What a wild few days it has been for Craig Ferguson.  First, Craig welcomed his French doppelganger Authur to the Late Late Show, leading to a Casablanca-inspired ending for Monday’s show.  Then, after two weeks of suspense, LLS and Whovians were rewarded with the leaking of “the clip” featuring a dance number inspired by the Doctor Who theme song.  And Wednesday night, the best news so far:  Craig was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Spoken Word Album category for the audiobook version of his autobiography, American On Purpose.  The hollowed out volcano has been buzzing about it, as well as media across the world.

Complete coverage: For a complete recap of Wednesday’s events, check out our detailed post right here updated with still pictures, video clips and early reactions from the Grammy nominations show as well as “the clip”.

In case you missed it, here is Craig’s reaction to being told of his nomination:

Video courtesy: CBS

And here is Craig backstage, where his reaction was characteristically blunt and genuine:

Video courtesy: thegrammys

The RSA’s @babarann noticed that on Audible.com‘s listings, Craig’s audiobook has the most reviews and the highest rating of the six contenders.

The Wall Street Journal reports on the Doctor Who clip as does MTV.com.  In a short article, the Vancouver Sun declares Craig the most creative late night host.

Craig appears live Friday night at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, CA, his final live show of the year.  The website inlandsocal.com previews the show with six Craig facts we’re pretty sure every RSA member knows.  Craig tweeted about the appearance:  Stand up show in @FantasySprings Ca. tomorrow [Friday] night. Sounds magical. I wonder if there will be leprechauns or a buffet. Dare I dream?

For Thursday’s show, Craig tweeted:  My wacky neighbor @nerdist is dropping by the show tonight for email time. He wants no questions only lavish praise. #whatanass #thatspraise

Thursday on the Late Late Show, Craig welcomes  comedian Cedric the Entertainer, the music of Norah Jones and a visit from @Nerdist, Chris Hardwick.  On Friday, Craig’s guests are actress Kristen Bell and musician Michael Franti, rescheduled from Monday.  Actor Ewan McGregor and actress Shannon Woodward will be rescheduled at at later date.

What a busy news day in the hollowed out volcano!  The biggest news of the day:  Craig Ferguson has been nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Spoken Word Album category for the audio version of his autobiography, American On Purpose.  He tweeted his reaction:  I just got nominated for a damn Grammy. Take that low self esteem. #fuckyeah

And Craig’s assistant Rebecca Tucker send a backstage photo: In the press room after grammy announcement http://twitpic.com/3c2tnl She also said: Could I have a cooler boss?! A grammy nomination! Hard to get cooler than that!  This is Craig’s first Grammy nomination and the first major award announcement since he won the Peabody Award earlier this year for his interview with Archbishop Desmond Tutu.  Here is the list of nominees in the category:

You have to hand it to our fearless leader.  In one of the great “zig when you zag” maneuvers of all time, Craig showed us that a spirit of cooperation can do wonders, even with the French.  Rather that sending a team of CBS lawyers to challenge comedian Arthur‘s clear re-creation of his late night show (at which point Arthur would have probably surrendered… he is French, after all), Craig, LLS Producer Michael Naidus and Executive Producer Peter Lassally adopted a live-and-let-live attitude and invited Craig’s rival to be a guest on his show.  Arthur described his show as an homage to the Late Late Show and evidence of his respect and admiration for what Craig and Company have built.  With an opening segment, tweets and emails and an Emmy-worthy closing homage to Casablanca, Craig and Arthur were able to bury the hatchet in a classy way.  As many robot skeletons have commented here and elsewhere, the hollowed out volcano got pretty worked up about the whole thing, including your editors here who covered the story as it developed.  But should we have expected anything less from Craig, who is a master of the comedic art of feigning outrage over nothing in particular?  In the end, his mock outrage was the most funny way to handle it, and last night’s invitation was the most creative way to resolve it.

Among the media covering Craig’s surprise show were ABC News (with a great explanation of what happened), the New York Times, TVSquad.com, Fancast.com, Mediaite.com and NewMoviesList.com.

What will happen next?  Will Arthur continue to pay homage to Craig?  Could the rivalry be stretched out into a longer-running gag?  Craig seemed to leave the door open by running the words, “The End… or the beginning?” on the screen to end Monday’s show.  The result?  A show that was brilliant all around and as we said last night… epic.  Kudos to Craig and the Late Late Show team for finding a great way to deal with a crazy situation!

Craig’s opening act, Randy Kagan is gearing up for the final performance of this year’s stand up comedy tour on Friday:  Indio Friday night. That’s where the Indio Girls are from. I love those dudes. Tickets still appear to be available for the show at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino.

