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This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.

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'Late Late' news: Reggie Watts to head Corden's band, Colbert reveals final guests

Reggie Watts performs on stage as the final presenter of PopTech 2011, on Saturday night
CBS announced Friday Watts will be the bandleader of the new "Late Late Show" with James Corden.
(
Photo by PopTech via Flickr Creative Commons
)

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Human beatbox, composer and surrealist comedian Reggie Watts will be the bandleader for the new “Late Late Show” with James Corden, The Hollywood Reporter said Friday. 

It is not yet known whether Watts will, in fact, head up an actual band or if he will be aided only by his signature looping machine, keyboard and vocal cords as he is on the IFC show "Comedy Bang! Bang!" He co-hosts "CBB" with Scott Aukerman, creator of the show and the popular podcast of the same name, for which Watts also does the theme song.

 

Post by Reggie Watts.
It's difficult to describe Watts' style of performance to the uninitiated. So, right on time for the holiday season, you can watch the man do the gibberish talking for himself in this typically bizarre appearance on "Conan," complete with his ode to something called "Kwanzaa juice."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrakplFAIQY

New "Late Late Show" host Corden — the British actor featured in the upcoming film "Into the Woods" — is slated to take over the slot soon to be vacated by Craig Ferguson on March 23, according the CBS press release.

It was also announced that Rob Crabbe of "The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon" will serve as the show's executive producer, and Mike Gibbons — whose credits include "Tosh.0" and previous iterations of the "Late Late Show" with both Craigs, Ferguson and Kilborn — will be executive producer and head writer.

In other equally important CBS-related, late night news, "The Colbert Report" revealed the four guests for the show's final week that will end its nine-year run on Dec. 18. It doesn't include the caliber of the all-powerful, larger-than-life guest he interviewed this past week — or Smaug.

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In order, the guests will be comedian Seth Rogen, Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar, National Book Award winner Phil Klay and Stephen's longtime sickled, sidling pal Grimmy, who will probably lay to rest the conservative pundit Stephen Colbert.

The real Stephen Colbert will take over "The Late Show" from David Letterman sometime next year. Colbert interviewed Corden this week, whose show will follow Colbert's in CBS's 2015 late night lineup.

The Colbert Report
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