Just For Laughs Update
Craig will act as host for two shows on July 30th at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal. Today’s Montreal Gazette has an update on the lineup of performers.






Having a Good Time
Comedienne Paula Poundstone tells the Jamestown, NY newspaper Post-Journal most late-night shows are heavily scripted except for the Late Late Late Show.


Gunn to Monday
To go along with last week’s news that Doctor Who‘s Matt Smith will appear on the Late Late Show on Friday instead of Monday, we have now heard that fashion designer Tim Gunn will be moving his appearance to Monday instead of Friday.  The updated guest list is on our Guests page.  We’ll update it with any further changes to next week’s schedule.




Anglo Confusion
The website Anglotopia.net says the upcoming appearances of Doctor Who‘s Matt Smith and Karen Gillan have already been recorded (we’re not certain that’s true) and that they will air on July 25th and 26th (we know that’s only half true). As far as we know, the appearances are being taped July 25th and 26th and that Gillan will appear on the show on the 26th (per CBS) and Smith on the 29th (per LLS Producer Michael Naidus). We’ll keep you up to date.

Kagan in the Trees
Craig’s opening act, comedian Randy Kagan is hosting his own web-based environmental television show Funny By Nature.  On Saturday, he tweeted a picture from the studio. Nice lighting!

NY set for my tree hugging show. And by hugging I mean shtuping. http://t.co/T7e49Bq

This Weekend’s Holidays
Saturday, July 23rd is Gorgeous Grandma Day,  Hot Enough For Ya Day and the National Day of the Cowboy.  Sunday, July 24th is Cousins Day, Parents Day, National Drive-Through Day and National Tell An Old Joke Day.  In that spirit… a horse walks into a bar and the bartender says, “Hey Buddy, why the long face?”  Ba-dum-dum.

Craig Hails a Hockey Puck
Craig Ferguson, complete with a new Doctor Who/ComicCon inspired avatar,  tweeted on Thursday to show his excitement at seeing legendary insult comic Don Rickles has joined Twitter:

Hurrah! @DonRickles is on the tweety. Finally some class in the joint. Snarky pup comics bow down to His Acerbic Majesty.

Rickles had tweeted earlier:

On July 25th I’ll be on Craig Ferguson. If you can, watch it, if not I’ll get over it

Josh on Facebook
The voice of Geoff Peteresen, Josh Robert Thompson is again emphasizing that fans should visit his real Facebook page and avoid others pretending to be him or to be Geoff.

Add My OFFICIAL Facebook page here: http://t.co/83DQPnB Accept no gay robot skeleton substitutes! RT #RSA #balls

He added:

Remember,kids:unless it’s a re-run,I perform @GeoffTheRobot live EVERY NIGHT on #thelatelateshow #balls

And he responded to a viewer question about Geoff’s wayward arm:

RT @ZaphodB5150 Geoff get his arm fixed? Emergency call to Grant? // Two words: duct tape.

Don’t Mess with Meth
The Huffington Post and the Los Angeles Times each saw Bryan Cranston‘s chat with Craig about his research for a role into the drug crystal methamphetamine.

Shark Week Ahead
Although he is not the host of this year’s Shark Week, you can still see Craig’s Bahamas adventure from last year.  The Discovery Channel will be airing his 2010 special on July 31st and August 1st.  Check local listings for teh time “in your region”.  Thanks to the eagle-eyed @bgrhubarb for spotting it on the schedule.  And remember, you can pre-order the show on DVD or Blu-Ray directly from The Discovery Channel.

Paris Promotion
The RSA’s artful @doxieone1 couldn’t resist taking CBS’s eye-catching ad for the new season of Two and a Half Men, and giving it a Late Late Show twist to promote the upcoming episodes from Paris.

Tonight’s Guests
Friday on the Late Late Show, Craig talks with actor John Goodman and actress Jayma Mays.

