Meet Don Reed, "Tonight Show with Jay Leno" warm-up comic

If you think you have a tough commute, listen to this: every Friday, Don Reed warms up the crowd for "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" in Burbank, and then hops a plane home to the San Francisco Bay Area to perform his acclaimed one-man show, "East 14th: Tales of a Reluctant Player." The autobiographical show has been a huge hit for Reed; after a nine-month run at the Marsh Theater in San Francisco, where it played to sold-out crowds, the Marsh chose "East 14th" to open its brand-new performance space across the bay in Berkeley. It starts a new run tonight (March 5) at 9 PM and is scheduled to play through March 28; you can check the dates and buy tickets here. View some video clips of Don on his web site. And if you want to see him pump up the crowds each weekday before Leno takes the stage, here's the link for "Tonight Show" tickets.

Don was kind enough to take some time out of his busy schedule to chat via email with Talk Show News. I caught the show in San Francisco, and it's hilarious and touching, telling the true story of a boy who lives with his devout, God-fearing mom and stepdad, but is fascinated by his father's exotic life, which is filled with wild parties, beautiful women and crazy characters. Turns out Dad is a pimp, which innocent young Don didn't pick up on: "I thought he was just really into hats." Reed plays every role, displaying amazing skills of mimickry. The East Bay Express newspaper called "East 14th" one of the 10 best shows of 2009, praising the actor's "rubber-band body, elegant disco dance moves, and acute comic timing."

Reed also served as the warm-up guy for "The Jay Leno Show," and followed the host back to "Tonight."

What's it been like working for Leno during the media firestorm that was Late Night Wars 2010?

I was an ad/promo producer at NBC back in '98 to 2000 and had heard Jay was a great guy. He was not my boss. He had no power over my position whatsoever -- and I really, really liked him. Then I started working with him directly as the warmup comedian and found he was even nicer than I'd heard, devoid of ego. I've never worked with anyone in the entire industry with that level of succe$$ and they were that sound and grounded. It truly befuddles me how some of the public got it mixed up and think he had anything whatsoever to do with the circus style that things turned out. But, he's back where he belongs and the show is hotter than ever. He allows me to bolt out on Fridays RIGHT at 5pm in time to make it to the Marsh Berkeley for a 9pm show.

[Incidentally, Reed claims he's only missed his 9 PM Friday curtain time once.]

How did you get the job as Jay's warm-up guy? Is this your first time doing a job like this on a talk show?

It was pretty tough -- a lot, lot, lot, lot, lot, lot of comics would jump off several buildings to get this gig. It's a dreaaam job. It's right in the hot seat of THE biggest stars from film, TV, sports, publishing, music -- you name it. I've been involved in audience warmup for over 2 decades. I've done it for everything from "Girlfriends" to "That 70's Show, " "Frasier" to "Blossom," "Malcolm & Eddie" to "Golden Girls" -- urban shows -- mainstream shows -- I've probably done it. It's a well paid position, but it's waaay harder than it looks. There's an art to it really -- that's why not just any comic can walk up and start doing it. It's a fine mixture of being great -- but really, genuinely making it about the show you're setting up.

Will we ever see you on the air, in a sketch or doing a comedy segment?

There have been a few hints in that direction -- but I'm in no hurry. This, in my mind, is a far better job than really hot road comics have to endure. No matter how famous, they have to switch cities, hotel rooms, planes, taxis and MISS THEIR FAMILIES! If you don't have one -- then awesome. But if you do -- it's heartbreaking. I did the college circuit for 5 years straight -- over 400 colleges -- performed in every state in the country (except North Dakota... hmm?) -- but I wasn't home, ya know. This allows me to do stand-up every single day and stay in town. Presently I ONLY fly to the Bay Area to perform. 45 minutes away. I absolutely, truly love that... well... Until I'm back here and my mother starts trying to tell me what to do.

Have you been able to do "East 14th" in L.A.? Do you think you'll be taking it to other cities after the Marsh run ends?

Yes, the show ran in Los Angeles for 5 months -- got recognition and played Off Broadway the entire summer of 2008. I was just driving this morning thinking, "Maybe I should just do ONE big show in LA a month." One show because LA is a movie-tv show town. It's nowhere near as linked and channeled into the power and magic of theatre like the Bay Area. Not even close.

What's it been like to perform the show in the East Bay?