Josh Robert Thompson, the voice of Geoff Petersen, sent a fun tweet:  I play 5 characters in this cool short film. See if you can spot which ones: http://tinyurl.com/3yzyfqj

A number of celebrities will be temporarily removing themselves from Twitter and Facebook on December 1st as part of a fundraising campaign for World Aids Day.  RyanSecrest.com has details.

The lovely Stephen Fry will be a guest on the Graham Norton Show on BBC America Saturday:  This Saturday: @BetteMidler, @StephenFry & @MrDavidHaye guest on The Graham Norton Show http://bit.ly/dM3GoU 10pm on BBC America

On Tuesday’s Late Late Show, Craig chats with author Salman Rushdie and actor Dj Qualls.   Will we get to see Secretariat’s race at Hollywood Park?  We’ll have to wait and see.  On Wednesday, the website in Los Angeles says it’s talk show host Regis Philbin and comedienne Wendy Liebman.  Comedian Greg Proops and actress/singer Nellie McKay will be rescheduled.  At least we think so.

It’s a great day for America, everybody.  Yes it is!  After a long holiday weekend of travel, food, shopping and re-runs, all-new episodes of the Late Late Show return on Monday night!  In case you missed what went on over the holiday weekend, check out the highlights:

• Friday: Thanksgiving tweets and a pre-Superbowl 2007 Craig interview.
• Saturday:  Craig picture and the RSA’s “other” robot skeleton in Nashville
• Sunday:  A pair of early press interviews and Craig on Conan in 2001

Craig tweeted Monday evening that we can expect something special:  Surprise French guest on the show tonight. Remember. I zig when you zag bee- atches.

UPDATE: Monday night’s show can only be described as epic.  No spoilers for now but we urge everyone to watch Monday’s Late Late Show on your television or on the googly-web thing Tuesday.  The opening bit, the tweet-mail segment and the ending are top-notch.

Craig’s assistant Rebecca Tucker is comfortable to be back at Television City:  Late late show snuggie equals happy rebecca http://twitpic.com/3bhf00

Along with his final stand up comedy performance of the year in Indio, CA on December 3rd, Craig will also be busy the evening of December 9th, emceeing a dinner at the Kodak Theater Ballroom for the University of Southern California’s Shoah Foundation benefit dinner honoring Dreamworks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg.

Geoff Petersen is ready to go back to work:  At last the fulfillment of my dream. No, my junk is still in Customs but tonight I’m back at my sidekick podium. So don’t be looking in…

After yesterday’s news of the passing of actor Leslie Nielsen, we’ve now learned of the death of film director Irvin Kershner, perhaps best known for directing 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back for George Lucas and Never Say Never Again, marking the return of Sean Connery as James Bond.  He was 87 years old and had been battling lung cancer.  Many fans of the Star Wars saga believe Empire was the most adult and complex chapter, which benefited from Kershner’s old-school directing touch. He received a lifetime achievement award in June from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films.

Keeping up with the Late Late Show’s guest list is becoming a fast-paced sport.  This week is particularly bumpy, so ignore whatever it says in your TV guide or local newspaper.  Here’s the latest:  Musician Michael Franti has been moved to Friday, as he tweeted:  Michael & Spearhead’s appearance on The Late Late Show w/ Craig Ferguson has been rescheduled for this Friday, December 3rd. Please retweet! Based on Craig’s tweet, this was to make room for Monday’s surprise French guest.  Actor Michael Sheen will appear as promised along with Craig’s special guest.

Judging by the schedule now posted in Los Angeles, Dj Qualls may not appear on Tuesday as prevsiouly scheduled, but author Salman Rushdie remains on the list, perhaps in anticipation of a longer conversation.  We’re not sure when Dj will return but the taping schedule still shows he will be in the studio on Tuesday, along with comedian Matt Braunger, perhaps taping a future appearance.

For Wednesday, TV host Regis Philbin will be on the show, now paired with comedienne Wendy Liebman who has been rescheduled a couple of times since recording her segment last month.  Comedian Greg Proops and actress/singer Nellie McKay have been moved ahead to a date to be determined.  Thursday’s schedule remains intact with Cedric the Entertainer and singer Norah Jones, who was recorded her segment some time ago.  On Friday, it now appears actress Kristen Bell will appear, along with the aforementioned Michael Franti.  This of course will bump actress Shannon Woodward and actor Ewan McGregor forward yet again.  Both are still listed on the schedule for Thursday’s second taping.  We will do our best to keep you posted on their eventual return.

Looking ahead on the schedule for December, we see names like journalist Richard Wolffe, actress Lucy Liu, actress Carrie Fisher, comedian Matt Kirshen, TV host Dick Cavett, actress Kristin Davis, Nobel Peace Prize Winner Jody Williams, actor Neil Patrick Harris, actress Jane Fonda, the Mythbusters Grant Imahara, comedienne Maria Bamford, actress Kirsten Dunst, TV personality Greg Warren, actress Lena Dunham, actor Seth Green, comedian/actor Billy Connolly and comedienne Kathy Griffin.  Dates for all of these folks are TBA.