Impressive Impressions
Craig Ferguson tweeted today (as did Josh Robert Thompson), telling his fans about a talented impressionist.  He tweeted the link twice, thinking that some people might have had trouble making it work the first time:

I kind of loved this. // Sorry everyone I’m a tweety buffoon. Here’s the link again to that thing I kind of loved.  http://www.openculture.com/2011/07/impressionist_does_shakespeare_in_celebrity_voices.html

In case the link didn’t work for you, we have it below.  It’s a video of actor/comedian/impressionist Jim Meskimen. He is known from big screen roles in There Will Be Blood, Frost/Nixon and Magnolia but is also a noted stand up comedian. Here, he does 25 impressions (including a pretty decent Craig Ferguson) while reading Clarence’s monologue from Richard III:

Video courtesy: jimmeskimen

Schedule Change with Doctor Who Actor
Although it has not popped up on the network’s schedule yet, LLS Producer Michael Naidus sent out an early tweet:

Notable scheduling change for all my fellow Dr. Who fans — Matt Smith will now be appearing with Craig on Friday, July 29.

We’ll watch for the schedule update to see if any other guests are  shifted around to make room and post the updates on our Guests page.  Note:  To our knowledge, the taping date of July 25 for Matt Smith remains the same.  The show is taping extra episodes on Monday and Tuesday the 25th and 26th, before Craig hits the road for stand up comedy appearances in Canada and in Boston next weekend.

In response to a viewer question about whether he could wear a costume, Naidus also said:

Please talk to 1Iota regarding proper dress at our tapings. In general, costumes are not permitted at tapings on our lot.

From what we’ve been told, safety and security are the main reasons for the rule, so if you plan to attend a taping of the show at CBS Television City, remember the policy and dress in your day-to-day clothing.

Eddie Rocks LA
Eddie Izzard performed Wednesday evening at the Hollywood Bowl; the first solo stand up comedian ever to perform on that stage.  Craig was there, along with his assistant Rebecca Tucker who tweeted:

Eddie Izzard’s show was great. Even better:counting the number of plastic surgeryed old people faces in the crowd. #leaveyourfacealone!

Dueling Impressions
New York Magazine enjoyed Craig and Breckin Meyer’s exchange of voices on Wednesday’s show.

Murdoch Down Under
Craig’s monologue about the News International phone hacking scandal and its Australian-American owner Rupert Murdoch is getting coverage in the Australian media.  The Sydney Morning Herald story lists jokes and comments from several satirists and also includes a Taiwanese animated news story about Murdoch, his wife and the man who put a pie in his face at a British Parliamentary hearing.  If you’ve never seen Taiwanese animated news… it’s hard to describe.  We’ll settle for odd, raunchy and amusing but you be the judge.

Tonight’s Guests
Thursday on the Late Late Show, it’s actor Bryan Cranston and musician Amos Lee.  Friday, Craig interviews actor John Goodman and actress Jayma Mays.

Eddie at the Bowl
Comedian Eddie Izzard, who had fun with Craig Ferguson on the Late Late Show Tuesday night appears at the Hollywood Bowl on Wednesday evening.  He is the first stand up comedian to have a solo show at the famed venue, best known for orchestras, musicals, operas and big name popular music acts.  Craig wouldn’t miss it, as he tweeted:

Going to see the brilliant @eddieizzard at the Hollywood Bowl tonight. As excited as a squirrel on meth.

Eddie has been a popular comedian in Europe for many years.  The Los Angeles Times has a profile.

Craig To Visit Scotland
In a detailed article in Canada’s Globe and Mail, Craig talks about his affinity for the characters in Winnie The Pooh, his work on the Late Late Show and in stand up comedy, as well as his plans to visit Scotland soon.  Sharp-eyed roboskellies might have noticed that an earlier version of the story contained an error about Craig’s father.  We were able to reach an editor at the paper and get it corrected for the edition now posted online.

The Caine in Spain Falls Mainly…
Who does the best Michael Caine impression?  BBC America’s Anglophenia blog puts Craig in the top five.  Thanks to the RSA’s @bgrhubarb for spotting the article.






