An Epic Weekend in Vegas
When Craig Ferguson and Geoff Petersen go to Las Vegas, it’s bound to be an adventure.  Was it a primer on how to have fun in Las Vegas or a clever warning about the dangers of Carrot Top‘s secret frozen custard recipe? Either way, it was a great segment on Thursday’s show, complete with Star Wars references, a mysterious combination of Secretariat, a leprechaun, strippers and puppets, In case you missed it, here’s a look, thanks to the RSA’s @Malinky2Stoatir:

Video courtesy: TVsCraigFerguson

Also featured during the whole show on Thursday night was a much more talkative Geoff Petersen, thanks to Josh Robert Thompson working live in the studio rather than via recorded clips for the special show. It allowed him to respond more naturally to Craig during the opening and closing segments and interact with guest Kristen Bell.

Josh thanked Craig for the chance to be Geoff’s voice live on the show: [quotetweet 58725519662919681]

Reaction to Thursday’s Show
TVSquad.com liked Kristen Bell’s observations about reality TV.  New York Magazine focused on Kristen’s sharp words for her rival, Geoff Petersen, as did the New York Post.  Surprisingly, we haven’t seen much in the way of media reaction to the Las Vegas sketch.  But Twitter was definitely buzzing with fans on Thursday night, laughing at every turn.

Craig Live in Carmel Saturday Night
Craig will perform live in Carmel, CA Saturday night at a fundraiser for the area’s Boys and Girls Club. His next live appearance will be a week from Saturday in Windsor, Ontario.  Meanwhile, general tickets are now on sale for Craig’s appearance at the Horseshoe Casino near Chicago on July 9th.  Check out the links on our Live Comedy Tour page.

Tonight’s Guests
Friday on the Late Late Show, Craig chats with actress Robin Wright and Animal Planet biologist Dan Riskin.  CBS tweeted: [quotetweet 59039437316820992]

In an unusual move, the Late Late Show will offer three encore performances beginning April 25th but come back with fresh, new episodes on April 28th and 29th.  The reason?  The May “sweeps” period for television ratings begins on Thursday the 28th and new episodes draw larger audiences.  The episodes were pre-taped because Craig will be on tour in North Carolina, Texas and Oklahoma that week and will be back in the studio on May 2nd.  See the latest on Craig’s tour performances on our Live Comedy Tour page and the updated guest list on our Guests page, including Tom Selleck, Odette Annable, Bob Saget (will he actually sit down for an interview this time?) and music by Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings.

 

It’s Vegas Time
Craig and Company’s Las Vegas adventure airs Thursday on the Late Late Show.  We followed them via the interwebs last weekend and have watched promos through the week… now it’s time to find out what went down.  The syndicated Entertainment show Extra previewed the segment on Thursday and Geoff Petersen tweeted: [quotetweet 58406033428713472]

The local CBS station previewed the segment in their morning newscast. And although they misspoke and called Geoff “George”, it turned out to be funny story thanks to a great line from Craig:

Video courtesy: KLAS-TV

The voice of Geoff Petersen, Josh Robert Thompson tweeted about tonight’s show along with pictures:

[quotetweet 58649142985105408]

 

[quotetweet 58649147070365696]

Snorky the Raccoon appears to be a new puppet… we’ll have to see what he’s up to on Thursday’s show.

Geoff said:

[quotetweet 58676630142451712]

CBS tweeted:

[quotetweet 58677767113424896]

Video courtesy: CBS

[quotetweet 58690871440322560]

And the Late Late Show added:

[quotetweet 58693187623071744]

Video courtesy: CBS

[quotetweet 58647067567980544]

It all happens on Thursday’s Late Late Show at 12:37am ET/11:37pm CT.  Don’t miss it!

California Charity Performance
Craig will perform live in Carmel, CA Saturday night for a Boys and Girls Club fundraiser.  We’re guessing this show won’t be quite as naughty as his usual performances.  Meanwhile, general public tickets for CF’s Horseshoe Casino show near Chicago are now on sale.  You can see all the links and details on our Live Comedy Tour page.

