REVISED and UPDATED – White Powder Scare at Late Late Show
On Tuesday evening, Craig Ferguson sent out a tweet that got the volcano buzzing:

Ack!Someone mailed my show white powder & claimed it was anthrax. I’m not a big fan of that sort of thing. #thanksFBI&LAPD&LAFD&CBSsecurity.

It happened at around three in the afternoon, when an intern at CBS Television City tasked with opening fan mail opened a package.  Interviewed later on the show, the intern said she saw some white powder (which Craig said later appears to have been corn starch) and got some on her shirt.  Taping of the show was delayed while authorities, including the local police and fire departments and the FBI investigated.  Craig talked in detail about the incident on Tuesday’s show.  Authorities say the package contained threats and appeared to come from Europe… on the show, Craig said it came from France.  Authorities say the powder is not dangerous but are testing it to learn more about its origin.

Reports on the incident appeared in the Associated Press, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times , Monsters and Critics, Zap2It.com and E! Online.

Similar scares involving the use of white powder were more common about a decade ago, when several turned up at various government offices and post offices around the country.  A package with what turned out to be talcum powder was sent to Dancing With The Stars last year at CBS Television City, containing threats to contestant Bristol Palin.  In a reassuring way, LLS Producer Michael Naidus tweeted on Tuesday night:

Tonight’s show something special. Enjoy, all.

Craig’s assistant Rebecca Tucker commented:

Finally some office drama that isn’t about Craig’s hair! FYI: The hair is hot. Anthrax scare, not so much. Also hot: LAPD/LAFD. Thanks guys!

And Craig’s sister Lynn Ferguson has a suggestion:

People- when you’re annoyed at stuff try sending a big letter with boo on it. That’s clear enough #Tuesdayyou’retakingthepiss

And CBS promoted that Craig would talk about it on the show:

2nite – @CraigyFerg discusses today’s big scare at the #LateLateShow studio. Plus @TheLewisBlack & @amoslee visit! 12:37am ET/PT

We will continue to monitor reports and update as details are released.

Coverage of Hugh
Hugh Laurie‘s appearance on Monday’s Late Late Show caught the attention of New York Magazine which reported on Hugh’s conversation with Craig about how fun it would be to have John Goodman or other actors fill in as Dr. House.  Also talking about the show was the website Monsters and Critics which caught Hugh’s comment about wearing a lot of makeup on the show.

Television Without Pity Awards
The website TelevisionWithoutPity,com has announced that nominations are open for its annual Tubey Awards.  Among the categories is one for best late night talk show.  Just pop onto the page, check the 9-12 tab under the awards section and cast your vote.




Doc Martin Movies on DVD
As we reported earlier this week, the two “prequel” TV movies to set up the ITV series Doc Martin are now available on DVD and DVDTalk.com has a review.  The character of Doc Martin was created by Craig for his movie Saving Grace.

T-Shirt Signed
The RSA”s @BobbinTheSaget was in the audience for Monday’s taping at CBS Television City and was able to get an autograph on his T-shirt from Craig himself.

Geoff’s Arm
Geoff Peterson‘s arm suffered another setback on Monday, popping loose at the beginning of the show.  Geoff’s voice, Josh Robert Thompson tweeted:

When @GeofftheRobot hurts, I hurt. Kinda like Elliot & E.T., minus the glowing distal phalange. #code

Tonight’s Guests
Tuesday on the Late Late Show, comedian Lewis Black returns, along with singer/songwriter Amos Lee.  On Wednesday, watch for TV host Regis Philbin and actress Vera Farmiga.

Lewis sent a tweet:

With Craig Ferguson after the LLS taping tonight – http://yfrog.com/h4hqd3j

We hope all of our east coast roboskelly friends made it through Tuesday’s earthquake with no ill effects.

Back to Normal
Everyone is excited for Craig Ferguson’s return after a long summer break… even Craig himself, who tweeted:

1st show back after 2 week break. Controversial new hairstyle, weird audience & robot broke during monologue. Fab! It’s like we never left.

And the RSA’s General @malinky2stoatir put it this way:

Hot diggity! It’s a GREAT day for America everybody, yes it surely is! Go outside & sniff the air…U can smell Craig’s essence percolating.

