‘Join Or Die’ Promotion Ramps Up
With the History Channel planning to debut Craig Ferguson‘s Join Or Die on Thursday, February 18th at 11pm ET, they’re ramping up the promotion and making sure as many people as possible know about the new show. It’s been getting some media coverage, in places like Yahoo’s TV column, which highlighted some of the images being used promote the show, and the website WhatChaReading.com, which hopes the show is here to stay.

One of the executive producers of Join Or Die is Phil Cottone, who some longtime Craig fans may remember as one of Craig’s early tour managers. Phil says he remembers several times when, while riding the tour bus and watching DVDs, something would spark a thought and Craig would tell a story related to American history that he had come across. He told us Late Late Show fans should watch the show’s credits, where they’ll see familiar names like Joseph Bolter (one half of Secretariat) and Bob Oschack among the writers. And he added that the History Channel is excited about the show, and has proven it not only by promoting it, but by placing it on the schedule on Thursday nights right after Vikings, one of the network’s biggest hit shows.

Where To See and Hear Craig

Craig will be promoting the premiere of Join Or Die in many places the next couple of weeks. So far, we’ve heard he’ll have these appearances:

Thu Feb 11 2pm ET Twitter chat @CraigyFerg
Mon Feb 15 12:05pm ET The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
(Show will air a half hour late due to the Grammys telecast)
Tue Feb 16 10am ET Today on NBC
Tue Feb 16 1pm ET “Ask Me Anything” on Reddit.com
Tue Feb 16 11pm ET Watch What Happens Live on Bravo
Tue Feb 16 Time TBA The Nerdist Podcast
Thu Feb 18 1pm ET The Chew on ABC (see local listings for time in your area)
Thu Feb 18 11pm ET Join Or Die debuts on the History Channel
Thu Feb 23 12am ET @Midnight with Chris Hardwick
Date TBA 2pm ET Larry King Now on Ora.tv

We’ll update this list as we hear about more appearances. Thanks to the RSA’s @bgrhubarb for scanning the googly-webs, looking for Craig to pop up!

Louis CK Wins Grammy
Comedian Louis CK won the Grammy award for Best Comedy Album at Monday’s ceremony in Los Angeles. Craig was nominated for his comedy special Just Being Honest, his third nomination in five years.

Capaldi Highlights Refugee Crisis
Craig recently tweeted a link to the United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees, which features his longtime friend Peter Capaldi, who has been traveling in Jordan, highlighting the Syrian refugee crisis.

Corden to Host Tonys
James Corden, host of The Late Late Show, has been announced as the host of this year’s Tony Awards, recognizing the year’s best work on Broadway. Corden himself is a Tony winner, for his 2012 turn in One Man, Two Guvnors, and he has hosted the BRIT Awards (the British equivalent of the Grammy Awards) five times.

‘Join Or Die’
The History Channel’s Join Or Die page gives us a look inside the show and what we can expect.

Video courtesy: History

‘Name Game’ Needs Players
New episodes of Celebrity Name Game started airing this week, and the show is getting ready to tape more shows soon. If you’d like to be a contestant on the show, you can go to celebnamegame.com and click on “auditions.”

A Great Day for Comedy
The website TheInterrobang.com recently interviewed Brian Volk-Weiss, President of Comedy Dynamics and one of the executive producers of Craig’s new History Channel show Join Or Die. He talks about how stand up comedy and comedy clubs are seeing a resurgence, the growth of comedy specials (his company distributed Craig’s most recent special Just Being Honest) comics he likes and other trends in the business.

‘Who’ Trivia
During episodes of Doctor Who on BBC America, the channel will sometimes pop up bits of trivia about the show and its cast. As the RSA’s @Superwholock96 spotted over the weekend, one mentioned Craig. Click on the image to enlarge.

Craig and Larry
In case you missed it, Craig had a great back-and-forth with Larry King on Twitter. Craig noticed that Larry was getting ready to tweet some of his famous “King’s Things,” and came up with some great responses to each one. Here’s the full exchange.