New Pooh Reviews
As Winnie The Pooh opens in more theaters around Europe, more reviews are coming in, including those from RTE.ie, TheFilmPilgrim.com, the Irish Times and Aberdeen’s Press and Journal.

 

 

No Soap For You
Daytime television fans take note: ABC is canceling One Life to Live and All My Children, according to Time Magazine.  That will leave only four major daytime soap operas left on network TV, from a genre that once dominated the time period:  CBS still has The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful, NBC has Days of Our Lives and ABC will keep General Hospital… for now.  The soaps have been replaced by things like news programs such as NBC’s extended Today show and local news, as well as syndicated talk and lifestyle shows which have drawn audiences and are, unsurprisingly, cheaper to produce.  That same approach has drastically changed prime time programming, where “reality” shows and cookie-cutter procedurals have all but engulfed the snappy sitcoms and carefully-crafted dramas we once knew.  Craig may joke about how his show has no money but it quickly becoming the norm.

Craig Gets a Gift
When Evan Michelson from the show Oddities visited Craig on Wednesday night, she brought along a pair of possible gifts, as she explains to the Los Angeles Times.

Tonight’s Guests
Thursday on the Late Late Show, along with the Las Vegas segment, we’ll see one of Craig’s favorites guests, actress Kristen Bell, followed by a performance by country singer Jason Aldean.  Friday, Craig welcomes actress Robin Wright and Animal Planet biologist Dan Riskin. The newest future guests added to our Guests page are actor Will Farrell, comedian Carrot Top and actress Juliet Lewis.

Update-Las Vegas Preview on Extra:
The entertainment show Extra will feature a preview of Craig’s adventures in Las Vegas. Extra is a syndicated program, available to local television stations regardless of network affiliation, which means it may or may not be available “in your region” and could air any time from mid-afternoon until late night on Thursday depending on that station’s schedule. Check your local listings Craig’s able assistant Rebecaa Tucker tweeted the news Thursday afternoon: [quotetweet 58609211298422784]

Get Ready for Vegas Fun
All week, Craig has been talking about (and recovering from) his trip to Las Vegas over the weekend. He brought along a big group and has been sending out previews to give us a glimpse of what’s coming.  The segment will appear on Thursday night’s show. Another promo came down the pipeline today:

 

 

Video courtesy: CBS

 

Presale for Hammond, IN Show Underway
Pre-sale tickets for Craig’s July 9th stand up comedy performance at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana (near Chicago) are underway until 10:00pm Central Time on Thursday, April 14th. Tickets go on sale to the general public after that. To get pre-sale tickets, just head to the ticket link on our Live Comedy Tour page, click through to the Ticket page and used the pre-sale code “Horseshoe”.  (Shh!)

Winnie The Pooh Debüt in Deutschland
Winnie The Pooh debuts in the UK and Germany on Thursday, April 14th. The website Movies.ie has a short review.

Randy Watches Some Roundball
Craig’s opening act, comedian Randy Kagan took in a Lakers game and posted several video clips on his Twitter page.

DW in NYC
MTV covered a Doctor Who event in New York City that drew a huge group of fans eager for the new season to begin on April 23rd.

Aldean to Rock Idol before the LLS
Country singer Jason Aldean, who will appear on Thursday’s Late Late Show, will appear on American Idol earlier in the evening, according to Nashville.com.

Late Late Show adds a Twitter Account
The Late Late Show has added a Twitter account: @LateLateShowCBS.  The link on their website still points to @LLS_Episodes.  They’ve only tweeted a few times but we’re guessing this will allow them to post pictures, videos and links about the show so Craig can won’t have to do them all himself… case in point, they retweeted CBS’s posting of today’s Las Vegas segment promo instead of Craig sending it. The folks at EpixHD were also tweeting today, saying: [quotetweet 58251612845645824] We did not see if they declared a winner.

Send In Those Tweetmails
Does Craig read your tweets and emails on the show?  Yes!  On Tuesday night, he read tweets from the RSA’s @MAC_CMT, @HMSFox and more.  Send your tweets and emails and maybe you’ll be next!

