MIKE ON RADIO: Jimmy Fallon, Zombies and Olympic Tears on KCRW's "Press Play"

My now-weekly Tuesday slot on KCRW's "Press Play," hosted by Madeleine Brand. This week: "Jimmy Fallon stepped on stage last night and took over the reigns of the Tonight Show. We talk about the tone he’s striking in his new timeslot. Plus, we discuss the huge boom in apocalyptic TV shows and whether Olympic broadcasters are trying harder than ever to elicit tears from the athletes."

Listen below, it's 18 minutes into the broadcast.

The Griffith Observatory Plans to Prove The World Isn't Ending

Sorry, doomsday prophets: The Griffith Observatory will stay open late the night of Friday, Dec. 21 to dispel "any misguided concerns" that the end of the world is upon us. The attraction will stay open until 12:01 am:

The Observatory normally closes at 10:00 p.m. but will remain open an added 121 minutes to demonstrate that claims regarding the Maya calendar, planetary alignments, rogue planets, galactic beams, and other related phenomena have no basis in fact. The Observatory will be operating normally during the additional time, with extra shows in the Samuel Oschin Planetarium at 9:45 and 10:45 p.m.

For years, public anxiety regarding the “end of the world” on December 21, 2012, has been stoked by irresponsible reports online and in the media. While the “2012” scenario is based on a profound misinterpretation of the Maya calendar, other groundless claims have also been attached to December 21. The Observatory, NASA, and others receive daily inquiries from anxious people asking if the “predictions” of doom are correct. The Observatory’s newest planetarium show, Time’s Up, addresses these concerns as part of discussing the fundamental nature of time (Time’s Up will show all day December 21).

And hey, if we're all wrong and it really is the end of the world, the Observatory will probably be a pretty good place to witness it. So win-win all around!