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A Big Number

Our fearless leader, the one and only Craig Ferguson, has surpassed one million followers on Twitter.  The mark was reached while Thursday night’s episode was being broadcast in the east and central time zones.  Craig accomplished the notable feat in just 670 days.  He currently ranks approximately 540th in the world in terms of followers.  The boney legions of the RSA reach far and wide.  Congratulations, Craig!


More Numbers
The folks at tv.com do an annual contest to name the best of the year in several categories, including Best Variety Show and Funniest Late Night Host, where you can cast your votes for Craig.  He’s up against, Conan, The Daily Show, The Soup, Tosh.0 and Saturday Night Live in the show category and competing with Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Jon Stewart, Conan O’Brien and Chelsea Handler in the host category.  At the moment, he is tied and/or in the lead in both categories.  You can vote as many times as you like until January 2nd.  The results will be announced on January 3rd.

Des Moines Update
Craig’s show in Des Moines, IA on January 26th will be at the Hoyt Sherman Theater, not the Des Moines Civic Center.  Some sharp-eyed hobos noticed that Ticketmaster had posted a listing for Craig at the Civic Center.  While the venue was considered as a possible location, Craig’s team ultimately decided to return to the 1200-seat Sherman where he appeared in 2008.  The Civic Center took down its Craig Ferguson page late on Friday and Ticketmaster is expected to do the same shortly.  Tickets will be available through the Hoyt Sherman box office soon.  We’ll let you know when the details are posted.  And as always, you can see the most up-to-date listings on our Live Comedy Tour page any time.

Your Secret Documents
AOL’s TV Replay caught Craig’s conversation with Pierce Brosnan about the body hair of James Bond actor Sean Connery.  Now there’s a man who ate bananas when his mother wasn’t looking.

Going Green
While most people only get to see small pieces of studio space on their televisions while watching shows like The Price Is Right, The Young and the Restless, Dancing With The Stars or the Late Late Show, there is a lot going on behind the scenes at CBS Television City, where the network has been going green in a big way.

Video courtesy: CBS

Tonight’s Guests
Friday on the Late Late Show, comedian Richard Lewis stops by to kvetch for a spell and we’ll hear some music from the previously bumped band NEEDTOBREATHE.  CBS tweeted:

2nite @CraigyFerg‘s chat w/ @TheRichardLewis gets “personal” when they discuss their trips 2 the doctor’s office! + music by @NEEDTOBREATHE!

And Lewis tweeted:

Man did I go crazy with Craig tonight…he really cooks.


Guest Update

Kenneth Branagh

Added to the future guest list are actor Kenneth Branagh and LA Lakers player Pau Gasol. You can see the complete listings on our Guests page.

Birmingham Tickets
There are still some tickets remaining for Craig’s two shows at the Stardome Comedy Club in Birmingham, AL and they will be released online Friday as early as 7am or by phone starting at 10am.  Each show seats only 400 people, so they’ll sell quickly!  Psst!  If you enter the promo code  ‘late late’ (all lower case, with a space between the words) you can get tickets before the general public!

Fun on the Tweety
Craigy was tweeting on Wednesday night, first reassuring the folks at Mythbusters that he’d be supportive about the cannonball incident.  Mythbuster Tory Belleci responded:

Hey @MythBusters I got your back. Tonight. On the show. // Thanks @CraigyFerg. We really appreciate you.

He also noticed a viewer giving TV commentator Keith Olbermann a hard time about wearing suits with stripes, to which Olbermann replied:

Hey @KeithOlbermann why don’t you wear more stripes on your show. Stripes are cool. Also what about spats? Just an idea. // Spats! But on my hands!

He then spotted a Clint Eastwood movie.  Comedian Donal Logue chimed in that he thought it was a good movie and Craig agreed.

Shee-it! Clint Eastwood in The Eiger Sanction from 1975 is on cable now. Goodnight everybody. // @CraigyFerg ooh- with George Kennedy and the incredibly out there Jack Cassidy- The Eiger Sanction // @DONALLOGUE. Yup. A real movie Not a vampire twink in sight.

