James Corden debuts on 'Late Late Show': All your questions answered

Who is James Corden? It was the question of the night Monday on CBS, as the British TV star officially took over the "The Late Late Show" from Craig Ferguson and acknowledged that in America, he is virtually unknown.

"I know what you're thinking - Andy Richter's got his own show!" he joked at the top of the show, noting his striking resemblance to Conan O'Brien's sidekick. He was blunt about the fact that he has no idea how he ended up here: "However shocked you are that I'm doing this job, you will never be as shocked as I am."

Sure, some Americans know Corden. He was the baker in Disney's hit musical "Into the Woods." He played Keira Knightley's quirky friend in "Begin Again." He won a Tony Award for best actor after starring in "One Man, Two Guvnors," the Broadway play that convinced CBS executives he was the perfect candidate for his own late-night talk show. But Corden, 36, is much more famous in the U.K., where he co-created and starred in comedy "Gavin & Stacey" and frequently hosts the Brit Awards.

So, how did Corden do on his first night? He was mostly very, very earnest and genuinely grateful to be on camera: "I will really do my best not to let any of you down," he promised the audience. The result? Here's everything you need to know about all the boxes Corden checked off as a new late-night host:

• Was there self-deprecating humor?

Oh yes - a proud late-night tradition. Corden noted up front that he's married and has two young children. "Yeah, sorry ladies, this ship has sailed. Hey come on, this? Don't stay on the shelf too long."

• Did he dare to be different from other late-night shows?

Sort of - there wasn't a topical monologue or a desk. Still, things seemed familiar. Corden has a Bud Light-sponsored bar on set ("The only late night show with a bar on our set, what could possibly go wrong?"), just like "Watch What Happens Live." The guests, Tom Hanks and Mila Kunis, both arrived on stage at the same time and sat together on a sofa, as the trio chatted together with a very "Graham Norton Show" vibe. Then there was a Hanks career retrospective song/dance skit reminiscent of a bit you might see on "The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon."

• Were there lots of celebrity cameos?

Big time: Corden kicked off with a pretaped skit that showed he landed the "Late Late Show" gig: A "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" golden ticket contest. Those who tore open empty candy bars? Simon Cowell, Joel McCale, George Lopez, Lena Dunham, Billy Crystal, Eddie Redmayne, Katie Couric, Chris Rock.

• Was there a Les Moonves sighting?

Absolutely: The CBS CEO starred in the skit as the man who orchestrated the whole contest.

• Who was the best cameo?

That would be Chelsea Handler - during the skit, the camera showed the former E! late-night host (widely thought to be a front-runner for the "Late Late Show" job) dropping a candy bar on the ground. Cue Corden running into the frame, picking it up. Naturally, it had the golden ticket.

• Were there references to other late-night hosts?

Jay Leno himself appeared as Corden's late-night boot camp coach, as he got Corden ready for the biggest job of his life by teaching him the essentials of being a host: Listen to boring celebrity stories (Allison Janney); pretend to care about celebrity's enlightening moments (Shia LaBeouf); look great on camera (with the help of personal trainer Arnold Schwarzenegger). Corden's "Into the Woods" co-star Meryl Streep appeared to convince him that yes, even if he happened to be terrible at being a late-night host, he would be OK if he believed in himself. After Corden was done "training," he skipped away as Leno gave an evil smile: "In three months, this show will be mine."

• Was there an adorable moment involving Corden's parents?

Of course. His mom and dad were in the audience. His visibly emotional mom clutched a tissue as Corden introduced them to the crowd.

• How was the band?

Reggie Watts seems to enjoy his new gig as band leader, especially because Corden gave him an opportunity to ask the guest a question. Watts directed his query to Hanks: "In 1806, do you think that people might have been a little bit different than they are today?" (Hanks: "They had no concept of Velcro in 1806, and I think that alone makes them perhaps a lesser form of humanity.")

• Were the guests charming?

Pretty much - and they didn't even show clips from any upcoming projects, which is usually the drill. Kunis, a new mom, told anecdotes as a celebrity with fiance Ashton Kutcher. Hanks was impressive during his retrospective as he reeled off his most famous lines from about a million of his movies. ("Life is like a box of chocolates." "There's no crying in baseball!" "WILSON!" "Don't cry, Shopgirl.")

• Were there awkward moments?

Probably when Mila Kunis said she and Kutcher have date nights where they make an effort not to talk about their child. Then Corden brought up (and did an impression of) how parents occasionally talk about their kids during sex. Kunis looked vaguely mortified.

• Did Corden break big news during the show?

Possibly - he badgered Kunis into admitting that she and Kutcher got secretly married. Mission accomplished!