CBS Television City is, at least for now, on the corner of Fairfax Avenue and Beverly Boulevard here in Los Angeles. James Corden occasionally does these things called "Crosswalk Musicals" where he and a cast of actors run out onto Beverly and do scenes from musical comedies while the light is red for east and westbound traffic at that intersection. I live close enough to where they do this that the traffic jams they create sometimes impede me getting somewhere.
There's kind of an unwritten rule in this town — or maybe it's even written somewhere — that if you're making a TV show or movie, you're allowed to inconvenience anyone you need to inconvenience. Where you have to get to…what you have to do…could not possibly be as important as filming an exterior shot for a TV program.
On 11/6/22 on this blog, I wrote about Mr. Corden's little street theater and I made up a little map to show you which intersection it was. I took an image from Google Maps and added his head to the map, thereby creating this graphic…
I don't know if me doing that was the cause…no, let me rephrase that: I'm pretty sure that me doing that was not the cause — but Google Maps has now added an identification of that intersection to their map…
It has been announced that Corden will leave The Late Late Show in Spring of 2023. I have heard absolutely nothing about who might replace him…or even if CBS might try a different form of programming in that time slot. All I know is that his successor will probably not be darting out to Beverly Boulevard to perform a scene from Cats while I'm trying to get someplace.
That's if his or her show is even done at TV Television City or whatever is there in the future. It's being turned into some sort of huge entertainment and retail complex. I've lost track of exactly how big it will be and what will happen there but it sounds like a monster in size…and traffic. In a way, it's a shame that Mr. Corden is leaving…
…because the way things are likely to go, he and his merry band of thespians could probably go out onto Beverly then and do the entirety of Les Misérables with full sets and costumes. Because none of the cars will be able to move anyway.
Oh — and thanks to Google Maps, I also know that in the last couple of weeks, no one has given an online review of the SureStay Hotel By Best Western Beverly Hills…which is not in Beverly Hills. But that's okay because they're across the street from "Television City in Hollywood" which has never been in Hollywood and, as noted, may not be anywhere for much longer.
And though I've never been any closer to the SureStay than buying gas at the 76 station across the street, I know one thing about it. I'm reasonably sure that it's usually full of outta-towners hoping to get on The Price is Right and win something.