Snatched from the Time Vortex

A couple of weeks ago, Craig Ferguson devoted his entire Late Late Show to Doctor Who -- to the point of doing one of his "cold open" dance numbers at the top of the show to lyrics the show put together for the Doctor Who theme.

And then, at much later than the last minute, found out that they didn't actually have the music rights to broadcast the theme. They had performed it for the studio audience, but couldn't broadcast it. So the group of them just stood there in their odd costumes and talked about the cold open, and why they couldn't do it.

But thanks to the awesome power of the Internet (and at least one person -- probably more -- on Craig's staff wanting this to see the light of day), we can see the Lost Craig Ferguson Doctor Who Tribute. And for fans of CraigyFerg, all your favorites appear.

And then some. Enjoy!

Rob

One of Us! One of Us!

Just saw an interview with Donald Glover from the other night's Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Glover plays Troy on Community, the warm and  funny lead-off show to NBC's Thursday night comedies.

(As an aside, how did sitcoms get good again? In the 90s, they had nothing for me. Seinfeld was good, but I'd only catch is sporadically, and everything else bored my socks off. Then came Arrested Development, and things started turning around, and now I can almost always find a really great ensemble comedy to watch. Even things I had zero to no expectations for (I'm looking at you, Cougar Town) are much better than I could have ever expected.)

Anyway, Glover was on the Late Show, and he expressed an interest in magic. He mentioned that he didn't see any magicians as a kid, since he grew up as a Jehovah's Witness -- but he wasn't one anymore, so now he was digging the magic shows.

Craig is fascinated by this, and he asks: "So you're a rogue Jehovah's Witness?"

And Glover responds, "No, I'm not a 'rogue' Jehovah's Witness; I'm not hiding in shadows or anything."

And with those words, Donald Glover revealed himself to be a D&D geek. No hiding in shadows, Donald? How about sleight of hand? Sneak attack?

You just failed your save vs. geekdom, Donald. We're glad to have you!

Rob

Stop Your Parents' Car...I Just Saw a Shooting Star

One of my favorite bands, The Avett Brothers, was on one of my favorite talk shows the other night. They performed "Laundry Room," and did a real nice job of it, I think.

So give it a listen, while I ponder why a newly 40-year-old dude responds so strongly to a song so young.

Rob
I am a breathing time machine.

What Did We Learn On The Show Tonight, Rob?

(Meow)

Today I learned that, while I prefer to write prose on my computer, I really need to do a first draft of comics on notebook paper. Otherwise the script formatting just gets in the way of the creative flow of energy, and I might never have found that rabbit when I needed him.

Someday soon I hope you'll all know what I mean by that.

Rob

One Reason To Stay Up Late Late

I don't have video yet of what Craig Ferguson said last night—but here's a great show opener from the night before. He'll never get the acclaim that Johnny Carson got—no one ever will—but Ferguson has a style that reminds me more of Carson than anyone else in late-night. It's not so apparent in the video below—while there's usually a Carsonesque warmth to his jokes, he's trying to make a point here, which isn't something I associate with Carson. But Ferguson's monologues are loose and filled with silly asides, and he'll often do sketches during the show, much like Carson did. (He regularly plays Aquaman, Prince Charles and Jessica Fletcher, for example.)

Ferguson tends to treat his guests like friends at a dinner party. Rather than flogging whatever new thing they're selling, he takes the time to talk to them, person to person. He's warm, likable, and fairly gentle with his jokes. He doesn't feel like an overgrown kid, like Conan (or even Dave). He's a grownup, albeit a silly one.

Anyway, all that is an introduction to a clip that really doesn't need an introduction, and lays out another reason Ferguson is a favorite of mine.



Rob

Speechless Today

I don't know what I was looking for today. I didn't want to write about the anniversary. I didn't have anything to say that I hadn't already said, or that others weren't saying. But at the same time, I felt like anything else I could post today would be trivial in comparison.

So I stayed up, and I read for a bit, and I drifted off to sleep on the couch. When I woke up, the TV was switching to The Late Late Show, and Craig Ferguson was explaining that he goes through a similar dilemma. He's a comic and a chat-show host, and while he didn't want to ignore the date, he's also aware that his job is making people smile before they go to bed.

When I watch his show, I'm always reminded that Ferguson is an American. He's a new American--he became a citizen earlier this year--and is obviously proud of it. He begins his monologue every night by saying, "It's a great day for America," moving from there into whatever he wants to talk about. But tonight, he spoke a little about the anniversary, and remembered the victims and heroes of that day. He concluded, "We'll do our show much the same as usual, except that I will say to you what you already know, that this day will never be a great day for America."

And hearing that? Well, I think that's what I was waiting to hear all day.

Rob

One Thing in Palin's Favor

She did award Craig Ferguson honorary citizenship. It was a great day for America.



Rob

I Knew the Answer, But Hadda Look Anyways

In case you were wondering about the shark story Jennifer Love Hewitt told on the Craig Ferguson Show last week...


...totally an urban legend. Using a Worth 1000 photomanip, no less!

Rob
(Giving Craig credit, he smelled the fish story immediately, but was gracious enough to let her finish.)