Tonight’s Guests
Wednesday night, Craig’s guests are actress Ashley Judd, artifact collector Evan Michelson and comedian Maz Jobrani. CBS tweeted: [quotetweet 58326598906155009]

Thursday, actress Kristen Bell returns, along with music by Jason Aldean and of course, the Las Vegas segment.  The re-run fairy will be in town April 25-29 while Craig is on tour.  The guest lineup for the first three days has been added to our Guests page.

Las Vegas Special Sketch Draws Closer
Robot skeletons are getting excited about Thursday’s Late Late Show, when we’ll have a chance to see what Craig and Company were up to in Las Vegas this past weekend. On Tuesday, Craig tweeted a new promo for the segment, voiced by Josh Robert Thompson.

Winnie l’ourson fait ses débuts en France
The new Disney-Pixar animated feature film Winnie The Pooh, featuring Craig Ferguson as the voice of Owl, debuts in France on April 13th and in both the UK and Germany on April 14th.  More reviews are popping up, including the Coventry Telegraph, and Timeout.com.  Fans in the United States will have to wait until July 15th to see it.

 

Tennant to Appear on British Stamp
It will be as Hamlet rather than the tenth Doctor, but David Tennant will appear on a British stamp honoring the 50th anniversary of the Royal Shakespeare Company.   Tennant played the Danish prince in the RSC’s 2008 production.  Meanwhile, the site BleedingCool.com talks about the growing popularity of Doctor Who in America and mentions how the @Nerdist Chris Hardwick and Craig are fans.   The BBC’s Anglophenia page has picked up on the news that DW actress Karen Gillan will appear on the Late Late Show, although they missed the update that her appearance will be on April 22nd.  Maybe they should be reading RSA News. *wink*

Amos Lee on the LLS
The website AntiMusic.com says singer/songwriter Amos Lee will appear on the Late Late Show on a future date to be announced.

Craig’s 2011 Comedy Tour Grows
Craig added another show to his summer tour today. He’ll appear at Kingsbury Hall in Salt Lake City on July 10th. He’s now up to 18 shows on the calendar, plus his appearance at Montreal’s Just for Laughs Comedy Festival, where he will do some of his own material but also emcee the evening, hosting other comics from around the world.

Note: We’ve removed the listing for a July 30th show at the Saint Denis Theatre in Montreal. When we first heard about it, we assumed it was a solo show but we were apparently confusing it with the Comedy Festival event now posted on our Live Comedy Tour page. We’re not sure how many of our readers are making the trip to Montreal but we want to get it right! Also updated are the pre-sale and general ticket sales dates for Boston and Prior Lake (near Minneapolis), Minnesota.

Craig’s Commercial
A television commercial for Craig’s upcoming stand up comedy performance near Chicago is airing now.

Video courtesy: ChicagoHorseshoe

Tonight’s Guests
Tuesday on the Late Late Show, Craig chat with country singer Wynona Judd, and Ariel Tweto from the Discovery Channel show Flying Wild Alaska.  Wednesday, Wynona’s younger sister, actress Ashley Judd is on the show, along with artifact collector Evan Michelson and comedian Maz Jobrani.

See Craig at Just for Laughs
Tickets for Craig’s pair live appearances on July 30th as a host at Montreal’s Just For Laughs Comedy Festival are now on sale.  Please note that these shows will feature Craig doing some stand up but also introducing other comedians from around the world doing their own sets.  Tickets for Craig’s stand up show in Atlantic City on July 8th went on sale over the weekend as well.  We have links to get your tickets on our Live Comedy Tour page.

 

Update: Craig Will Return to Boston and Adds Salt Lake City to Tour
Late on Monday evening, Craig’s assistant Rebecca Tucker tweeted that Craig will be returning to the Wilbur Theatre in Boston on July 31st and on Tuesday, she tweeted that Kingsbury Hall in Salt Lake City is now on the list for July 10th.   The appearances have not yet been posted on the theaters’ websites but we have added the links to our Live Comedy Tour page.

Las Vegas Trailer
Craig tweeted a video on Monday, giving a hint about what is coming on Thursday’s show.

SPOILER ALERT! We’ve spotted two more articles about Thursday’s show. You know the drill… if you want to see them, click on arrow. If you want to be surprised on Thursday, skip to below the gray bar.

