Monthly Archives: February 2012

Director Departs

The only director the Late Late Show has ever had is leaving the show. Brian McAloon has spent 30 years in network television, working as associate director for the Late Show with David Letterman and then as director for the Late Late Show in Los Angeles starting in 1995 with hosts Tom Snyder, Craig Kilborn and Craig Ferguson.


For those not familiar with the staffing of television programs behind the scenes, the director is the person who plans and directs all of the camera, sound, lighting and other technical cues from the control room during the program. The director is responsible for the “look” of the show on the air during taping. For example, every time you see switching from one camera to another during the show, McAloon is the one who gave the order to make the switch, to turn microphones on and off, to roll video tape, to cue graphics and much more… countless times for more than 3400 episodes over 17 years. Congratulations to Brian for his dedicated service to making great television. The website deadline.com was first to report the news.

Advice for Spammers
Remember when you were a kid jumping up and down in the store, asking your parent for a toy or a piece of candy… and the more you asked for it, the more determined they became not to give it to you? Sometimes that’s how it works, as Craig Ferguson reminded some overzealous fans on Tuesday:

“ we want an interview with the Latin singer @DulceMaria” I have no idea who this woman is but her spamming fans have made me hate her.

He is referring to the flood of requests from the actress and singer‘s fans, who have been relentlessly sending out an avalanche of similar tweets for weeks, despite friendly advice to ease up a bit.  It’s one thing to make a suggestion.  It’s another to have a small army of people flood a timeline with the same thing day after day.

One of the great things about Twitter is that it provides fans with a reasonably direct line to communicate with celebrities.  Sometimes, a well thought-out idea, funny observation or thoughtful suggestion actually makes it through the clutter and gets rewarded with a re-tweet, a response or an action.  But when it goes over the top and becomes the clutter, you’ll only be shooting yourself in the foot.  It’s further proof that Craig reads his timeline, avoids negative people and tries to respond reasonably until someone crosses the line.  As fans, we would do well to return the favor of taking a reasonable approach.

Bill Maher Headlines New Yahoo Channel

Yahoo is launching a new online comedy channel, which will feature video clips of comedians as well as special live events.  As Digital Media Wire reports, the first live event will be this Thursday, featuring LLS guest Bill Maher.


The Flow of The River
The Los Angeles Times reviews The River, which debuted Tuesday evening and stars LLS guest Eloise Mumford.

Flying Dragons in Person
Dreamworks is launching a live arena show based on How To Train Your Dragon, which will feature “life size” dragons. Check out the trailer for show, followed by a behind the scenes look at an early test of a flying dragon used in the show.

Video courtesy: ShowBizIntl

Video courtesy: Herald Sun

Tonight’s Guests
Tuesday on the Late Late Show, TV host and comedian Bill Maher is on the show, along with actress Eloise Mumford.  On Wednesday, Craig welcomes reality TV personality Carson Kressley and author Anne Rice.

Stirring Things Up
Craig Ferguson isn’t afraid to stir things up on Twitter.  He awoke an avalanche comments on Sunday evening when he tweeted:

Hellboy > XMen There I said it Let the chips fall as they may.

He is referring to the comic book heroes Hellboy and the X-Men, both of which have become the subjects of feature films and legions of admiring fans.  But Craig’s “let the chips fall as they may” sentiment quickly crumbled in the storm of Twitter replies, prompting him to tweet:

The rage that my Hellboy/XMen tweet generated has taught me we are a nation divided. Let’s all just agree Nazis are ghastly.#calmthefuckdown

Sensing the absurdity of it all, he followed up by tweeting:

While we’re at it. The Grey Poupon commercial > Downton Abbey. #gettingpeopleallriledupoverbullshit

Actor Patton Oswalt, right in the midst of watching the season finale of Downton Abbey on PBS and live tweeting about it, took mock umbrage and sparked a funny exchange:
[stextbox id=”custom”]
Oswalt:  Meet me at dawn at Lake Hollywood. Pistols. #DowntonPBS

