Elmo readies for his own starry talk show
There was a time not too long ago when Broadway star Ben Platt was interviewed by a monster. A perfectly nice monster, of course. It was Elmo.
Elmo asked Platt what was his favorite music to sing. Cookie Monster interrupted to ask what was Platt’s favorite cookie. “Oatmeal chocolate chip,” replied Platt in one exchange.
“Good answer,” said Cookie Monster. “But, then again, there’s no such thing as bad cookie.” After a stellar group rendition of the song “C Is for Cookie,” Elmo presented his guest with a placemat. “A placemat for Ben Platt,” commented Cookie, proud of the rhyme.
This meeting of furry monsters and human singer is part of a new Sesame Workshop family friendly talk show on HBO Max called “The Not Too Late Show with Elmo.” It begins streaming May 27.
Other guests during the initial 13-week episode run include Kacey Musgraves, the Jonas Brothers, John Mulaney, Lil Nas X, Miles Brown, Blake Lively, Dan + Shay, Andy Cohen, Hoda Kotb, Josh Groban, Olivia Wilde, Sara Bareilles, Jason Sudeikis, Sofia Carson and Ciara.
The show is the brainchild of Elmo — don’t tell him differently — and employs his Muppet friends: Cookie Monster is the sidekick, Rosita is the stage manager, Abby Cadabby is the writer, and various monsters are the directors, riffing on the idea that everyone wants to direct.
“Throughout the 15-minute duration of the episode, Elmo is talking about one specific bedtime ritual, like putting on your pajamas or reading a book or brushing your teeth,” said Ben Lehmann, executive producer of “Sesame Street” and “The Not-Too-Late Show.”
“Obviously, the whole thing is meant to be playful and a fun family experience so rather than spend a lot of time talking, we spend more time playing games like Hot Potato or Tic-Tac-Toe,” he said.
The talk show business may be ruthless, but late night hosts Jimmy Fallon and John Oliver make appearances and help sharpen Elmo’s interview skills. Elmo challenges Fallon to a stare contest, which is not entirely fair since Elmo doesn’t have eyelids.
During a visit to “The Not-Too-Late Show” set in New York City before the pandemic shutdown, the technology used was both high-tech and low. Three digital cameras, a teleprompter and a microphone boom were employed, but a half-moon prop was dangled over Elmo’s desk on a pole with a wire, like a fishing gear. A crew member cut fake cookies into a crescent shape.
A reality TV star in Atlanta used an emergency loan from the federal government to lease a Rolls Royce, make child support payments and purchase $85,000 worth of jewelry, authorities.
Maurice Fayne, who goes by Arkansas Mo on the VH1 show “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta,” was arrested last Monday on a charge of bank fraud, the Department of Justice said in a news release.
Fayne, 37, is the sole owner of transportation business Flame Trucking and in April he applied for a loan that the federal government was offering to small businesses decimated by the coronavirus pandemic, officials said. In his application, Fayne stated his business employed 107 employees with an an average monthly payroll of $1,490,200, the release said.
Fayne requested a Paycheck Protection Program loan for over $3 million and received a little over $2 million, officials said.
He used more than $1.5 million of the loan to purchase jewelry, including a Rolex Presidential watch and a 5.73 carat diamond ring, the release said. Fayne also leased a 2019 Rolls Royce Wraith and paid $40,000 in child support.
“At a time when small businesses are struggling for survival, we cannot tolerate anyone driven by personal greed, who misdirects federal emergency assistance earmarked for keeping businesses afloat,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta.
Fayne denied spending the loan on anything besides business expenses. But last Monday, federal agents searched Fayne’s home and seized the jewelry and around $80,000 in cash, including $9,400 Fayne had in his pockets, the release said.