Then on Thursday, Craig moved on to other pursuits:

Reading Carl Jung’s Red Book this morning. Mind blown. Moving on to a Jackie Collins novel where other things are blown. #sacred/profane.  // I think it’s going to be a filthy winter. #hurricanebawbag #LeTiTsNoW #iseevaginas. #madeupdirtyweatherhashtags.

Other Craig Fergusons, Continued
There are other Craig Fergusons in the world, as the RSA’s @MissGraoully noticed when she saw a story from New Zealand featuring an unusual ballet company.

Lady In Red
Who was that lady in red on last night’s show?   It was none other than the RSA’s @monroemk.  She even took a bow!  Looks like she had a great time going to see the show in person.

You Understand It’s Schtick, Right?

Add another AOL TV Replay story to the “they just don’t get it” file, as they report on Trace Adkins‘ most recent visit to the Late Late Show.



Bachelorette Days
Craig takes a turn on The Bachelorette.  Can’t you just feel the drama?

Video courtesy: RoQu3tO

Tonight’s GuestsThursday on the Late Late Show, actor Pierce Brosnan and author Laura Lippman will join Craig.  And on Friday, Craig welcomes comedian Richard Lewis and the music of NEEDTOBREATHE .

Psst… hey, Omaha skellies:  Word has it that even though tickets don’t officially go on sale until Friday at 10am CT, if you go to the website you can buy your tickets now.  Find some good seats!

Biloxi Blues
Craig Ferguson has added a raft of new stand up comedy dates across the country during the week of January 21st through the 28th.  First up on his winter tour will be warm Biloxi, MS where he’ll perform at the Imperial Palace Casino on Saturday, January 21st.  The show start time and ticket sale dates have not yet been announced but we’ll pass them along as soon as we know.  In the meantime, we’ve linked to the casino’s entertainment page from our Live Comedy Tour page.

Paint Me a Birmingham

Next up will be Birmingham, AL for two shows on Sunday, January 22nd at the Stardome Comedy Club.  The club has only about 400 seats, so tickets will be selling fast when they go on sale Thursday morning at 7am ET.  Book early to avoid disappointment!


Music City USA
Craig will make his triumphant return to Nashville on Monday, January 23rd.  He’ll be back at the Polk Theater in the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, where he recorded his most recent comedy special Does This Need To Be Said? in front of two sold-out crowds in November of 2010.  The show start time and ticket sale date will be announced soon.

Mutually Omaha

After a stop in St. Louis on Tuesday, January 24th which we mentioned in our last post, Craig then heads to Omaha, NE for a show at the Orpheum Theater at 7:30pm on Wednesday, January 25th.  Tickets go on sale Friday at 10am ET.  Craig last appeared in Omaha back in 2008.



We Are From I-Oh-Way
On Thursday, January 26th, Craig will appear at the Hoyt Sherman Theater in Des Moines, IA.  A show start time and ticket sale date will be announced soon.

Wichita Lineman
Then on Friday, January 27th, Craig heads for another Orpheum Theater, this time in Wichita, KS for an 8pm show.  Tickets for that show go on sale Friday at 10am CT.  Craig will wrap up the week  in Thackerville, OK on Saturday night as we reported in our last post.  You can see all of the details for Craig’s live stand up comedy shows for the week of January 21st-28th, including times, dates and links for tickets on our Live Comedy Tour page.  We update the page as soon as we confirm Craig’s shows, so we always do our best to bring you the most up-to-date information.  Our thanks as always to Rebecca Tucker for her help!

Mythtaken Trajectory
The gang at the Discovery Channel Show Mythbusters is in some hot water, after an experiment with a cannon went awry and sent a cannonball into a residential neighborhood, smashing through one house, off the roof of another coming to rest on a parked minivan.  The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the show’s hosts weren’t on scene when it happened but visited the family to offer their apologies.

Writers Guild Award Nominations
The Writers Guild announced the nominees for its annual awards Wednesday.  The nominees for Best Comedy/Variety Series (including talk shows) are Conan, Jon Benjamin Has a Van, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Real Time with Bill Maher, Saturday Night Live, The Colbert Report and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

Frankie Ballard
Country singer Frankie Ballard will appear on the Late Late Show on December 22nd, according to TheCountrySite.com.  His performance was taped in November for later broadcast.

