Frazier Moore (with Angela Charlton) report on why Craig Ferguson, after being advised on the air to sue a copycat French TV host by guest Ben Stein (an ex-intellectual property attorney!), instead decided not to.
"Our first reaction had been: You gotta be kidding me!" said producer Michael Naidus on Monday. "But then, as with pretty much everything that happens to us on the show, we looked for the best way to make it funny and entertaining. And in this case, that didn't seem to involve lawyers."
Executive producer Peter Lassally added, "At one point Craig asked us, 'How should I be feeling about this?' And we said, 'You should be amused by this.'"
"Tonight With Arthur" premiered in November on France's Comedy! cable channel, but the host, whose real name is Jacques Essebag, is a 44-year-old veteran of numerous French radio and TV talk shows.
Over the weekend, he contacted Ferguson by phone.
"Craig spoke to Arthur for a few minutes," Naidus said, "and quickly determined that the guy is a pretty big fan of 'The Late Late Show.'"
In a flash, Arthur was booked for a guest shot. On Sunday he flew to Los Angeles for Monday's taping, in the process canceling the taping of his own show in Paris.
At the top of the CBS show, Arthur was seen solo, wearing a wide grin and greeting the audience.
"What are you doing?" squawked Ferguson, stepping into the picture.
"I'm doing the show," replied Arthur.
"You're doing MY show," said Ferguson. "You're copying ME!"
"That was not a COPY," Arthur argued in his thick accent. "It was an homage."
"What about this morning, when I saw you walking my dog?" Ferguson pressed on.
"Also a tribute to your unique talents. And your dog really needs a bath."
"And what about last night, when I caught you kissing my wife?"
"Another tribute to you. And, by the way, your wife also really needs a bath."
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