I'm going to start this off by saying it right now, loud and clear: James Corden reportedly nabbing the job of Late Late Show host following Craig Ferguson is great news. He's a talented guy, super hilarious, British (which obviously makes him at least 10x cooler in the states), and he really deserves all the success he's managed to acquire. I truly hope that this new gig, if it is confirmed, brings him even more exposure in the US, as it did for Craig Ferguson before him. And honestly, I really don't intend this post to be a Kanye-esque "I'mma let you finish, but..." moment.
That said, I can't help but sort of lament the fact that Catherine Tate — Doctor Who-turned- The Office star who should be best-remembered as the only woman other than Rachel Weisz to steal James Bond's heart — wasn't so much as considered for the position.
I know, I know: offhand, the suggestion seems out of the blue. But go with me on this. Late night network television is severely lacking a presence of women, and Catherine Tate already has a huge fanbase in the US thanks to her role as Donna Noble in Doctor Who a few years back, as well as her eleventh hour stint on The Office. That would bring more fans to Late Late Show, and perhaps keep the ones who might tune out the second Craig Ferguson leaves the air: Ferguson is a huge Doctor Who fan, and many of his fans are as well. While Corden was on Doctor Who too, his stint does not compare to Donna freakin' Noble herself.
In addition, she's crazy well-known in the UK thanks to those roles, plus a variety show she starred in called The Catherine Tate Show between 2004 and 2009. That show was huge.
Also, she's starred in hilarious comic relief sketches with David Tennant and former UK prime minister Tony Blair — and of course, the aformentioned Daniel Craig one — so there's really no saying that Tate isn't an amazing comedic presence.
There have been no reports that Tate's name was thrown around for the job, so there's no telling whether or not she even came up in any meetings when CBS was choosing a new Late Late Show host. But man, c'mon guys, it's 2014 — if no one other than a white man can be at the forefront of late night television, can we at least get one lady host? Is that so much to ask?
Anyway, I of course wish Corden the best. Like I said, he does deserve this job, and hopefully this coupled with his role in the upcoming Into the Woods is enough to introduce the American masses to his undeniable talent.
But just sayin' — Catherine Tate would have been a good pick too.
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