Take That, No Longer Potential Employer
The Washington Post saw Craig’s take on the News International phone hacking scandal.

Geechy Guy on America’s Got Talent
Las Vegas comedian Geechy Guy, who has appeared on the Late Late Show, will get a shot on America’s Got Talent.  Michigan’s MLive.com has more on his background.

Ghost Rider 2
The motorcycle that will be used to film Ghost Rider 2 with Nicolas Cage is at ComicCon in San Diego this week, according to the website bleedingcool.com.  As a big fan of the first movie and a motorcyclist himself, Craig might enjoy having a chance to see it.

Sidekick Heaven
The voice of Geoff Petersen, Josh Robert Thompson did a great Johnny Carson impression this week.  And on Wednesday, he tweeted to Craig:

@CraigyFerg I’m your Dead McMahon.

He added later:

Either musical instruments or sex objects for @GeofftheRobot. You decide. #balls http://twitpic.com/5t99rj

Tonight’s Guests
Wednesday on the Late Late Show, Craig hosts actress Jenna Elfman, actor Breckin Meyer and comedian Omid Djalili. Elfman wrote:

Gonna be on Craig Ferguson tonight–12:30am. Just finished taping it. Was sooooooo FUN!!!! @CraigyFerg

Meyer put in his two tweets:

Bout to dance with @craigyferg on the Late Late Show. He already gave me gifts cuz that’s just how he rolls. http://twitpic.com/5t7ot1 // Please don’t tell my mom that I said “tea-bagging” on the Late Late Show. Or anyone’s mom. #PottyMouth

Djalili (whose last name is pronounced juh-LIL-ee) tweeted:

Hey USA – do tune into Late Late Show tonight on CBS with the very funny Craig Ferguson I’m the stand up guest

And CBS added:

2nite on #LateLateShow @JennaElfman reveals what its like to kiss actors 4 work, then @BreckinMeyer & @CraigyFerg dish on Harry Potter

On Thursday, watch for actor Bryan Cranston and musician Amos Lee.

Summer Time and the Living is Easy
The Late Late Show is keeping the new episodes coming for the next two and half weeks before taking a break. Craig Ferguson and his robot skeleton sidekick have their shades on despite the bad lighting in the studio. The Paris episodes are only a dozen days away and the volcano is getting excited!  Craig tweeted about Tuesday’s show:

“@impstrump: The internet tells me that @EddieIzzard is on @CraigyFerg tonight” Your Internet is correct & he is tres amusant. #butinenglish

Joshing Around Backstage

The voice of Geoff Petersen, Josh Robert Thompson sent  a picture from backstage Tuesday afternoon, dressed in black as he must be to operate Geoff:

Getting ready to perform as @GeoffTheRobot & looking like a Vegas magician. http://twitpic.com/5snb0p

Mugged at the Show
The RSA’s @BobbinTheSaget went to a taping of the Late Late Show in Los Angles and walked away with a gift:

Went to see @Craigyferg today and my boy ChunkyB gave me this sweet mug. yfrog.com/kegl4gj

We Can’t Quit Them!

The RSA’s @doxieone1 is imagining Craig and Geoff, starring in their own cinematic epic. Surely it would be an Oscar-worthy offering, although getting Geoff on a horse might difficult, given the fact that he can only move one arm and can’t be more than twelve feet from an outlet. Watch for it in a theater near you!
 

Sitting Pretty
Craig takes exception to the way in which a gentleman in the crowd was sitting, and offers some friendly advice:

Video courtesy: Fergufool

Tonight’s Guests
Tuesday on the Late Late Show, comedian Eddie Izzard is back on the show and Craig talks with actress Hayley Atwell.  On Wednesday, Craig’s guests are actress Jenna Elfman, actor Breckin Meyer and comedian Omid Djalili.