If you missed out on any Craig Ferguson and Late Late Show news over the past couple of weeks, be sure to check out our most recent post, filled with Criagy goodness!

New Live Shows!
Craig’s assistant Rebecca Tucker let us know on Monday afternoon that her boss has added three new live shows to his 2011 tour, including Red Bank, New Jersey as well as both Fort Myers and the Miami area in Florida.  It’s nice to see some new dots on the map!  None of the locations have posted ticket information quite yet but keep an eye on our Live Comedy Tour page.  We’ll update the links as tickets go on sale.

Craig on Arthur in October
One of our Euroskellies tells us that the new season of French comedian Jacques “Arthur” Essbag‘s talk show will begin on October 4th on the Comédie channel, featuring Craig has his guest for interviews and sketches throughout the show.


Fallon on SNL
New York Magazine reports that Jimmy Fallon will host the December 17th episode of Saturday Night Live.  Alec Baldwin will host the season premiere on September 24th and actress Melissa McCarthy from the CBS show Mike and Molly will host the following week’s show.

Josh on Fame
The voice of Geoff Peterson, Josh Robert Thompsonenjoyed a moment in the spotlight:

On red carpet in Hollywood. PR guy to press: “Next we have Josh Thomas. Gay robot from Craig Kilborn show.” #closeenough

Tonight’s Guests
Monday night on the Late Late Show, Craig welcomes back his old show business pal, actor Hugh Laurie and actress Saffron Burrows.  The Late Late Show website lists actor Don Cheadle as the evening’s first guest but we are told that Hugh Laurie was at today’s taping.  Cheadle’s segment was recorded last month, so it will appear sometime soon.  Tuesday, Craig welcomes comedian Lewis Black and singer/songwriter Amos Lee.

Guest Update

Chi McBride

More new guests have been added to the schedule.  Later this week, actor Kal Penn will appear on Thursday instead of actors Kunal Nayyar who will be rescheduled.  Also moving to a future date is actor Jerry Ferrara.  Added to Friday’s list are the Mythbusters Tory Belleci and the twice-bumped comedinne Marina Franklin.   To round out August and get September underway, Craig’s guest will include William Shatner, Chi McBride, Leslie Bibb, Louie Anderson, Kathy Griffin, Leslie Sloane and more.  Check out the complete and updated list on our Guests page.

Farewell to Paris
Craig Ferguson and the Late Late Show spent a remarkable week in Paris, providing viewers with a bewildering array of scenery, stories, guests and fun.  Part travelogue, part history lesson, part philosophical diversion,  romance and all-around silliness, we enjoyed seeing Craig at his best:  Pushing the envelope with a sense of purpose and play.   Giving him the chance to do it all were Executive Producer Peter Lassally, Producer Michael Naidus, on-location Director Jospeh Reitman, voice actor Josh Robert Thompson and the long list of writers, production assistants, technical crews and so many other talented people who worked hard for months to create five hours of outstanding television.  And how about Joseph Bolter and Matthew Kugler who trotted all across the city wearing a Secretariat costume?  It took dozens of people to hundreds of hours to make it happen and they did so brilliantly!

Memories of Craig’s Visit
Thanks to the work of the RSA’s @003lili, @MissGraoully, @SpongyPotato, @Spongybob2, @simonhuet, @ericphilippona, @RudyHellio and more, we had a chance to see what it was like to be around Craig & Company while they put together the week’s shows.  Here is a look back and some of the best pictures from the Late Late Show’s time in the City of Lights:

[ssg-superb-slideshow=3=600=480=7000=500=0=NO]

Inspiration
LLS Producer Micheal Naidus tweeted an inspiring video clip:

Need inspiration to get off the sofa? Here ya go:  youtube.com/watch?v=nSTIuoL6jz8

Let Them Eat Cake
The RSA’s @doxieone1 was at a cake convention and spotted a Moulin Rouge themed cake… a nice touch for the end of Craig’s week in Paris.