RIP Sir Terry
Legendary UK broadcaster Sir Terry Wogan died over the weekend at the age of 77. If you’ve listened to British radio or watched British television in the past five decades, you know Wogan’s face was friendly and familiar, and his warm Irish voice unmistakable. In addition to being the longtime host of “The Breakfast Show” and later “Wake Up to Wogan” on BBC Radio 2, he hosted TV game shows, talk shows and worked on countless other programs.

He was the host for many years of the Eurovision Song Contest, a precursor to all of the ‘Idol’ and ‘Got Talent’ shows. In it, each country enters a song and performs it on the three-hour show, and people from across the continent vote on their favorite. Past winners include well-known groups like ABBA, and in 1974, the song entered by Portugal was used as the signal to start a revolution in the country. At times parodied and known for creating cross-border rivalries, the show nonetheless routinely draws millions of viewers. He also for many years held the record for the longest televised putt in golf, sunk in 1981 and surpassed only in 2012 by Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps.

However, perhaps Wogan’s greatest legacy is as host of the BBC telethon Children In Need, which raises money for disabled and disadvantaged children. Each year, BBC One runs a series of special programs from early evening until 2am, along with celebrities narrating personal stories of those who have been helped by the charity. Begun in 1980, the telethon has raised a staggering 850 million dollars to help children across the UK. A charming, witty and generous man, he will be sorely missed.

You Thought He Was History
The newest promo for Craig’s upcoming show Join Or Die on the History Channel is pretty epic. Take a look:

Video courtesy: History

Billboard Power
The History Channel is going into high gear to promote Craig Ferguson‘s new show Join Or Die, which premieres on Thursday, February 18 at 11pm ET. Promotional messages are airing frequently on the History Channel and its sister networks, A&E, H2 and Lifetime. And as Craig spotted while driving the other day, billboards promoting the show are popping up:

Spotted billboard for @JoinOrDieHIST whilst driving on Sunset Blvd. I took this selfie with my leg. Thanks @HISTORY

Craig fan @MGoKirby spotted another billboard promoting the show on Houston Street in New York.

All 22 ordered episodes have now been recorded and are being edited. Watch for Craig to appear on the talk show circuit in the coming weeks, talking about what we can expect on the new show.

A Wink From Wink
Even legendary game show host Wink Martindale congratulated Craig when Celebrity Name Game was renewed for a third season last week. (Thanks to the RSA’s @bgrhubarb for spotting the tweet.)

@CraigFerguson game show #CelebNameGame is renewed for a 3rd season. Keeps the show on thru the 2016-17 season. KUDOS to a funny guy!

Folkmanis Puppets Creator Passes Away
Judy Folkmanis, founder of the company that supplied most of the puppets seen during Craig’s run on The Late Late Show has died at the age of 74. As this obituary from SFGate.com explains, Folkmanis started making puppets to supplement her income, and turned her skill of creating high-quality puppets into a thriving business.

Doctor Who Update
Changes are coming to the Doctor Who franchise, reports Variety. Current show runner and executive producer Steven Moffat will depart the show at the conclusion of its new season. The only episode in 2016 will be a Christmas special. The rest of the season, consisting of 12 episodes, will air in 2017. Starting in the spring of 2018, Broadchurch and Torchwood writer Chris Chibnall will take over as show runner. The current Doctor, Peter Capaldi had previously asked to take a significant portion of 2016 off to work on other projects. So far, it’s unclear if the Doctor’s new companion will appear in the Christmas special or later in the new season.

Tour Update
As we reported last week, due to changes in Craig’s television recording schedule, his stand up shows originally scheduled in Medford, Oregon; Seattle, Washington and Eugene, Oregon on March 17, 19 and 20 have been canceled. Tickets will be refunded in those three locations. A show previously scheduled for December 13 and then March 18 in Bellingham, Washington has been moved up to Sunday, March 6. All previously sold tickets will be honored on that date. See the full listings on our Live Comedy Tour page.

Friends of Friends
If you were a huge fan of the TV show Friends, and you got to be a contestant on Celebrity Name Game, who would you want to be your celebrity partner? Maybe one of the executive producers of the game show? You might want to think twice.