Television Legend Passes Away

M*A*S*H star Harry Morgan has died.  Best known for playing Colonel Sherman T. Potter on the long-running army comedy, he also co-starred with Jack Webb in Dragnet and appeared in more than a hundred films.  He was 96 years old.
Video courtesy: AP

Tonight’s Guests
Wednesday on the Late Late Show, Craig welcomes back musician Trace Adkins and comedian Michael Palascak, who has opened for him on his live stand up shows.  Thursday, Craig’s guests are actor Pierce Brosnan and author Laura Lippman.


UPDATE: Craig Ferguson has added a bunch of stops to his 2012 tour for the week of January 21st-28th, including Biloxi, Birmingham, Nashville, Des Moines, Omaha and Wichita, along with previously announced stops in St. Louis and Thackerville, OK.   For details and links, visit our Live Comedy Tour page.


In a New York Minute
Craig Ferguson returns to New York City on Saturday, October 6th for a live stand up comedy performance at Radio City Music Hall and because you are a member of his Robot Skeleton Army, you get first crack at tickets!   A special pre-sale for fans begins Wednesday at noon ET and runs until Friday at 10pm before tickets go on sale to the general public.  All you need to do is check out the link on our Live Comedy Tour page, which will take you to the Ticketmaster site where you can use the pre-sale code CRAIGF to get your tickets, as Craig tweeted:

I’m performing my pre-Mayan Apocalypse stand up at Radio City in NYC Sat 6 Oct 2012. Presale for roboskeletons tomorrow. Deets to follow. // #RadioCity date 10/6/12. Presale starts tomorrow [Wednesday] at noon. Code: CRAIGF. bit.ly/uhPhCT @MSGEconcerts @bowerypresents Skeletons Ho!

Radio City Music Hall is one of New York’s great performance venues, with a rich history and can seat up to 6,000 people. Craig sold out two shows at Carnegie Hall in 2010, which seats 2,800. So this time, it will be more robot skeletons all in one place at one time.  Book early to avoid disappointment!

Gateway City
And in case New York is too far for you to roam (or too long to wait for all that Craigy goodness), how about a show in the heart of the country?  Craig returns to St. Louis, MO on January 24th to perform at the 2300-seat Pageant Theatre.  Tickets go on sale Friday at 5pm CT.  Just follow the link on our Live Comedy Tour page.  Watch us for more 2012 tour dates as they are announced!


Mal’s Thoughts on Carngie
Somewhere in the heart of Gotham, the RSA’s General @Malinky2Stoatir is smiling because our fearless leader is returning to Manhattan.  When Craig appeared at Carnegie Hall in 2010, Mal was there and blogged about the experience.

Artemus Rex’s Adventure
The RSA’s @ArtemusRex was in the audience at Carnegie Hall as well and wrote a series of blog posts about going to see Craig in person.  Check out Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.

Doctor Who Christmas Special Preview
Here is a sneak peak at this year’s Doctor Who Christmas special, thanks to our friends at BBC America:

Video courtesy: BBC America

Tonight’s Guests

Tuesday on the Late Late Show, Craig welcomes back actress Valerie Bertinelli and comedian Henry Cho.  On Wednesday, country singer Trace Adkins is back, along with comedian Michael Palascak.




Guest Update

Actor DJ Qualls tweeted: I’m confirmed for Craig Ferguson on Monday. Looking forward to whatever inappropriate topics we stumble into. We’ve added him to the list, which will likely get a few more additions in the coming days.   See the updated list on our Guests page.

UPDATE: Craig Ferguson will be performing live at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on October 6th at 8pm. Tickets go on sale Wednesday at noon Eastern time.   And coming up on January 24th, Craig will perform at the Pageant Theatre in St. Louis.  For details, just follow the link on our Live Comedy Tour page.