Ferguson:  @pattonoswalt ok. But only call me “Pistols” when we are alone. Xxx

Oswalt:  @CraigyFerg I…can’t…stay…mad at you, you brilliant, glittering Scotsman. #DowntonPBS

Ferguson:  @pattonoswalt Let’s have a #downtonabbey cosplay night. I want to be the sexy dead Turkish dude from season 1 #probablydowagercountessthough

Oswalt:  @CraigyFerg Just polled the room and WE ALL WANT THAT, TOO. NOW. #DowntonAbbeycosplay #DowntonPBS

Ferguson:  @pattonoswalt Even better. A #downtonabbey flashmob in an IHOP.

Oswalt:  That is diabolical and gorgeous. #DowntonPBS

Ferguson:  Ok. @pattonoswalt & everyone else. Await further instructions for #downtonabbey IHOP flashmob. Look for hashtag #classypancakes. #notreally.
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We can easily imagine a Downton Abbey-themed cosplay popping up somewhere, if not in an IHOP, at least in a hotel ballroom somewhere. Let’s hope that the deluge of comic book replies won’t dissuade our fearless leader from stirring things up on Twitter in the future.

Jayma Wins Poll
In a recent poll by Broadway.com asking fans to name their favorite character on the Fox show Glee, LLS guest Jayma Mays came out on top for her role as guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury.

Cousteau in Savannah

LLS guest Jean Michel Cousteau will be in Savannah, Georgia this fall, as the keynote speaker at the Gray’s Reef Ocean Film Festival.




Need Some Celeb News?
When it’s time for celebrity news, it can only mean one thing: An episode of Access Extratainment Tonight!

Video courtesy: RoQu3tO

Tonight’s Guests
Monday on the Late Late Show, Craig welcomes back actress Jayma Mays and explorer Jean Michel Cousteau.  Tuesday, Craig talks with TV host and comedian Bill Maher and actress Eloise Mumford.

Get Those Tickets
Most of the venues for Craig Ferguson‘s April west coast tour now have tickets on sale. Tickets for Portland go on sale Wednesday and for San Luis Obispo on Friday. We’re still waiting to hear from Tucson. We’re seeing tweets from hobos getting great seats, so be sure to book early to avoid disappointment! As always, you can find the latest details about dates, times and tickets on our Live Comedy Tour page. Want to post a link about Craig tickets to your Twitter or Facebook friends? The link is http://rsanews.com/live-comedy-tour or http://bit.ly/CraigTour for short.

Praise for Craig

OK! Magazine senior copy editor Joe Diliberto writes a personal blog where he comments on pop culture and entertainment. Recently, he wrote a post about why he believes Craig Ferguson is the best late night host.


Viking Lore
In 2010, the Wall Street Journal profiled Craig as the movie How To Train Your Dragon was about to hit theaters featuring his voice as Gobber the Belch.

Do It Yourself
Need a late winter project to keep you busy on the weekends? How about building your own TARDIS?

Video courtesy: sillyaparrowness

Tonight’s Guests

Eloise Mumford

It’s another week of all-new episodes of the Late Late Show, beginning Monday with actress Jayma Mays and explorer Jean Michel Cousteau.  Tuesday, comedian Bill Maher returns to the show, along with actress Eloise Mumford.  Wednesday, it’s the always fashionable Carson Kressley and author Anne Rice.  Actress Malin Akerman and author Jon Ronson will be in the studio on Thursday.  And on Friday, Craig welcomes filmmaker John Waters and actress Jennifer Carpenter.

An Important Day
For Craig Ferguson, the 18th of February, 1992 will always be an important day, as he tweeted:

I’m 20 years clean and sober today. You’re welcome law enforcement agencies.

Congratulations, Craig. Your willingness to speak openly, frankly and honestly about your life’s journey inspires countless numbers of people and will continue for many years to come.

Killer Ducks
While promoting his autobiography American On Purpose, Craig told Time Magazine about some of his experiences before getting sober.

Road Trip

Also in 2009, Craig told Men’s Journal about a road trip he took that only a short time before, he never would have tried.


