More from Friday
Reaction to Craig Ferguson‘s opening segment on Friday has continued to pour in. The RSA’s @markllsrsa spotted that there has been a long conversation about the show on Reddit and the decision to edit out the pre-taped monologue was mentioned in the Huffington Post.
The Power of Laughter
The RSA’s Judith passes along a story about how Craig Ferguson fan @EvilKhanadian came to the attention of the head of Canada’s Just For Laughs Comedy Festival, and decided to get a tattoo of the festival’s mascot. Radio host Ric Peterson from CJAD in Montreal explains.
Rob Burnett in Person
If you live in or will be visiting the New York City area on Thursday evening, you’ll have chance to see Rob Burnett, CEO of Worldwide Pants, the company that co-produces the Late Late Show with CBS. Burnett will be the guest of PandoDaily founder Sarah Lacy at her monthly gathering at the School of the Visual Arts on West 23rd Street in New York. Thanks to the RSA’s @cozyhobo for the link.
Craig on Desmond Tutu
Craig talks about the guest that changed his life and changed the show.
Video courtesy: ForaTV
This Week’s Guests
Colin Mochrie
It’s another week of all-new episodes of the Late Late Show; the final week of episodes to be taped in Studio 58 at CBS Television City.  On Monday, Craig’s guests are the always tanned actor George Hamilton and actress Julie Gonzalo. On Tuesday, Craig welcomes actress Minnie Driver and comedian Colin Mochrie. Wednesday, actor Matthew McConaughey is on the schedule, and an additional guest will be named later. Actor Emile Hirsch and reality TV personality Ariel Tweto will appear on Thursday. And on Friday, Craig chats with actor Vince Vaughn and Downton Abbey actress Joanne Froggatt, plus we’ll hear the music of Joss Stone.
Friday’s Opening Segment What can we add to what Craig Ferguson said on Friday night’s show? Very little indeed. As we hope you saw, Craig dropped the monologue he had pre-recorded on Thursday, in light of the events in Colorado. In its place, he opened with some comments about the day and why the show was changed. After a break, they returned to the show’s email segment, planned interviews with Jason Biggs and Jordana Brewster and ended with a segment with comedian Brian Scolaro that had been recorded earlier and was slated to air next week. It was a sensitive and appropriate way to make changes at the last minute. Several media outlets noticed what he did at the beginning of the show, including Entertainment Weekly, GossipCop.com, TooFab.com and The Hollywood Reporter. And quite a few people on Twitter were complimentary as well, including TV producer Hart Hanson, astronomer Phil Plait and comedian Paul Provenza.
Video courtesy: Fergufool
Condolences
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of the Colorado shootings and their families.
Craig’s Emmy-Nominated Monologue
For those fans who have not seen it, here is the monologue for which Craig was nominated for an Emmy in 2006. It is in two parts:
Video courtesy: BrittanyReilander
Tonight’s Guests
Friday on the Late Late Show, Craig’s guests are actor Jason Biggs, actress Jordana Brewster and a late addition, comedian Brian Scolaro.
Guest Update
Colin Mochrie
The lists of guests for the show has been updated through July 31st, including George Hamilton, Julie Gonzalo, Minnie Driver, Colin Mochrie, Matthew McConaughey, Brian Scolaro, Emile Hirsch, Ariel Tweto, Vince Vaughn, Joanne Froggatt, Joss Stone, Emma Roberts, Paula Poundstone and Rosie Perez. Tapings of the show are going on an extended break after next week. However, lots of guest segments have been recorded over the past several weeks and saved, so we can see more new shows in August. We’ve added a list of guests we think will be popping up next month. As always, you can see the most complete listings on our Guests page.
No Emmy Nod For LLS
As the 2012 nominations for the prime time Emmy Awards for Variety Series were announced early Thursday morning in Los Angeles, the Late Late Show was once again not mentioned. Craig Ferguson was nominated for an Emmy in 2006, for an episode of the Late Late Show in which he eulogized his father. That nomination was in the now-defunct category of Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program. Barry Manilow won the award that year for a television special featuring his music.
The shows nominated in the Variety Series category for 2012 are:
The Colbert Report with Stephen Colbert The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Jimmy Kimmel Live with Jimmy Kimmel Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Real Time with Bill Maher Saturday Night Live
The Emmy Awards broadcast will be on ABC on September 23rd, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel.
Mythbusters Nominated The Discovery Channel show Mythbusters picked up an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Reality Program. Adam Savage tweeted the news:
Good morning!! Mythbusters nominated for an Emmy for “Outstanding Reality Program”. Our team kills. I’m so proud of them all.
Meanwhile, the RSA’s @lockofire found a great mash-up that combines the Muppets with the Mythbusters. Jamie and Adam also remind us of Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker.
Behind the Scenes
The Hollywood trade newspaper Variety published a story in June talking about the Late Late Show behind the scenes. Here is the article in full:
[stextbox id=”custom”] Latenight Hosts, Producers Collaborate
By Michael Ventre, Variety
Back in May 2008, when Michael Naidus was elevated to producer for “Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson,” the Scottish funnyman told Variety: “I couldn’t be more pleased for Michael. His years of Machiavellian sneakiness have finally paid off.”