Video courtesy: Celebrity Name Game

Update: Due to changes in Craig’s television recording schedule, his stand up shows originally scheduled in Medford, Oregon; Seattle, Washington and Eugene, Oregon on March 17, 19 and 20 have been canceled. Tickets will be refunded in those three locations. Some venues are mailing refund checks, others will reimburse the credit card used to pay for the tickets. Those who paid cash can bring their tickets to the box office for a refund. If you have questions about refunds, please contact the venue.

A show previously scheduled for March 18 in Bellingham, Washington has been postponed. We have been told the venue is attempting to reschedule the show for a later date. As soon as we get word, we’ll update the information on our Live Comedy Tour page.

‘Name Game’ Renewed For Third Season
As we predicted more than a month ago, Craig Ferguson‘s successful game show Celebrity Name Game has been renewed for a third season. The official announcement came this week at the National Association of Television Program Executives conference in Miami. The news was reported by the trade publications Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline.com and others. Craig won an Emmy for his work on the show, and it has been performing well in the ratings, making it an easy decision for some key groups of local television stations to continue with the show. Craig still has about 80 episodes of season two to record, and now he’ll add 180 more for the third season. Taping is currently on hiatus, but we expect schedules to be posted soon.

Forward March
Canadian comedian Mark Forward will be back at the microphone, opening for Craig at all seven tour stops in March. He recently posted the dates on his Facebook page. Thanks to the RSA’s @bgrhubarb for spotting it! You can see all of the dates on our Live Comedy Tour page.

‘A Little More Heft’
The media who follow television are already buzzing about Craig’s upcoming new show Join Or Die on the History Channel, which debuts Thursday, February 18 at 11pm ET. In TV Guide, Craig said while he enjoyed hosting the Late Late Show, he wanted to do something with “a little more heft.” He also said nice things about current Late Late Show host James Corden. To read the interview, click on the image to enlarge it. Craig has recorded 20 of the 22 episodes ordered by the channel, so two more taping dates will be scheduled soon.

Corden Has Fun
The UK’s New Magazine did a short interview with Corden this past week, who says he can’t believe he’s getting paid to do such a fun job.

Craigy Goodness
The RSA’s @dorindaletitbe recently reminded us about a poll a few years ago that proclaimed Craig to be the late night talk show host most people would want to sleep with. Craig’s reaction to the poll was funny and fantastic:

Video courtesy: Fergufool

‘Join Or Die’ Excitement Builds
With the History Channel’s announcement that Craig Ferguson‘s new show Join Or Die will begin airing on Thursday, February 18th at 11pm ET, the media attention surrounding the show is building. The website TVline.com reported on Craig’s comments at last week’s Television Critics Association meetings, including some of the celebrity guests (many of whom have appeared o The Late Late Show) due to appear: Judd Apatow, Julie Bowen, Courteney Cox, Jimmy Kimmel, Lisa Kudrow, Joel McHale and more. The website tvseriesfinale.com included the full news release from the channel, and Broadway.com mentioned the news. Look for more news as the premiere date approaches!

‘Name Game’ Due To Return
Just as new episodes of Celebrity Name Game start appearing on your television screens, Broadcasting & Cable is reporting what we told you last month: It looks most likely that the show will return for a third season. The program continues to do well in the demographics advertisers are looking for, and as B&C described it, the show will probably be needed on many stations around the country as the so-called ‘conflict talkers’ (shows like Maury and Jerry Springer) are probably reaching the end of their runs. An official word from the show’s distributors is expected soon.

Bowie Takes a Bow
Craig admired musician David Bowie, and sent out a message on Twitter when he heard the news of Bowie’s passing, saying simply, “Thank you David.” Both CNN and the BBC were among the media outlets reporting on his life and career, and longtime television critic Ken Tucker recalled highlights from many television appearances. Bowie’s final album, Blackstar, and a single called Lazarus were released just days before he died, capturing the imagination of fans, who found new meaning in the lyrics:

Oh I’ll be free
Just like that bluebird
Oh I’ll be free
Ain’t that just like me?