Recounted for Radio
Craig spent a half-hour with National Public Radio in 2009, covering a wide range of issues including his sobriety.


This Weekend’s Birthdays
Saturday, February 18th marks the birthday of actor John Travolta, Wheel of Fortune‘s Vanna White and actress Molly Ringwald. Sunday, February 19th is the birthday of actor Jeff Daniels, actress Justine Bateman and singer Smokey Robinson. Here is a look at Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, singing of of their biggest hits:

Video courtesy: TheSoulKings

Waiting for Tucson
Craig Ferguson‘s April stand up tour begins in Tucson, AZ but so far, the Casino Del Sol is the only stop on the spring tour that hasn’t given us an indication of when tickets for the show will go on sale.  The Wild Horse Pass Casino in Chandler, AZ announced late Thursday night that tickets for the April 2oth show would go on sale Friday at noon.  And tickets for San Diego and Snoqualmie, WA (near Seattle) go on sale Saturday, followed by Portland and San Luis Obispo next week.  You can find dates, times and ticket links for all of Craig’s shows on our Live Comedy Tour page, updated as soon as we hear new information.

Sophia Bush
The trade newspaper Variety reports that actress and frequent LLS guest Sophia Bush has a new gig on CBS:

[stextbox id=”custom”]Bush makes ‘Partners’ for CBS
‘One Tree Hill’ actress cast as female lead
By Jon Weisman

Sophia Bush has been cast in as the female lead in CBS comedy pilot “Partners,” from David Kohan and Max Mutchnick.

Bush, a longtime regular on the CW’s “One Tree Hill,” will play Ali, girlfriend of one of the show’s two male architects whose relationship itself resembles a marriage.

Her other credits include “John Tucker Must Die” and a recurring role on “Nip/Tuck.”

Kohan and Mutchnick, best-known for co-creating and exec producing “Will & Grace,” most recently shepherded “Bleep My Dad Says” for CBS. KoMut Entertainment is producing “Partners” in association with Warner Bros. TV.
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Craig Takes a Tour
The RSA’s @VictoriaMIbanez passed along a photo from a friend who she says worked with Craig in his theater days.  It shows Craig visiting the Imperial War Museum in London, probably in the early 1990’s.

Rather Late
It’s time for another episode of The Rather Late Programme with Prince Charles, plus a bonus tip from Tim Gunn (Tim Gunn).

Video courtesy: RoQu3tO

Tonight’s Guests

Friday on the Late Late Show, Craig welcomes actor Simon Helberg and comedienne Margaret Cho.  Simon tweeted:

Things get real tonight with me and @CraigyFerg. Watch it! If you can. I didn’t mean to yell at you.

And CBS added:

2nite @CraigyFerg shares parenting wisdom w/ dad-2-be @simonhelberg f/ @BigBang_CBS & @margaretcho shares new ink on #LateLateShow 12:37am!

Update: Tickets for Craig’s show in Chandler, AZ near Phoenix on April 20th are on sale now. Follow the link on our Live Comedy Tour page to reach the casino website.

Ticket Update
Tickets for Craig Ferguson‘s live stand up comedy tour of the west coast are slowly coming online. As of Friday, tickets are already on sale for Napa, CA and Medford, OR. Tickets go on sale Saturday for both San Diego, CA and Snoqualmie, WA near Seattle.  On Wednesday, tickets will be available for both shows in Portland, OR and on Friday the 24th, tickets go on sale for San Luis Obispo, CA (thanks to the RSA’s @bgrhubarb for the heads up). We still have not heard about an on-sale date for Tucson, AZ but we’ll pass along details as soon as we know. You can always find the most up-to-date information on our Live Comedy Tour page. Meanwhile, Craig is feeling a little under the weather:

Ack. I have a cold. Phlegm everywhere. Everything I say sounds Welsh.