Regular viewers of the show are familiar with Ferguson’s deft use of mock outrage and sarcastic needles directed at Naidus, who operates on the floor just off stage. But few get to glimpse the hours of pre-taping collaboration between those two and others that go into each night’s telecast. Similar relationships exist throughout the latenight talkshow circuit.
“Michael on the floor represents the authority figure,” Ferguson says of Naidus. “He represents the producer, network, FCC, sponsors. He represents the voice of reason. I rail against him, but in reality he’s my friend. He’s been my friend for years.”
Michael Naidus
Naidus has been with “Late Late Show” for years in various capacities, starting as a publicist.
“For us, everything is about flexibility,” Naidus says. “Anything that he does, we’ll make it OK. Him learning that we will make that happen is the kind of shorthand we live by. There’s nothing we can’t say to each other that can’t be achieved with just a quick look or a gesture.
“If the lights go out, and someone in the audience is getting more attention than the lead guest, then that’s what we go with. Something always happens, and that’s what the show is about tonight.”
Ferguson says his staff of five writers “is probably less than half of anyone else doing this thing.” But aside from a few topical gags for the monologue, most of the show is created on the fly. And, he says, he has little involvement in booking guests.
“I’ll talk to them when they get here,” he says. “I’ll occasionally walk into the booking room and say, ‘Oh, no!’ or ‘Finally, at last!’ If I have an idea for a guest, I have a little juice, so I can help make it happen.”
Like Ferguson and Naidus, Fallon and his producer, Mike Shoemaker, are simpatico when it comes to churning out fresh latenight entertainment. The two worked together at “Saturday Night Live,” and Fallon brought over Shoemaker, who had performed myriad duties for more than 20 years at “SNL,” when he took over hosting duties in March 2009.
“He was the exact first person I thought of,” Fallon says. “I called him, I said, ‘I’m doing this thing, I don’t know what to do, and I don’t know if I can do it without you.'”
Since then, Fallon, Shoemaker and producer Gavin Purcell, along with a crack writing staff, have worked out an operating system that purrs along with minimal snags. They have regular meetings to discuss whom to book, what skits to include and toss around ideas.
“It’s a pretty positive show here,” Fallon says. “We don’t agree on every single thing, but we kind of do. We’re pretty tight. We have discussions, but we always end up with the same decision.”
Because latenight shows aren’t delivering hard news or somber drama, comedic instincts are just as important in the day-to-day processing of shows as administrative skills. Jeff Ross, exec producer of TBS’ “Conan,” has known and worked with O’Brien for more than 20 years and feels their comedy compatibility is essential to creating good work.
“Conan is involved in every aspect of the show,” Ross says. “His comedy instincts are strong as far as how things should be. He probably has the highest batting average of anybody when it comes to creating comedy. Our whole process is pretty quick now, because we’ve been doing it for so long. If you don’t know what he likes by now, you should probably get into another line of work.”
Peter Lassally
Ferguson has the added benefit of having his show exec produced by Peter Lassally, the “host whisperer” who worked in the same capacity with Johnny Carson and David Letterman, and who was an early champion of Ferguson.
“What makes Peter extraordinary, is not only his skill at producing these shows, but also the way he conducts his business,” he says. “If I have a terrible idea, he’ll never say, ‘That’s a terrible idea.’ He’ll say, ‘Let’s try it.’ But there’s a ‘Let’s try it, that’s a terrible idea,’ or there’s a ‘Let’s try it’ in the sense that he really means it.
“Peter is a remarkable human being. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have stumbled into his world.”
Getting together with people you like and creating something fun every night for millions of viewers? Sounds like the kind of work that might keep talented individuals together for long periods of time.
“At the end of the day, who gets to do this as long as we’ve gotten to do it?” Ross asks. “How lucky are we?”[/stextbox]
Who Video
Craig re-tweeted a link on Thursday to a video featuring the BBC’s promotional song “Perfect Day,” being performed by Doctor Who action figures.
Tonight’s Guests Thursday on the Late Late Show, Craig’s guests are actor Kenneth Branagh and comedian Ted Alexandro. Friday, Craig chats with actor Jason Biggs and actress Jordana Brewster.
Craig Has Fun With Followers
Tuesday night as he prepared to sleep, Craig sent out a pair of tweets:
Lummy I’m tired. Time for a quick reverse Dutch hat then catching the train from Noddington junction to Bedfordshire. ?#woodhouseytweets?. // Eek. I mean ?#Wodehouseytweets?.
Then on Wednesday when he had a few spare moments, he responded to a follower whose tweet missed the mark:
“@Artwritesyou: @craigyferg Why weren’t you in Disney/Pixar’s “Brave”? You’re the Scottish Duke of Los Angeles!†Er. Thanks dude. ?#iaminit
It’s more evidence that Craig does keep an eye on his Twitter stream and appreciates fans who are there to have a good time and keep things fun.
