Lena Dunham, (left in the picture) if you don’t know, is the the creator and star of the HBO series “Girls” which stars Brian Williams‘ daughter Allison (far right) as well as Zosia Mamet, the daughter of filmmaker David Mamet. In an interview with ESPN’s Bill Simmons this week, Dunham said it’s ridiculous to think that the young ladies in “Girls” got their jobs because of their prominent, well-connected parents, including that Williams guy.

“In my house, growing up, we only watched Charlie Rose and weird PBS forms of news. I’m a Brian Williams fan, but I really didn’t know who he was,” says Dunham. “Until I met him, I was picturing who I believed to be Peter Jennings … my knowledge of newscasters and picking them out of a lineup [is poor].”

Dunham was at 30 Rock Wednesday appearing on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.” No word if she ran into Williams. As TVNewser reported earlier, Sarah Heyward, daughter of former CBS News president Andrew Heyward is the story editor on “Girls.” The season finale is Sunday on HBO.

(h/t HuffPost)

Anderson Cooper was on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” this week, and the CNN anchor talked about his infamous giggle fits during the “Ridiculist” segments. “It’s always one little thing that trips you up,” Cooper said. Watch:

NBC’s “Late Night” host Jimmy Fallon has a tin can telephone suspended over his desk, but wouldn’t you know it, he has no clue who is on the end of the darn thing. Turns out it is a respectable TV newsman. A TV Newsman who doesn’t want to be bothered by a comedian yelling into a tin can.

WATCH:

Last night NBC’s “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon originated from the University of North Carolina, and the guest was President Obama.

Fallon decided that he wanted to “Slow Jam the News,” in a segment that usually features “NBC Nightly News” anchor Brian Williams. With Williams up in New York however, Fallon had to make do with a substitute… “The Barackness Monster”:

The interview that followed also made some news, as Fallon asked about the Secret Service scandal, and took questions from Twitter:

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• President Obama will be making his first trip to NBC’s “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” next week. The show will tape live from the University of North Carolina, with musical guest Dave Matthews. The booking is also a coup for Fallon, which becomes the first non-news program to book President Obama this election cycle, now that Mitt Romney is all but assured the GOP nomination. Fallon is soliciting questions for the President via Twitter, so ask away!

• BBC America hosted its annual upfront party last night in New York, and it was more bacchanal than boring. Fire breathers, ring-dancers and men and women in fanciful and frightening costumes were abound. More details at our sister site FishbowlNY.

• Fox News Channel anchor Shepard Smith will be returning to his alma mater Ole Miss. Smith will be emceeing a dinner in honor of Giants quarterback Eli Manning, who is also an Ole Miss alum, as well as a friend of Smith’s. The Ole Miss M-Club Alumni Chapter is organizing the event, which will also have Eli’s brother Peyton Manning and father Archie Manning in attendance.

It’s more than just a game… it’s an opportunity to absolutely blanket TV viewers with the spoils of your consolidated company. Call it Super Bowl everywhere.

NBC TV may have the rights to Super Bowl XLVI, but if you turn on just about any NBCU channel or watch any NBC-produced program you will see Super Bowl-themed programming next week.

NBC, CNBC, Golf Channel, Bravo, Weather Channel, E!, Telemundo, and G4 will all be taking part. The newly named NBC Sports Network (formerly OLN, formerly Versus) will air more than 18 hours of live programming ahead of the game.

The “Today” show starts next Friday, a split show with Al Roker and Ann Curry from Pan Am plaza in downtown Indianapolis. Jenna Wolfe is there for Saturday “Today.” And Natalie Morales and Savannah Guthrie will join coverage Sunday morning. It hasn’t been announced yet, but Matt Lauer will likely get a pre-game interview with Pres. Obama at the White House, which has become an annual event.

Absent from NBC’s listings is “Meet the Press.” The last two years, when the game was on FOX and CBS, “Fox News Sunday” and “Face the Nation” originated from Cowboys Stadium and Sun Life stadium, respectively.

And there’s more…

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New Year’s Eve is upon us, and there is a veritable cornucopia when it comes to choosing who to spend the evening with on television.

Below, our guide.

Broadcast

ABC: “Dick Clark‘s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2012″ 10PM-2AM with a local news break

The title is a bit wordy, but still the gold standard after 40 years, even if Clark is limited to a handful of  awkward appearances from a studio. Seacrest can more than hold his own. Musical guests include Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, LMFAO and Will.i.am.

NBC: “New Year’s Eve with Carson Daly” 10PM-12:30AM with a local news break

The former “TRL” host and current “Last Call” host holds down the fort on NBC, with appearances by Jimmy Fallon, Brian Williams, The Roots and Cee Lo Green.

Fox: “American Country New Year’s Eve Live” 11PM-12:30AM

Fox’s special is hosted by a comedian named Rodney Carrington and “Paws Stars” Rick Harrison and “Chumlee.” Toby Keith will perform.

Univision: “¡Feliz 2012!” 10PM-3:15AM

Hosted by “Sábado Gigante’”s Don Francisco, musical acts will include Gloria Trevi, Prince Royce and Chino y Nacho.

Cable News

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Is it naughty or nice?  We’ll let you decide on this Christmas Eve day: a Mad Libs twist on the classic poem ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, courtesy of Jimmy Fallon and friends.  His partners in crime include NBC’s Brian Williams, as well as Howie Mandel, rapper T.I., Martin Short,  Maya Rudolph, and others.

Enjoy.

NBC apologized to GOP presidential candidate Michele Bachmann Wednesday over the musical introduction during her appearance on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” Monday night. The show’s drummer Questlove had played the song “Lyin’ Ass Bitch.” Fallon apologized via Twitter on Tuesday but yesterday on Fox News, Bachmann demanded an apology from the network. And she got it. Via CNN:

Bachmann received a letter Wednesday from Doug Vaughan, NBC’s senior vice president for special programs and late night, that apologized for what happened, said Alice Stewart, the Republican presidential hopeful’s spokeswoman.

The issue was also a topic this morning on the “Today” show, with a story from Kristen Welker and this Q&A with John Harwood:

GOP presidential candidate Michele Bachmann wants an apology from NBC over what she calls  “a form of bias on the part of the Hollywood entertainment elite.”

Bachmann appeared on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” Monday night, and as she was being introduced the drummer on the show played the song ”Lyin’ Ass Bitch.” Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson says it was a spur of the moment decision and meant no harm. Fallon has apologized and will talk with Bachmann today. But this morning on Fox News, Bachmann went one further and demanded an apology from the network that airs Fallon, NBC.

“This wouldn’t be tolerated if this was Michelle Obama,” Bachmann told Bill Hemmer. “It shouldn’t be tolerated if it’s a conservative woman either.”