Food Finds
Craig was out and about in Los Angeles on Wednesday evening, enjoying a good meal.  He tweeted:

I am not related to the Craig of the restaurant @craigsla but I wish I was cause this place is fantastic. #hopetheyseethis&gimmiefreefood

Valentine’s Gift
Along with some swearing in Portuguese and Scottish, Craig had a suggestion for Morena Baccarin when she realized she had not bought a Valentine’s Day gift for her new husband, as the Huffington Post explains.

Downloadable Comedy

The website TechCrunch.com picked up on comedian Jim Gaffigan‘s plan to offer his new comedy special as an online download first, rather than using traditional television outlets.



Supernatural Flight
Upcoming LLS guest Amy Smart plays a passenger on a very strange flight in the thriller 7500.  The Hollywood Reporter has a preview and the trailer.

The Governator and George
What happens when you get Craig Ferguson, Josh Robert Thompson as Arnold Schwarzenegger and George Takai as himself, all in the same room? We’re not quite sure but we think there must be some sort of wrinkle in the space-time continuum.

Video courtesy: RoQu3tO

Tonight’s Guests

Thursday on the Late Late Show, Craig’s guests are actor Jeffrey Tambor and actress Amy Smart.  Actor Simon Helberg is a last-minute addition to Friday’s show and Craig will also welcome comedienne Margaret Cho.




Guest Update

Along with the addition of Simon Helberg to Friday’s show, the confirmed guest listings have been updated through February 29th. You can see the complete listings on our Guests page.

Portland, Oregon Added to Tour!
Craig Ferguson has added two shows in Portland, Oregon for his April west coast tour.  Craig will return to the Aladdin Theater on April 27th for shows at 7pm and 10pm.  Tickets go on sale Wednesday, April 22nd at 2pm ET/11am PT.  A ticket link has also been posted for Craig’s April 28th show in Snoqualmie, WA just east of Seattle. Tickets go on sale Saturday at 3pm ET/Noon PT. As always, you can see the most up-to-date listings for Craig’s in-person performances on our Live Comedy Tour page.

Craig Cheers Online Comedy

Jim Gaffigan

Following in the footsteps of comedian Louis C.K., who back in December offered his latest stand up comedy special online rather than through traditional television outlets, comedian Jim Gaffigan is planning to do the same thing after he tapes a new special later this month. Gaffigan tweeted:

Dear Internet Friends, Inspired by the brilliant Louis CK, I have decided to debut my all-new hour stand-up special … http://say.ly/cjN1qtN

Upon hearing the news, Craig Ferguson was among the first to approve of Gaffigan’s move and encouraged his Twitter followers to check it out:

Hey. Louis CK started a thing. Now @JimGaffigan is doing it. They are bright, funny, smart, good men. I say back them. #myendorsementfor2012

Louis C.K.

As The Hollywood Reporterexplains, the move proved financially successful for Louis C.K., who donated a portion of the proceeds to charity.  Gaffigan plans to do the same. As technology continues to develop and offer new outlets for creative performers of all kinds, keep watching for marketing approaches like these. We could be seeing more of them in the future.

Proposal from Betty
The Huffington Post reports on Betty White’s Valentine’s Day proposal to Craig.

Craig Ferguson, Bard

The website of the CBS-affiliated all-sports radio station in Dallas has a regular feature called “You’re the Man,” in which it highlights people who are great at what they do. This week, the focus of the feature is none other than Craig Ferguson and the writer goes to great lengths to explain what Craig’s fans already know: That Craig is in fact the man.

Arrest This
Upcoming LLS guest Jeffrey Tambor is keeping busy, not only with an acting workshop at this year’s South by Southwest festival in Austin, TX as reported by deadline.com but with a new season and future feature film of Arrested Development. CBS News talks about how the show will be returning, streamed on Netflix in 2013.

Hearing Time
Senator Howell Thurston returns, this time to chair a hearing on the financial crisis.

Video courtesy: RoQu3tO

Tonight’s Guests
Wednesday on the Late Late Show, Craig chats with actor Jon Cryer and actress Morena Baccarin.  Thursday, watch for actor Jeffrey Tambor and actress Amy Smart.