NBC brings “Merry Madagascar” to the smallscreen, and it is scheduled to broadcast on Tuesday, November 17 (8-8:30 p.m. ET) and repeat on Saturday, November 28 (8-8:30 p.m. ET)
“Merry Madagascar” begins when Santa (Carl Reiner) and his sleigh unexpectedly crash land on the island, giving the jolly gentleman a case of amnesia.
This leaves Alex (Ben Stiller), Marty (Chris Rock), Melman (David Schwimmer), and Gloria (Jada Pinkett Smith) along with the ever-inventive Penguins to deliver the presents and save Christmas.
Have U Heard spoke to Chris Rock on a press call where Chris talked about Merry Madagascar, his holiday traditions and much more.
Q: Are there certain holiday traditions that you have or particular shows that you like to watch this time of year?
Chris Rock: I like the Grinch that Stole Christmas and I like the Charlie Brown Christmas thing.
Q: Your girls now are like 7 and 5, how have they liked the Madagascar thing? W hen it first came out were they able to watch it or was the youngest one too young and what do they think about it now?
Chris Rock: Oh the youngest one was probably too young but the oldest one loved it. And they loved number two and they’re looking forward to this one. I haven’t let them watch it even though I got a little advanced screening tape. So they’ll watch it on TV like everybody else.
Q: With the films and even with the special, is there much room for you guys to ad-lib or do you pretty much just to stick to a script?
Chris Rock: They hire you to ad-lib. Why would you hire me to not ad-lib, you know?
Q: What made you decide to become a comedian in the first place?
Chris Rock: I don’t know it’s like the calling. It’s like being a priest or something – you end up their one day. Love comedy, loved comedians, just interested in that, you know, some kids take apart radios and they grow up to the electricians, I would take apart jokes.
Q: Okay and who are some of your inspirations out there?
Chris Rock: Bill Cosby, Eddie Murphy, Woody Allen, Steve Martin, guys like that.
Q: Do you have a favorite Christmas memory?
Chris Rock: As I enter my 40s they all kind of mix up – they’re all kind of the same. I have a Christmas a couple years ago my family we were in Africa on safari for Christmas. We were at a lodge and my kids are really young and they were so scared Santa wasn’t going to show. And just the look on their faces, you know, when their toys were under a tree in Africa. Kind of cool.
Q: If you could assemble a dinner party and only invite four or five comedians to join you, ones that you really truly loved, who would they be and why? And they can be living or dead.
Chris Rock: I love Sandler, he’s great at dinner, he is going to make you drink a little. Richard Pryor – hopefully he’ll show up, you never know. Ellen DeGeneres is always good……to have around because she likes chicks too. So you can literally talk about women….like you would if a guy was around. And she has some interesting insights. Steve Martin just because I don’t know him at all. Vince Vaughn cracks me up and I might have met him once. Woody Allen, you’ve got to get Woody in there.
Merry Madagascar looks like a nice holiday show. I can’t wait to see it!!
