James Corden has won huge praise from fans and critics alike this week after his debut appearance on CBS’ The Late Late Show.
After weeks of worries about whether American audiences would understand his humour – or his accent – and how US celebrities would take to his full-on style, viewers and reviewers seem to have loved him.
Kicking off the show, the British comedian played to the perception that he is relatively unknown across the Atlantic as he thanked viewers for the honour of being selected for the position – insisting he will try his best not to let them down.
As well as welcoming guests Tom Hanks and Mila Kunis onto the show: Simon Cowell, Allison Janney, Eddie Redmayne, Shia LaBoeuf and Meryl Streep also appeared in pre-recorded skits as he began his bid to win over the American public.
Afterwards, he told fans on Twitter: ‘Well, so many truly lovely messages about the show tonight. I’m blown away, thank you.’
US fans appear to have quickly warmed to the London-born comic’s praise of his family, helped by a shot of his teary-eyed mother Margaret and father Malcolm, who travelled over from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire to watch the show live.
A group of audience members who spoke after watching his first outing said that Corden ‘nailed it’.
The group, mostly made up of women from Orange County, California, told Sky News they liked Corden’s humour and warm style.
Brianne McDowell said: ‘I have never experienced anything like it. He was gracious and happy to have everyone there and he was so thankful for the opportunity. He was personable, talking about his family and his kids. He was really funny.’
The fans also praised the idea of having more than one guest on the show at one time, – something which Corden seems to have learned from the BBC’s popular Graham Norton show but which has reportedly been resisted by some US stars.
The New York Daily News gushed: ‘His easy going manner fit well with his low-key banter, built more on everyday conversation than showbiz flash.’
E! Online said they were ‘already in love with James Corden after just one episode.’
Tim Goodman for The Hollywood Reporter wrote: ‘He’s different… Corden doesn’t put a layer of cool between him and the viewer (or his guests). It’s a welcome trait, one that should put guests at ease.’
He added: ‘The debut night’s standout moment by far, however, was the idea of having Hanks and Corden act out bits from a string of Hanks films… It was very funny, very creative and played to Corden’s strengths as a multi-talented performer.’
But the critic pointed out that, while it might be easy to put on a good show with Tom Hanks and Mila Kunis as guests, Corden will have to work harder further into his tenure, when his guests may not be of the same calibre.
Brian Lowry, TV critic for Variety, made a similar point. After watching the show, he wrote: ‘Corden comes across as natural and likable, including the self-effacing little song with which he closed the show.’
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