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Merry wee hours: Scotland's funny son takes his show home

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Author: 
Sheila Busteed / TV Media
Mila Kunis and Craig Ferguson visit Scotland to tape several episodes of "The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson"

Mila Kunis and Craig Ferguson visit Scotland to tape several episodes of "The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson"

MERRY WEE HOURS: Craig Ferguson is heading home to the land of haggis, bagpipes, tartans and single malts, and he's taking his show with him.

Ferguson was born in Scotland and came to the U.S. in 1994, but he didn't become an American citizen until 2008. This week, he will take "The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson" on the road for the second time in his tenure to give viewers a taste of his homeland.

Starting Monday, May 14, and lasting through to the end of the workweek, CBS will air the special Scottish episodes, which will feature celebrity guests and interviews with some of the locals.

"With the statute of limitations expiring, it seemed like a great time to go back," joked Ferguson when discussing the show's trip.

Ferguson and his crew took the show abroad for the first time last year to film a week's worth of episodes in Paris, which aired in August 2011. This collection was appropriately referred to as "Le Late Late Show Avec Craig Ferguson." For the new trip, the show title isn't being translated -- just simply adjusted to "The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson in Scotland."

In the Scotland episodes, Ferguson will be joined by actors Mila Kunis, Michael Clarke Duncan and Rashida Jones, among other celebrity guests. They will also include a concert series featuring Glasgow-based rock band The Imagineers.

While Ferguson is proud to be an American -- the show even aired his swearing-in ceremony -- he is still closely tied to his roots. On the show, he's done a running gag with guests that involves getting them to touch some haggis that's inside a piece of "Doctor Who" memorabilia on his desk. So it wouldn't be a stretch to expect Ferguson to engage in multiple Scotland-themed gags while the show films overseas.

 

A CUT ABOVE: There is a drastic difference between motorcycle clubs and biker gangs, and Discovery is determined to challenge stereotypes about people who ride hogs.

On Tuesday, May 8, the road trip begins as "The Devils Ride" offers an inside look at the San Diego-based motorcycle club Laffing Devils. The group's name in and of itself conjures images of bearded hooligans covered in tattoos, but this is not the case. The group's president, Gipsy, is a former Marine who served in Iraq and is now in charge of striking a balance between managing the club's expanding roster and keeping some of the older members happy, who would rather see the club stay the same.

Gipsy's vice president, Billy the Kid, is both an ally and a rival since he's hoping to take over the club some day soon. But they have to remain united for now because the club's home is at risk. The group's current headquarters is in an auto body shop, which is owned by fellow member Hawkster, but pressure from the local police could force them to move. Worried about the extra costs, Gipsy decides that the Devils should do some security work, but this new job holds its own risks.

Cameras will also focus on one of the club's most unlikely members, a young man called Snubz, who has a degree in finance and works in a corporate office. Viewers will get to see how he fits in with the other riders.

Initiations given to pledging riders also reveal how new members must earn their patches, as well as the kinds of values the club openly promotes and opposes.

 

IN YOUR ELEMENT: The one big drawback of cooking shows is that so much work has to be crammed into short time-slots, making it impossible to cook along with the host chef -- as if learning a new recipe weren't enough of a challenge.

Bravo has come up with a brilliant solution that removes the television barrier and puts the chefs in viewers' neighborhoods. For the last four years, it has been sending its most renowned foodies on the road for a tour that allows fans to interact with them and learn the lessons hand to mouth, so to speak. Later this month, the next round of the annual "Top Chef" Tour will begin and will visit 15 cities over a six-week period.

This year's tour will kick off on Thursday, May 17, in Charlotte, N.C., and wrap on Saturday, June 30, in St. Louis. A full list of the tour's destinations and other details are available at bravotv.com/thetour. Tickets are free to the events, which will take place at farmers' markets, malls and food festivals, but they are only available in a limited quantity for each destination.

"The 'Top Chef' Tour allows our passionate and engaged Bravo fans the chance to be up close and personal with one of their favorite shows," said Bravo's Ellen Stone. "We provide a hands-on experience that takes them one step closer to being part of the show."

This year's tour will feature an interactive competition between two of the show's former contestants that will be judged by a special panel of local foodies and audience members.

There will also be meet-and-greet opportunities, food-themed games and activities, plus a "Top Chef" merchandise station. Visitors will even have a chance to taste the food made by their favorite cooking stars.