The Marsh audience is very, very diverse, as are San Francisco and Berkeley. I am seeing a lot more East Bay people though -- simply because it's right there. The laughter is just as loud -- however, the room seats more people, so perhaps it's even louder. Honestly, I'm too locked into the characters to really distinguish the difference. All kinds of people come -- turns out the story of a young teen pressured to be in that ultra strict religion where they knock on your door at 7 o'clock in the morning -- only to move in with his real dad and discover he's a pimp is a universal story. A fish waaaay outta water story.

Samantha Bee's first book due in June

"The Daily Show" correspondent Samantha Bee has been a hilarious presence on the program since 2003, and now she's an author, too: her debut book, I Know I Am, But What Are You?, will be published in June.

According to the publisher, in the book, Bee "opens up for the very first time about her checkered Canadian past. With charming candor, she admits to her Lennie from Of Mice and Men-style love of baby animals, her teenage crime spree as one-half of a car-thieving couple (Bonnie and Clyde in Bermuda shorts and braces), and the fact that strangers seem compelled to show her their genitals. She also details her intriguing career history, which includes stints working in a frame store, at a penis clinic, and as a Japanese anime character in a touring children’s show.

"Samantha delves into all these topics and many more in this thoroughly hilarious, unabashedly frank collection of personal essays. Whether detailing the creepiness that ensues when strangers assume that your mom is your lesbian lover, or recalling her girlhood crush on Jesus (who looked like Kris Kristofferson and sang like Kenny Loggins), Samantha turns the spotlight on her own imperfect yet highly entertaining life as relentlessly as she skewers hapless interview subjects on 'The Daily Show.' She shares her unique point of view on a variety of subjects as wide ranging as her deep affinity for old people, to her hatred of hot ham. It’s all here, in irresistible prose that will leave you in stitches and eager for more."

Bee is, of course, married to fellow correspondent Jason Jones. They have two children, Piper and Fletcher. It was recently announced that Jones will be starring in an ABC sitcom pilot called "How to Be a Better American" -- despite the fact that, like Bee, he's Canadian too.

In case you missed it, here's Sam's interview with Jonah Falcon, the man with the world's largest penis:

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The new "Daily Show" book takes a look at Earth

A report about the coming trade fair Book Expo America contains a bit of a scoop: the first official confirmation of the title of the new book from Jon Stewart and the staff of "The Daily Show." Here it is: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents Earth (The Book): A Visitor’s Guide to the Human Race. (USA Today revealed last fall that Earth [The Book] was the working title.) It is, of course, the sequel to the best-selling America (The Book).

Stewart will be the Master of Ceremonies for the Book and Author Breakfast at Book Expo on May 27, where he will introduce Condoleezza Rice (promoting Extraordinary, Ordinary People: A Memoir of Family), superstar novelist John Grisham, and Mary Roach (Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void). Stewart performed those duties at Book Expo in 2004; the program was shown on C-Span, so hopefully this one will be as well.

Earth (The Book) will be published in the fall. It is now available for pre-order from Amazon.com, in three different formats: hardcover, Kindle and audio book.

David Letterman: Vanity Fair profile on the scandal that "rocked CBS"

Pour yourselves a tall cool one, Talk Show News readers, and set aside some time to read Vanity Fair's new six-page article about David Letterman. The article promises to explore "the explosive triangle—(Stephanie) Birkitt’s ambition, (Joe) Halderman’s bitterness, and Letterman’s self-loathing—that rocked CBS," and pretty much succeeds. It's a juicy read.

Reporter Mark Seal sets the scene with Halderman spotting Letterman, in his "$100,000 electric Tesla sports car," dropping off Birkitt at the home she shared with the "48 Hours Mystery" producer. "From where he stands, [Halderman] can see them 'in the car in a passionate embrace, and the way Joe interpreted it was: We just had hot sex and we’re going to do it again as soon as we possibly can,'" a friend of the producer, Bob Arnot, told Seal. "Now, here’s Letterman in a hundred-thousand-dollar car, and—the ultimate insult—he’s stealing Joe Halderman’s girl!"

The article delves into Halderman's problems -- he was upset about the fact that his ex-wife had moved with their 11-year-old to Colorado, a development that sent him "reeling" -- as well as recapping Letterman's romantic life, from his ill-fated first marriage to his longtime affair with Merrill Markoe and subsequent relationship with Regina Lasko. The always-hilarious Markoe reveals that during the last two years of their relationship, Dave was cheating on her with Lasko. "I, like Tiger Woods’s wife, was under the impression that my flawless Scandinavian supermodel good looks were enough to keep a man at home," quipped Markoe, explaining why she hadn't suspected that Letterman was cheating on her.