The Ferg
The RSA’s Gus noticed the other day that on A&E’s new procedural drama Longmire, there is a character known simply as “The Ferg,” and wondered if he was inspired by “GP and the Fergs” from the closing segments of the LLS. The character is listed on the shows IMDB listing. Have any roboskellies seen the show who could tell us about the character? Let us know in the comments below.
Imagineers Praised
The website scotsman.com rates the Glasgow-based band The Imagineers highly, noting their multiple appearances on the Late Late Show. Meanwhile, Scottish Television reports that the band will headline the Cumbernauld Music Festival in September.
The Wonder of Magic
Craig talks about music and magic while cracking himself up:
Video courtesy: HoppyNinja
Tonight’s Guests Wednesday on the Late Late Show, watch for actor Ray Romano and music by Trampled By Turtles. On Thursday, Craig welcomes back actor Kenneth Branagh and comedian Ted Alexandro.
Final Week Guests Set
Joanne Froggatt
The guest lineup for the final week of the Late Late Show in Studio 58, July 23rd-27th has been announced, including George Hamilton, Margaret Judson, Minnie Driver, Colin Mochrie, Matthew McConaughey, Brian Scolaro, Emile Hirsch, Vince Vaughn, Joss Stone and a late addition, actress Joanne Froggatt, who plays the star-crossed head housemaid Anna Bates in Downton Abbey. As always, you can see the most current and complete listings on our Guests page.
Duncan Improving
Actor Michael Clarke Duncan is said to be improving after suffering a heart attack on Friday. The New York Daily News and others are reporting that Duncan remains on a respirator in intensive care but has shown signs of progress.
Craig’s Book in Cartoon
The RSA’s Toridrew a cartoon talking about her Independence Day, and included a reference to Craig’s autobiography American On Purpose in the final panel. Craig’s book seems like a good choice for July 4th reading!
Scottish Tweeters
The Herald Scotland newspaper has put together a list of Scotland’s top 100 Twitter users. Guess who tops the list of television and radio personalities?
Craig on USA
Here is Craig’s brief appearance on the USA Network show Political Animals. He is making fun of some of the show’s characters:
Video courtesy: USA Network
Tonight’s Guests Tuesday on the Late Late Show, Craig’s guests are actor/comedian Cedric the Entertainer and actress Ari Graynor. On Wednesday, Craig welcomes actor Ray Romano and the music of Trampled By Turtles.
Studio 56 Tweets Craig Ferguson is back on the Tweety after a couple of weeks off. On Monday, he tweeted about the new Studio 56 at CBS Television City which is under construction:
Only 2 weeks left in the old dark damp studio. Then the show moves to an older bigger darker damper studio. ?#winning??#retrohashtags // twitpic.com/a8elo8Â new studio under construction. Almost finished. Actually already better.
On The Train Tweets
Earlier while on the mid-summer break over the past couple of weeks, Craig traveled first to Edinburgh for the European premiere of Brave on June 30th. Then, after his red carpet duties were complete, he had some free time to roam around. While on the train from Glasgow to Paris, Craig treated us to a peek at what was on his music player:
Travelling from Glasgow to Paris by train. Listening to Kraftwerk. Wish I was thinner & had a trenchcoat. ?#v2schneider??#transeuropeexpress // Arriving London enroute to Paris. Listening to Roxy Music. Wish I’d worn more mascara & glittery boots. ?#motherofpearl??#sososemiprecious
He then posed a question about a possible idea for the Mythbusters on the Discovery Channel:
It did work @CraigyFerg. We tested the Bullet Mouth Catch back in 2006. But we’re always up for a rematch.
When he made it back to Los Angeles from Europe, he tweeted:
Ack 530am. Back in LA. Jetlag bonkers. Feel very spacey. Jetlag Bonkers is also the name Bowie used before Ziggy Stardust. ?#trueornottrue
Brave Bits and Pieces The Disney/Pixar film Brave had a great opening month in theaters across North America, with releases in Europe and Asia still to come. EpixHD.com has an interview with Craig about his role in the film. Scotland’s Daily Record had a Merida lookalike at the film’s European premiere. Craig was interviewed on the red carpet at the premiere in Edinburgh. The websites TheFanCarpet.com, TheCourier.co.uk, HelloMagazine.com and Scotland’s STV Television reported on the premiere event. And the Edinburgh Film Festival website has a bunch of photos from the premiere.
Craig on Political Animals
As several people mentioned in the comments section in our previous post, Craig made a cameo appearance on the new USA series Political Animals. We have not yet spotted a video clip from the show but we’ll post it here when one surfaces.
Bathroom Break
Craig explains the difference between men’s and women’s bathrooms:
Video courtesy: HoppyNinja
Tonight’s Guests
Monday on the Late Late Show, Craig chats with TV host Julie Chen and actor Chris Messina. On Tuesday, watch for actor/comedian Cedric the Entertainer and actress Ari Graynor.
Guest Update
For the final week of shows in Studio 58, the @Nerdist Chris Hardwick has been added to the guest list. You can see the full listings on our Guests page.