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The Las Vegas Review-Journal noted Craig’s visit in another column on Monday.

And Robin Leach talked about Craig’s visit and what they were filming in his column for Las Vegas Weekly.

If you have spotted any more pictures, tweets or news about Craig and Company’s Las Vegas visit, please send us a tweet or a note using our contact form. We’d like to hear about it!

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Craig Helps Katie
Craig tweeted a book recommendation on Monday evening: I contributed to the @katiecouric book “The Best Advice I Ever Got” which comes out tomorrow. Here’s more advice. Never refuse @katiecouric

Wendy Booker is North Pole Bound
Author and adventurer Wendy Booker, who recently appeared on the Late Late Show, is beginning her journey to the North Pole. As you may remember, she is taking along the kangaroo “gentleman’s equipment” loaned to her by Craig on the show. You can keep up with her progress on her website.

The Newest Pooh Reviews
[pullquote]…owl (brilliantly voiced by Craig Ferguson) an arrogant know-it-all… -Simon Reynolds, DigitalSpy.com[/pullquote]Winnie The Pooh debuts in France on Wednesday, April 13th and comes to Germany and the UK on Thursday, April 14th.  DigitalSpy.com praises Craig in its review, as does DenOfGeek.com.

 

Tonight’s Guests
Monday on the Late Late Show, Craig welcomes actress Isabella Rossellini and actress Casey Wilson.  Tuesday, Craig’s guests are singer Wynona Judd and reality TV personality Ariel Tweto.

Craig Ferguson, Geoff Petersen, Grant Imahara, Bradley the Leprechaun, Secretariat, Josh Robert Thompson, Rebecca Tucker, Michael Naidus and more from the Late Late Show crew are back in Los Angeles after a busy weekend in Las Vegas. It’s all in preparation for a special segment we’re told will be airing on the show Thursday, April 14th. While they were in Sin City, they ran into lots of great people including the prop comedian Carrot Top, comedian George Wallace, entertainer Donny Osmond and more. With all the effort, expense and coordination involved, we have to believe that the segment on Thursday’s show will be epic!

Craig updated his Twitter avatar to a picture standing in front of the Luxor in Las Vegas.  The Las Vegas Review-Journal newspaper mentioned Craig in Sunday’s edition.

Josh enjoyed his time with the gang: [quotetweet 57209716106997761] [quotetweet 57223050864754688]

SPOILER ALERT! We’ve seen a few more details about what Craig was taping in Las Vegas for this Thursday’s show. If you want to see it, click on the little arrow in the white circle on the gray bar below. If you’d rather wait, don’t click on the arrow! Non-spoiler content resumes below the gray bar.

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The RSA’s @kassidycantalk posted a picture showing the crew filming Craig and Geoff on the streets of Las Vegas. [quotetweet tweetid=56819154094796800] Thanks to the RSA’s @bgrhubarb for spotting that tweet!

The Las Vegas Review-Journal talks about Craig and Geoff being spotted at a Vegas chapel.

It appears the car ride into Vegas starts out in the desert, based on Grant’s tweets and a great picture: [quotetweet tweetid=56874694556655617] [quotetweet tweetid=56887848720273409]

Dayna Roselli, a morning news anchor from the CBS television station in Las Vegas tweeted another and joked about Thursday’s upcoming segment. [quotetweet tweetid=56905334765256704]

Because the crew spent so much time and effort in Las Vegas, it is possible that we might see shorter segments or teases during Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday’s shows… or they may use all the time for editing and show everything at once on Thursday.

If you have spotted any more pictures, tweets or news about Craig and Company’s Las Vegas visit, please send us a tweet or a note using our contact form.  We’d like to hear about it!

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Tickets for Atlantic City Now On Sale
We’ve updated our Live Comedy Tour page with a link to tickets for Craig’s Atlantic City show on July 8th.

Bones Actor Tweets
Actor David Boreanaz from the drama series Bones is now on Twitter and Craig was one of the first people he tweeted to: [quotetweet tweetid=56794224900841472] Thanks to the RSA’s @SexyCraigFerg for spotting his tweet!