Why have so many women been drawn to Dave? "I've come in contact with countless celebrities, and only two emit a tangible, almost magnetic force, an electricity that draws you to them: David Letterman and Bill Clinton," said Madeleine Smithberg, a former Letterman segment producer who went on to co-create "The Daily Show" and Current TV's "Infomania." "I would be in my office with my back to the door. Suddenly, I would notice that the hair on my arms and neck would be standing on end. I’d turn around and there would be Dave, standing in my doorway. The man is electric! I was there for six years. You want to be with him; you want to be close to him. And when you are, you feel good. It’s like you’re basking in the buzz of Dave."

Halderman will learn his trial date next Tuesday. If found guilty, he faces up to 15 years in prison. As for Birkitt, she's keeping an ultra-low profile, on a paid leave of absence from "Late Show."

No more "Daily Show," "Colbert Report" on Hulu

According to the New York Times, Viacom has decided to pull Comedy Central's "Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" from Hulu.

"The Daily Show" is currently the third most popular show on the site. "TDS" and "Colbert" have been available on the site since mid-2008.

In a blog post, Hulu senior VP Andy Forssell wrote, "The team at Comedy Central have been great partners for us, and our users have been extremely vocal and passionate about how much they love what the Comedy Central folks are doing."

People who want to watch the shows without paying for cable still have an option, though: thedailyshow.com and colbertnation.com -- which are both under Viacom's direct control -- will continue making episodes and clips available for free.

Late night audience welcomes Jay back; critics, not so much

Sorry, Team Coco: Jay Leno got huge ratings on his first night back on the rebooted "Tonight."

According to the just-updated "Fast Nationals" ratings, "In total viewers... 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno' (6.6 million) ranked #1 among the major networks in the time period over 'Late Show' (3.8 million) and 'Nightline' (4.1 million). The 'Tonight' margin over 'Late Show' in total viewers in these fast-national results is 73 percent."

Leno was twice as popular as Dave in the 18-49 demographic.

Of course, 18 million viewers tuned in to watch Jay's first prime time show back in September, and Conan's first-night ratings were boffo, too -- in fact, Leno's numbers last night were down 24% from the first "Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" -- so I'm sure NBC won't be too quick to crown Jay "the new/old king of late night."

Not surprisingly, the critics -- many of them the same folks who declared "The Jay Leno Show" the worst program of 2009 -- had their knives sharpened. USA Today's Robert Bianco called Jay's monologue "tired, lame and unfunny. In other words, typical of the real Leno, rather than the Leno of public-relations imagination."

Time's James Poniewozik said Jay's material was far from fresh. "A news item about Dick Cheney's heart problems led to a string of golden-oldie Bush jokes, as if the former President too had suddenly taken back his old job from the new guy."

The Chicago Tribune's Steve Johnson riffed on the Beatles song ("Get Back") that was used to promote the return of Leno to 11:35. "Monday night's uncomfortable retaking of late night's most celebrated throne, suggested different Beatles tunes: 'Fixing a Hole,' 'I Should Have Known Better,' and, in the host's unambitious, comfort-food hour, 'Let It Be'... this new effort had neither pop, nor sizzle, nor surprise, and no amount of cheerleading from unconvincingly hyper first guest Jamie Foxx could make it seem otherwise."

And, piling on, perennial Leno foe Howard Stern told CBS' Harry Smith that "just the mere mention of Jay Leno's name makes me to want to vomit."

In case you missed the show's "Wizard of Oz" style cold open, here it is:

Jay Leno's Return: Party like it's 2005!

"The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" has yet to air here in the Pacific Time Zone, but thanks to the good folks at Movieline.com, his monologue jokes are already online. And there's nothing more hilarious and timely than jokes about George W. Bush: "President Bush said today that he often turned to prayer during his presidency. Hey, I think we all turned to prayer."

He did throw in some more of-the-moment Tiger Woods jokes:

Kind of sad. Gatorade has officially ended their relationship with Tiger Woods. Apparently he was seeing at least five other sports drinks.

Did you watch the press conference? As you know, Tiger Woods gave a press conference last week, where he said he is returning to Buddhism. As opposed to what he was practicing before. That was bootyism. That was totally different.

The New York Times, meanwhile, passes along a couple of David Letterman's jokes:

Thank you very much, welcome to the "Late Show," my name is Dave Letterman — same time, same host.

I want to tell you something, tonight is a rough night for my mom. She doesn’t know who to watch — Jimmy Kimmel or Jay.

I'll have a review roundup on Tuesday morning, and, of course, as soon as they become available, the all-important ratings!