I knew I would find my answer to avoiding tonight's speech in my TiVo. It's just that it took me by surprise. It was, by far, the most moving, remarkable, real moment of television that I probably have ever seen.

It was last night's Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.

I've come to really enjoy this show and specifically Craig. He's a wonderful host. I mean it, this guy should be the next host of the Tonight Show, not Conan O'Brien. He's a wonderful interviewer. He really listens to his guests and doesn't work off of cards with scripted questions. He researches the guests and really engages them. It's for these reasons we set a Season Pass on TiVo for him - it's worth it.

And then, this show happens.

Lately, when he comes out, he's been wearing a jacket but no tie. This started happening when he stopped doing a monologue and actually started telling stories, something unique and more effective for his style. Tonight, he's in a black suit and tie. He's not the same. He doesn't even sound the same. His Scottish accent is noticeably thicker.

He warns the audience that tonight's show won't be the same. Tomorrow, everything will be back to normal. But for tonight, he had a special thing he had to do.

On Sunday, his father died. The show was in reruns all last week (so were other late night shows, so it wasn't unusual). Craig had gone back to Scotland with this young son, to effectively say goodbye to his dad who had been struggling for a long time with cancer. He was 75 when he died.

The rest of the open was, in effect, a wake for his dad, with Craig telling many stories.

I friggin' cried like a baby throughout the whole friggin' show. I mean, snot oozing from my nose, ugly crying.

Craig - never once shed a tear. He broke once, though - pausing a long time to compose himself - telling a story... "When I was watching television with him, I used to sit in front of him and he would sit behind me and he would put his hand on my head. And I loved that. And he did it last week in the hospital."

Craig picked his guests just for tonight, "friends" he called them, because it's in times like these you just want to sit with friends and talk.

First guest - Dr. Drew Pinsky. The two talked about the grieving process and you learn more about the inside of Craig than any interviewer could have.

His second guest - Amy Yasbeck (you know, the wife of the late John Ritter) - also, perfectly selected to talk about loss, grieving, and how they don't want "closure".

The musical guest - yes there was one - was the Wicked Tinkers, a rockin' Scottish pipe and drum band, that Craig joined in at the end of the show (he plays drums as one of his many talents), playing a tune that I think is called "Highland Laddie."

(See TV Squad for more info about the show.)

If you get a moment and have Real Player, go to the CBS website and watch his tribute. See and experience what I'm talking about.

It's worth it.

Rest In Peace, Big Scrubber