[pullquote]…the expert lunacy of The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson. – AdWeek[/pullquote]CBS Dominates Television Landscape
Each year, AdWeek magazine sends out its “Hot List” of the top places where advertisers can sell their stuff, including newspapers, magazines, websites and more.  When it comes to broadcast television, CBS has been the strongest platform of 2011 with lots of hit shows.  Among the strengths of the network credited by AdWeek is the CBS late night lineup of David Letterman and Craig Ferguson.  Both the Late Show and the Late Late Show garner some praise.

Craig On The Town
Over the weekend, Craig enjoyed some family time at the Mario Kart 7 launch event. He was included in a slideshow on the Hollywood website TheWrap.com. He shows up on the eighth slide in the sequence.


[pullquote]…and Craig Ferguson brought his manic wit to Owl. In fact, Craig’s Owl kind of steals the show. – Don Hall[/pullquote]Why Winnie The Pooh Works
Co-Director of this year’s animated feature film Winnie The Pooh Don Hall explains in The Hollywood Reporter why the lovingly crafted reboot of the children’s classic works so well.  And in it, he gives Craig a great compliment in the process.


A Long Speech
In this sketch, Craig wonders why Cuba’s Fidel Castro gives such long speeches. It turns out, the answer is simple:

Video courtesy: RoQu3tO

Tonight’s Guests
Monday on the Late Late Show, Craig interviews actor Justin Long and actress Noomi Rapace.  Tuesday, Craig chats with actress Valerie Bertinelli and we’ll see the stand up comedy of Henry Cho.  The previously scheduled band Black Dub will be moved ahead to a future date.

Guest Update

Michael Palascak

Several names have been added to the guest list for December including comedian Michael Palascak, who opened for Craig on some tour stops earlier this year, the band NEEDTOBREATHE was rescheduled for December 9th after being bumped from the show last month, plus Ben Kingsley, Patton Oswalt, Sean Hayes, John Hodgman and Mindy Kaling.  See the most up-to-date list on our Guests page.

Freedom For Haggis
The Herald Scotland newspaper makes the case for legalizing haggis in the United States in this article:

By: Robbie Dinwoodie, Herald Scotland

It was a week when Scotland toasted record global whisky exports, and Hillary Clinton joined in the St Andrew’s Day celebrations by sending a special message to Scots the world over. But, despite the US Secretary of State’s praise for the special ties between the nations and Scotland’s “unique culture and traditions”, that goodwill does not extend to our national dish, which has been banned for four decades in America.  And while ex-pats can raise a glass of proper Scotch come Burns Night, they have been unable to address a traditional Scots haggis, made from a sheep’s heart, liver and lungs, due to an import ban.

Now, with Holyrood’s equivalent of the foreign secretary also in Washington DC, the Scottish Government has decided there is no better time to take the first step on the road to opening the US market to haggis, beef, lamb and venison exports. Haggis was first banned in the 1970s, caught up in a general US bar on the sale of all products, domestic or imported, which contained livestock lungs. This ban, which remains in place on public health grounds, is strongly disputed on this side of the Atlantic. A decade later, the spectre of BSE arrived and, amid the headlines about mad cow disease, the US banned the import of red meat from the UK, extending that ban to the rest of the EU in the 1990s.

An application has now been forwarded by the UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), outlining the case for importing quality Scottish red meat and red meat products into the United States. Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead said: “Exports to the US are of key importance to our food and drink sector and this is a positive step forward. “Although there is a long way to go in the process, we remain proactive in encouraging the USDA to lift the long-standing ban on importation of red meat and red meat products, including haggis, from Scotland and the rest of the EU.”

The move comes as Culture and External Affairs Secretary Fiona Hyslop is on a visit to the US. She tweeted yesterday: “Strong interest in Scotland at St Andrew’s Day do in Washington. Hundreds there.” Jo Macsween, director of Macsween, one of Scotland’s leading haggis makers, said: “I am delighted to hear progress is being made in this respect and we look forward to the prospect of sharing Macsween haggis with American consumers in the near future.” She added that a recent feature by Scots chat show host Craig Ferguson in the US had resulted in a boost for Macsween’s vegetarian haggis, which guests dubbed “awesome”, but they hoped to get a chance to sell the real thing.

