeable, or at least they need to have the ability to successfully fake being likeable. They need to appreciate the job and the break they've been given and yet have just enough contempt for the medium that they won't let network suits walk over them.

Thanks to Leno and Letterman's unwillingness to have guest hosts, there aren't many performers who fit more than a couple of these qualifications. There are plenty comics around who'd do a solid job and a few entertainers like Chelsea Handler who've been campaigning for the job through the press for weeks.

But I'd like to suggest someone who isn't anyone's obvious choice. But a performer who also seems to have the experience and chops to pull off the job quite successfully.

Jimmy Pardo.

Pardo already has some late-night TV connections. He was the warm-up comic for "The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien." He's appeared on TBS's "Conan" and has done a web series for the show in which he does backstage celebrity interviews.

He has as much hosting experience as any of his peers. He hosted a GSN game show for a few months and co-hosted AMC's "Movies At Our House" for five seasons. But more importantly, he's hosted the inventive and wildly funny podcast "Never Not Funny." The podcast is in some ways a glimpse of what a Jimmy Pardo late-night talk show would sound like and even better, he already has a sidekick in producer Matt Belknap.

Before anyone asks, I have no connection with Pardo. I sort of knew him 20+ years ago when we were both doing stand-up in Chicago. But we didn't run in the same circles and I can't say I knew him at that well even back then. But he was funny even early in his career and that's continued to be the case in the ensuing years.

Now do I think he's got a chance at the job? Probably not. But he's an example of what I hope CBS goes with when they announce a new "Late Late Show" host. Funny, fresh and a bit unpredictable.

Contact Rick Ellis at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow him on Twitter @aysrick.