Paris Theme Song
The RSA’s General @Malinky2Stoatir has posted the special Paris theme song from the Late Late Show, complete with Craig’s acoustic version of his familiar opening number:

Video courtesy: TVsCraigFerguson

Now that Craig’s Paris adventure has come to an end and he is on vacation for a while, we here at RSA News are going to do the same. Encore presentations (re-runs) of the Late Late Show will be airing August 8th-19th. We’ve posted the available guest lists on our Guests page. The LLS team will be enjoying some well-deserved time off and Craig has no live appearances scheduled until September. Last year when he was on summer break, Craig rarely posted on the tweety box and very little news about the show is expected during the break.  Of course if anything big pops up, we’ll post it here. And when new episodes return on Monday, August 22nd, we’ll be back each day to fill you in on all of the Craigy goodness. Until then, thanks to our many loyal readers, contributors and friends. Enjoy a summer break and au revoir!

Paris Day Five
Thursday’s  show was another winner with Sid avoiding rabbit-eating countries, Craig Ferguson enjoying his favorite bookshop in Paris, sliding on the floors of Versailles with Kristen Bell and a wonderful moment when Craig recalled the night he met his wife Megan for the first time in New York.  Friday’s “Le Late Late Show” will feature a visit with shoe designer Christian Louboutin and Craig at the Moulin Rouge. CBS has some pictures from the stage on its blog:

2Nite #CraigyFergInParis gives the dance performance of his life on #LateLateShow 12:37am. Here’s a sneak peek http://t.co/mFLK5q1!

A Final Day of Pictures
The RSA’s @003lili and @MissGraoully have sent along some final photographs from their week in Paris seeing Craig at work. First from @003lili, it’s Sid and Craig plus views of the city:

And from @MissGraoully, the Cathedral, the team at work and Sid at the River:

Enjoying a Summer Holiday
Craig sent a tweet on Friday:

http://yfrog.com/h7d30tmdj In Hogsmeade with my muggle homies. Where the butterbeer at bitches?

We’re not sure how much wizardry is going on but it’s good to know Craig is enjoying his time off.

Media Coverage
All this week as CBS has aired the episodes of the Late Late Show from Paris, media outlets have been paying attention, including Canada’s National Post, which calls Craig’s exploits with Kristen Bell “total cuteness”.

A Reminder for Canada, eh?
As we reported here a few months ago, Canadians will now have the chance to see The Late Late Show on Global TV beginning Monday, August 22nd at 12:37pm ET/PT.  Craig has been a popular figure in Canada for many years, first appearing as a stand up comedian at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival 24 years ago and performing regularly at venues across the country.  Expect bacon jokes in the monologue.

Tonight’s Show
Friday on “Le Late Late Show avec Craig Ferguson”, Craig wraps up his week in Paris meeting shoe designer Christian Louboutin and performing at the famous Moulin Rouge.

Paris Day Four
Sex shops, the Louvre, strong cheese and racing model boats around a pond with Jean-Michel Cousteau:  If anyone knows how to have incredible fun in Paris, it’s Craig Ferguson.  And that moment on Wednesday’s show when Craig pointed out a padlock on the Pont des Arts bridge that was put there by Alice and Peter Lassally… that is simply television magic.  Thursday’s “Le Late Late Show” will include a look inside the spectacular Palace of Versailles.  Late Late Show Producer Michael Naidus tweeted:

Tonight from Paris: The spectacular Chateau de Versailles … a talk show on a bridge … and Kristen Bell becomes the Queen of France.

CBS even sent a preview clip:

Video courtesy: CBS

Paris Pictures
We have been spoiled this week by the great photography from the RSA’s @003lili and @MissGraoully.  Today’s selection starts with @003lili who watched Craig and Jean-Michel Cousteau race their boats.

And from @MissGraoully, who spotted Lili in the last picture:

Craig Gets More Praise
An article in Thursday’s Kansas City Star about CBS News anchor Scott Pelly briefly mentions Craig and favorable comparisons to talk show host Jack Paar. Impressionist Jim Meskimen‘s video went viral, and he tells Fast Company that Craig gets part of the credit. And the Erie Times-News reprinted an article in which comedienne Paula Poundstone extols the virtues of Craig’s show among the late night competition.