Jim McLaren, chairman of Quality Meat Scotland, said: “With the huge popularity in the US of all things Scottish, hopefully these negotiations will one day give American consumers the chance to finally taste authentic, high-quality Scotch beef and lamb.” The next stage will be for the USDA to consider the application. Meanwhile, the European Commission will continue its own lobbying efforts to achieve a relaxation of import controls. A Government spokeswoman said that substitute haggis products were available in the US but added: “Their use at Burns Suppers is largely symbolic because they are not a patch on authentic Scottish haggis.”

An Enjoyable Day

Craig had a fun Sunday spending some family time:

Nice family day today. So rare for us all to be on parole at the same time.



More Cheno
The website JustJared.com caught Kristin Chenoweth’s appearance on the Late Late Show.

Neil Can’t Wait

Author and LLS guest Neil Gaiman will be a guest on the NPR radio show Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me on December 23rd.  The show will also appear on BBC America, as Neil re-tweeted:

It will be good. “@BBCAMERICA: @waitwait @neilhimself it airs December 23 at 8/7c on @bbcamerica cheers!”


Hamming It Up, She Wrote
It’s time for another episode of Murder She Wrote. Pay particular attention to the Boy Toy magazine cover near the end of the sketch.

Video courtesy: 0mniscient

Richard Lewis

This Week’s Guests – UPDATED
It’s another week of all-new episodes of the Late Late Show, beginning Monday with actor Justin Long and actress Noomi Rapace. Tuesday, Craig chats with actress Valerie Bertinelli and we’ll see the stand up comedy of Henry Cho.  The previously scheduled Black Dub will move ahead to a future date.  Wednesday, country singer Trace Adkins is back on the show along with comedian Michael Palascak. Actor Pierce Brosnan and author Laura Lippman will be in the studio Thursday.  And based on his tweet, comedian Richard Lewis is expected to be Craig’s guest on Friday, along with the previously bumped band NEEDTOBREATHE:

Craig messes with my head Thurs [sic] Dec 9..and we always go the distance…need judges. “Last recovering addict standing Bout.” @CraigyFerg

 

Why Craig and the LLS?
There are so many reasons to be a fan of Craig Ferguson.  When you meet someone who has not yet become a fan, it’s hard to resist telling them all about what he does and why the Late Late Show is different from anything else on television.  Writer Todd VanDerWerff tries to explain on AVClub.com why he likes the show, with Craig at the center of it all.

Parent Bonus Points
Craig was out and about doing family things on Saturday in LA and scored some points:

Took my 10y/o son & his pals to the launch of MarioKart 7 today. They saw 1 of the girls from I Carly. Parental approval rating improving


Where Ya Sittin’?
If you’re planning to be in Thackerville, OK on January 28th to see Craig Ferguson’s live stand up comedy show at the WinStar World Casino, be sure to tweet your seats to the RSA’s @Colleen_Byrne, who is putting together a seating chart of as many robot skeletons as she can.  A day before the show, she’ll tweet out the chart so you’ll know where your fellow hobos are sitting.  Don’t have tickets yet?  You can find them using our Live Comedy Tour page.

Nerdist Holiday Special

BBC America is planning a gift for nerds and geeks on December 24th, when the we’ll get to see the second episode of the television version of the @Nerdist podcast.  You may remember that Craig was a guest on the show’s pilot episode.  BBC America liked it so much they ordered more episodes.  And when you see the guest lineup, you’ll know why.


Her Majesty Has Tea With the President
In this sketch, Craig wonders what a meeting between Queen Elizabeth II and George W. Bush would be like. We particularly like the framed picture of Prince Charles behind them… and the 70s-style freeze-frame at the end.

Video courtesy: 0mniscient

Early December Holidays
Saturday, December 3rd is the United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities and the birthday of actress Daryl Hannah and actor Brendan Fraser.  Sunday, December 4th is the birthday of model/TV host Tyra Banks and game show host Wink Martindale.  It is also the anniversary of the mysterious discovery of the ship Marie Celeste in 1872.