The Late Late Show on CBS will have its first-ever in-house musical bandleader when James Corden debuts in March 2015, and it’s none other than one-man musical genius Reggie Watts!
Watts comes with plenty of mock-talk show experience as the bandleader on IFC’s Comedy Bang! Bang! with Scott Aukerman, which kicks off a 40-episode Season 4 in January.
As it so happens, Watts next plays a formal gig on Dec. 15 in Glasgow, where Craig Ferguson grew up. Ferguson is stepping down as host of The Late Late Show next week.
CBS announced a few other behind-the-camera hires for Corden’s show, which now will launch two weeks later than earlier scheduled — Monday, March 23, 2015 — which means two more weeks of potential guest hosts who might not be men, maybe, baby?
Also joining executive producer Ben Winston on The Late Late Show: Rob Crabbe (The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon) as executive producer and writer, Mike Gibbons (Tosh.0) as co-EP and head writer, Sheila Rogers (Late Show With David Letterman) as supervising producer and Josie Cliff (One Night With Robbie Williams) as producer.
The new Late Late Show staff opens its production offices in Los Angeles on Jan. 5.