The Late Late Show guest list has been update through the end of July, including author Ben Mezrich, fashion designer Tim Gunn (Tim Gunn) and comedian Ted Alexandro. The first week of August will feature the episodes of the show from Paris before the show goes on summer break August 6th-21st. The re-run fairy will be in full flight for two weeks until new episodes resume on August 22nd. You can always see the very latest listings on our Guests page.

Potter Trumps Pooh
The early box office numbers show the final installment of the Harry Potter film franchise took in a record $168 million dollars in its opening weekend.  By comparison, Winnie The Pooh took in just $8 million dollars in the same time period.  It was the only other film opening in wide release on the same day as Potter and finished sixth overall for the weekend, behind second and third weeks for Transformers, Horrible Bosses, Zookeeper and Cars 2.  It is possible that Pooh could make more money in its second weekend, as the fever for Potter slows down.  The San Francisco Chronicle has more on the weekend box office news from theaters around the country.

Nessie Sightings
Those who went to see Winnie The Pooh in theaters got an extra treat: The Disney short film, The Ballad of Nessie was shown prior to the start of Pooh. Narrated by Billy Connolly, the five-minute piece is said to be a gem. The San Francisco Chronicle‘s movie blog has one viewer’s reaction and Collider.com has a more detailed description.

Celebrity Name Game
The RSA’s @LANewsCat was in the audience for the taping of Craig’s new game show, Celebrity Name Game on Friday.  She gives us a taste of what it was like in the studio.

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TV game shows:sometimes clever, always campy and a part of my childhood.Loved the irreverant Gene Rayburn(Match Game) and the cheeky Richard Dawson(Family Feud). On Friday TV’s Craig Ferguson channeled the best qualities from my favorite hosts blended them with his own unique style and voila!Craig morphed into the host of the Celebrity Name Game! As most everyone in the RSA knows, the pilot episodes were taped on Friday at CBS in Studio City. I was fortunate to be in one of the audiences. The impish grin and the twinkle in the eye were there but Craig had to show some restraint. No cussing, no double entrendres and no Geoff! OH MY! Craig was confident in his three piece suit and in his new role. Executive producers Courtney Cox and David Arquette were on hand and gave him plenthy of room to spread his wings. Speaking of room, the set was fashioned to resemble a comfy large living room and there was proper lighting. Nothing like the LLS studio we all are acquainted with. LLS warm up comic Chunky B was along for the ride, keeping the small audience going during the 3 hours it took to get everything done right. Craig kept joking about how much pleasure he would get giving away tons of CBS money! Yes, I thought,”That’s the Fergumeister we know and love!” The winning contestants by the way pocketed a cool 140 thousand dollars. Craig was comfortable, interacted well with the contestants and made them comfy. I was surprised that there were so few LLS fans in the audience, (I did an informal poll) maybe it was the short notice for the taping. What never surprises me is Craig’s ability to know what is natural and right for the moment and make it his own. I haven’t watched a game show in years, but I know if CBS picks up Name Game with Craig, I’ll be hooked on the genre again. I’m already picturing Betty White and Kristen Bell on the show. But I must confess, it all made me think of the game shows of my youth,and how much I still miss Charles Nelson Reilly!

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We’re awaiting word on whether CBS will air the show and will let you know as soon as we hear.

Josh Enjoys His Weekend
The voice of Geoff Petersen, Josh Robert Thompson tweeted on Sunday about girlfriend Kerri Kasem:

Enjoying a little lunch in the Valley w/ the love of my life. http://twitpic.com/5rs0fv

This Week’s Guests

Jayma Mays

Monday on the Late Late Show, Craig interviews actress Elizabeth Banks and actor/comedian Rich Fulcher.  Tuesday, comedian Eddie Izzard returns along with actress Hayley Atwell.  On Wednesday, actress Jenna Elfman, actor Breckin Meyer and comedian Omid Djalili will be joining Craig.  Actor Bryan Cranston and musician Amos Lee will be on Thursday’s show.  And on Friday, Craig welcomes actor John Goodman and actress Jayma Mays.

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