Best Looking Comedian
The Wilbur Theater in Boston, where Craig has appeared on stage, is asking its Facebook fans who they think is the most attractive comedian.  Guess who is in the lead?

Craig’s Production Company Gets Film Rights to Novels

Craig’s production company has picked up the film rights to a series of mystery novels by Chris Grabenstein. The books follow the adventures of a former military policeman named John Ceepak and his right-hand man, Danny Boyle. CrimeSpree Magazine’s Ruth Jordan confirmed the deal with Grabenstein this week. If the project reaches the screen it would be Craig’s first credit as a film producer since Saving Grace in 2000. He was a screenwriter as well as the lead actor in 2003’s I’ll Be There but his primary involvement in films in recent years has been as a voice actor in animated features. This year, he is lending his voice to the English version of a Danish film The Trouble With Terkel due out April 15th in Europe and Winnie the Pooh, which debuts April 13th in France, April 14th in the UK and Germany and July 15th in the US.

This Week’s Guests
All-new episodes of the Late Late Show begin Monday, when Craig welcomes actress Isabella Rossellini and actress Casey Wilson.  On Tuesday, watch for singer Wynona Judd and reality TV personality Ariel Tweto.  Wednesday, Wynona’s younger sister, actress Ashley Judd, will be on the show, along with artifact collector Evan Michelson. and comedian Maz Jobrani.  Actress Kristen Bell returns on Thursday, we’ll see what Craig did on his Las Vegas vacation and we’ll hear a performance by country singer Jason Aldean.  And on Friday, Craig talks with actress Robin Wright and Animal Planet Biologist Dan Riskin.

Craig and Geoff’s Excellent Adventure

The trip to Las Vegas just keeps getting more interesting. In addition to hanging out with prop comedian Carrot Top, Geoff Petersen, Bradley in his leprechaun outfit and Secretariat, Craig spent some time with singer Donny Osmond. Grant Imahara tweeted about their meeting and Craig responded: [quotetweet tweetid=56520497625698304] [quotetweet tweetid=56522768895848449]

On Saturday , Craig tweeted: [quotetweet tweetid=56790536404733952]

Josh hung out with Geoff: [quotetweet tweetid=56786672813228032]

As did Grant, who was a little nervous: [quotetweet tweetid=56761169620381696] [quotetweet tweetid=56750111639879680]

SPOILER ALERT! If you want to know more about what Craig and Company are filming in Las Vegas, you can click on the little arrow in the white circle on the gray bar below.  We’re not kidding… there are a couple of tweets inside that explain what’s coming up.  If you want to be surprised on Thursday, April 14th, don’t click on the arrow!  Non-spoiler content resumes below the gray bar.

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Donny Osmond himself said: [quotetweet tweetid=56528012161712128]

And the plot thickens! Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous legendary host Robin Leach tweeted: [quotetweet tweetid=56490440668614656] [quotetweet tweetid=56490054188666880] [quotetweet tweetid=56494619638243328]

Craig’s assistant Rebecca Tucker tweeted a picture from the taping: [quotetweet tweetid=56817227600637952]

And if you’ve ever wanted to see Secretariat behind the scenes, Craig tweeted a picture:

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We found three other great tweets from Las Vegas.  Late Late Show Producer Michael Naidus is lamenting the lighting situation but is eating well: [quotetweet tweetid=56515912949448704] [quotetweet tweetid=56616262163382272]

And Craig’s tireless assistant Rebecca Tucker found some entertainment: [quotetweet tweetid=56582320144121856]

Sorry ladies, Rebecca did not send pictures.

Behind the Scenes

Rich Redmond, drummer for country singer Jason Aldean‘s band, send a picture from the taping of their upcoming appearance on Thursday, April 14th. [quotetweet tweetid=56490788036677632]

The @Nerdist Hits Boston
Chris Hardwick appeared at the Wilbur Theater in Boston Saturday night for a stand up comedy performance.

Every Day is a Holiday
Saturday, April 9 is Jenkins’s Ear Day, Winston Churchill Day and National Cherish an Antique Day.  Sunday, April 10 is Commodore Perry Day, National Siblings Day and Salvation Army Founder’s Day.