Good Customer Service
Craig may be on the move again, taking to the air. After a few quiet days in Scotland he tweeted Thursday morning:

Hey @British_Airways. Michael McNab-BA customer services guy in Glasgow is the best, most helpful airline employee I’ve ever met. Well done!

British Airways replied:

@CraigyFerg Thanks for your nice comments Craig.

Ring in the Bell
Kristen Bell‘s new series House of Lies will debut January 9 on Showtime, says Entertainment Weekly.

Making a Sidekick
CNN’s blog had a story recently about how the Mythbusters Grant Imahara built Geoff Peterson. Grant tweeted:

Blog on CNN about how I built @GeoffTheRobot by @hankscnn

Who Series 6.2
And because we just can’t resist… check out the trailer for the second half of Doctor Who‘s series 6. Thanks to @doxieone1 for the link.

Video courtesy: BBC America

Tonight’s Show
Thursday on “Le Late Late Show avec Craig Ferguson”, Craig tours the Palace of Versailles with TV presenter/French royalty expert Stéphane Berne and Kristen Bell. On Friday, Craig wraps up his week in Paris, performing at the Moulin Rouge.

Paris Day Three
The magic of Craig Ferguson is often apparent during the shows he hosts from his studio in Los Angeles.  But on the streets of Paris, it is able to take on new and unexpected dimensions, from a whimsical version of Michael Caine “Singing in Rain” to an in-depth discussion of vegetarianism, spiritual belief and the human condition with Eddie Izzard and Kristen Bell on a quiet side street.  We even got to see a properly scary vampire version of Craig exploring a wine cellar on Tuesday. TVGeekArmy.com is the latest website to say it likes the Paris shows and CNN’s Entertainment blog talks about the show.  Wednesday, the whimsy continues, as Craig plays with model boats in a pond while chatting with Jean-Michel Cousteau and ponders the secrets of great cheese.   Late Late Show Producer Michael Naidus tweeted:

Tonight from Paris: Craig learns how to “Dougie” on the Pont des Artes … Jean-Michel Cousteau … and the best cheese shop on the planet.

Craig Around the City
The RSA’s @003lili was able to be relatively close to Craig and his crew as they worked, taking pictures and recording some of the moments that happen during segments and between them.

And the RSA’s @MissGraoully took a sequence of photos of Craig attempting to lead Secretariat to water… ending with a great moment of Craig laughing:

CBS Late Night Programs
At the Television Critics Association conference on Wednesday, CBS President of Entertainment Nina Tassler said there are “no updates” about the futures of David Letterman and Craig Ferguson beyond 2012. Both hosts have contracts that expire in August of 2012, leaving only the upcoming season a certainty. A few months ago when goaded by guest Howard Stern, Letterman did hint that he might be willing to sign for another “couple of years” but the veteran host turns 65 in 2012, leading some to speculate that he might wish to retire. Craig’s contract was not unintentionally set to expire at around the same time as Letterman’s but as Craig has said many times, he feels comfortable in his current time slot, so any speculation beyond that seems unproductive. Toronto.com and TheFutonCritic.com reported on Tassler’s comments and Collider.com has her more complete comment. Meanwhile, a writer for The Hollywood Reporter says Jimmy Kimmel got snubbed by the Emmys and implies that Craig could have received recognition as well.

Better than a Shamwow Commercial
Extending the funny business later at night on CBS, the comedy showcase Comics Unleashed will continue to air after the Late Late Show in several of the country’s largest markets, reports TVNewsCheck.com.

The Backson Song
Have you heard the full version of ‘The Backson Song” from Winnie The Pooh? One of Disney’s European YouTube accounts has posted the song featuring Craig, in anticipation of the film’s release on DVD later this year.




Tonight’s Show
Wednesday on “Le Late Late Show avec Craig Ferguson” from Paris, Craig visits the Louvre, visits with Jean-Michel Cousteau and cheesemaker Marie-Anne Cantin.  On Thursday, Craig and Kristen tour the Palace of Versailles with the help of TV presenter and French royalty expert Stéphane Berne.

The Late Late Show is featured this week on the CBS.com home page. Just look to the third item in the right-hand menu. Thanks to the RSA’s @NancyInTampa for spotting it.