It’s so great to see family over the holiday weekend.  And it’s even better to get back home.  Whew!

Craig has been enjoying a weekend off and has been snapping some pictures in and around Hollywood.  Today, he tweeted a great shot:  http://yfrog.com/614ky012j Lake Hollywood on a Sunday afternoon only 10 mins from Hollywood Blvd. Proof crackheads don’t hunt.

Like so many of us, Geoff Petersen is going through some Craig withdrawal after a long weekend:  This downtime has helped me recharge but enough. I want my @craigyferg. I need sidekickedness. I have… Podium lust.

We still haven’t heard when Secretariat‘s visit to Hollywood Park will be airing but we’ll keep our eyes open.

The group trying to preserve the historic Cumbernauld House in Craig’s hometown is selling calendars as a fundraiser.

Comedic actor Leslie Nielsen has died at the age of 84, according to Canada’s National Post and CJOB Radio, which spoke with his son.  Nielsen was best known to American audiences from the Airplane and Naked Gun series of films and was a beloved actor in Canada for his countless comic roles and cameo appearances on the big and small screens. Film critic Roger Ebert dubbed him “The Olivier of Spoofs”. Although he was a naturalized American citizen, in recognition of his work and service to his native country he became an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2002.

The Late Late Show returns with all-new episodes this week, starting Monday with actor Michael Sheen and musician Michael Franti.  On Tuesday, Craig talks with actor Dj Qualls and author Salman Rushdie.  On Wednesday, legendary TV host Regis Philbin is on the show, along with comedian Greg Proops and actress/singer Nellie McKay.  On Thursday, Craig’s guests are comedian Cedric the Entertainer and singer Norah Jones.  And on Friday, it’s the long-awaited return of actor Ewan McGregor, plus actress Shannon Woodward.

Still eating turkey leftovers?  Yup, us too. Since it’s a holiday weekend, we thought we’d dig back in the archives for some interesting items you may be seeing for the first time.

Back in 2007, the Saint Petersburg Times did a long profile of Craig, talking about his path to the Late Late Show.  We recently stumbled across a reprint of the article in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer‘s website.

The online publication Gothamist in New York City profiled Craig in 2007, digging deeper into his early years.

Here’s a hidden gem.  The audio is a little rough but you’ll be able to enjoy Craig appearing on Late Night with Conan O’Brien in 2001 to promote the movie “Born Romantic”. Our apologies for the ads before or during the clip.

Video courtesy: lafco2006i

Craig reached his 500th tweet on Friday, after joining Twitter on February 8th, 2010.

Saturday, November 27th is the birthday of musician Jimmy Hendrix.  Appropriately, it is also International Aura Awareness Day.  In honor of Jimmy, our aura has a sort of purplish tinge to it today.  And Sunday, November 28th is Independence Day in Albania and Mauritania and it’s Republic Day in Chad.  It’s also the first Sunday of Advent.  What will be behind door number one on your Advent calendar come Wednesday?

Is your holiday shopping done yet?  Nope, ours isn’t either.  But there are still quite a few shopping days left before Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Day or any other holiday you’re celebrating in the next several weeks.  Craig is enjoying some post-holiday relaxation and took a photo from a unique vantage point:  http://yfrog.com/j6ufw0j Hollywood from behind the facade. #walkingofffthegravy The sign was originally built in 1923 to advertise the housing development that formed the core of the new community, and was completely rebuilt thanks to some generous donors.  The fascinating story behind it is explained in its Wikipedia entry.

The folks at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, CA are wondering if any roboskellies are planning to attend Craig’s show: @FantasySprings Any #RSA members planning on attending @CraigyFerg on 12/3? We’re wondering that ourselves.  Let us know… we enjoy seeing your photos and hearing your stories.

As for pictures, there were plenty taken at Craig’s recent shows in Nashville, as well as video outside the theater.  The RSA’s @Colleen_Byrne took a bunch of pictures of Craig on stage and had her video camera running to capture the arrival of @Fergybot4000 and his creator, @tzankoff. If you haven’t seen the Fergybot in action, here’s a small taste.

Video courtesy: ceebeedubya

Lewis Black’s History Channel special from 2009 featuring several comedians including Craig, is now available on DVD.  The reviewer for the Cleveland Plain Dealer didn’t like the format of the show but included it on a list of holiday offerings.

The Wisconsin State Journal in Madison talks about Conan O’Brien’s new show and describes Craig’s role among late night hosts in a few words.

On Friday’s Late Late Show, enjoy an encore presentation of the November 5th show, featuring actress/singer Juliette Lewis and a great conversation with philosopher Cornel West.  New episodes return Monday.