What better and more fitting words could come from an artist who moved millions?

Video courtesy: DavidBowieVEVO

‘Join Or Die’ to Premiere February 18 at 11pm
Craig Ferguson‘s newest television show has found a time slot, and it’s in late-night. The History Channel announced today that Craig’s half-hour round-table show Join Or Die will premiere on Thursday, February 18 at 11pm ET. Check your cable or satellite programming guide for the channel number “in your region.” The channel ordered a full season of 22 episodes. Guests will include Judd Apatow, Jimmy Kimmel, Jack Black, Julie Bowen, Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Jay Leno, Joel McHale, Jason Biggs and Elijah Wood, as reported by Deadline.com. Monsters and Critics also has a story on the new show.

Deadline.com also reported on Craig’s appearance at the Television Critics Association meetings on Wednesday, where he talked about the show and poked fun at the critics.

Our thanks to the RSA’s @bgrhubarb and a phalanx of other skellies for giving us the heads up.

Thunder Bay Show Canceled
Due to a scheduling conflict, Craig’s planned stand up comedy performance in Thunder Bay, Ontario on February 5th has been canceled. And as we reported last month, a scheduled February 6th show in Sudbury has been postponed indefinitely. Ticket holders in Thunder Bay should contact the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium box office, which will offer refunds. At this time, the Sudbury show is still listed as tentative, for a possible future date to be named later. If we hear of any news on when it will be either rescheduled or canceled, we will pass it along. You can see the full schedule of upcoming stand up shows on our Live Comedy Tour page.

Skeletons Ho!
Craig Ferguson kept busy during the holidays, unwinding from his most extensive year of touring ever and getting ready for some big projects in 2016, including more tour dates across North America, more episodes of his popular game show Celebrity Name Game and his new show Join Or Die on the History Channel. We’ve been told the show will debut sometime in mid- to late February but haven’t yet heard a specific day and time from the channel. We’ll pass it along as soon as we know. To build excitement, they released a promo of what we can expect. If you were a fan of Craig’s approach to hosting The Late Late Show, the promo may have a familiar ring to it.

Celebs and experts sit down to discuss history with @CraigyFerg. Things will get interesting. Will you #JoinOrDie? amp.twimg.com/v/7a6e…

— Join Or Die (@JoinOrDieHIST) December 29, 2015

Bang Your Drum
Craig spent some time in Scotland, where he made an appearance on stage in Glasgow with the band Dead Man Fall, from whom he borrowed the closing number to The Late Late Show in 2014. Craig tweeted:

Got my present early – banging a drum with @deadmanfall1 at @OranMorGlasgow last night. Merry Christmas! #LeTitsNow

The RSA’s well-traveled @LearBeer was there and got some great pictures. Her one-word review: “Awesome!!!”

Chatting With Rachel
Craig appeared (through the magic of recorded television) on the Rachel Ray show over the break, talking about his family and more.

Hospital Help
As we reported in an update to our most recent post, Craig and his family are being honored for a generous donation to the ARCHIE Foundation, official charity of the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital. The hospital is renaming its high dependency unit the Ferguson Critical Care Unit in the family’s honor.

Capaldi’s Plans
Craig’s longtime friend Peter Capaldi has enjoyed two seasons as the Doctor in Doctor Who, but tells the Telegraph (via the Nerdist) that the upcoming season may be his last with the show. The most recent actors to play the Doctor each spent three years in the title role. As we reported previously, Capaldi wants more time to devote to other projects, including a film he’s directing about Dreamboys, the punk band he fronted in the 1980s with Craig on the drums.

Emmys Speech
The RSA’s @whyterose713 spotted a post from The Blog is Right, which included the best game show moments of 2015. Craig turned up at number seven, with his heartfelt acceptance speech at the daytime Emmys.

Maybe This Time
In his Emmy acceptance speech, Craig thanked Betty White for helping him to get his start in American television. It was on the sitcom Maybe This Time. Here’s the first episode of the series:

Video courtesy: DavEvans066