Craig Ferguson wins ''Late Late Show'' slot | 85254__cf_l
'LATE' ARRIVAL Ferguson will stay up late for CBS
Craig Ferguson: Mirek Towski/DMI/AP

After a search that lasted more than three months and saw more than 20 candidates audition, CBS and David Letterman's Worldwide Pants have finally settled on a replacement for Craig Kilborn as the host of The Late Late Show. According to trade reports, it's Craig Ferguson, the Scottish comic actor best known for his seven-year run on The Drew Carey Show as boss Mr. Wick. The Letterman-produced talk show has been without a permanent host since Kilborn quit in August after five years behind the Late Late Show desk. Months of on-air tryouts followed, with producers giving a week each of callback shows in November to four finalists: Ferguson, former The Hughleys star D.L. Hughley, MTV's Damien Fahey, and Michael Ian Black, formerly of the Worldwide Pants-produced Ed.

Ferguson's Scottish burr may prove a surprising sound to TV night owls, used to hearing late-night talk show hosts with flat Midwestern tones. With the demands of his new job, the 42-year-old Ferguson will probably be benching his movie career. He cowrote and starred in such British import comedies as The Big Tease and Saving Grace. He also has a role in this month's Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events.


Sign up for EW.com's What to Watch Newsletter!

What to watch on TV. Hear what's on tap for the night ahead and get witty, morning after recaps of top shows (sent weekday mornings).