Of all the things that could jump up and scare a woman in a busy city square in New York, it's usually not a frog. But that's what made Savannah Guthrie jump Wednesday on 'Today' (weekdays, 7AM on NBC) when Matt Lauer pointed to her feet in mock surprise. 'Today' had turned their outdoor broadcasting space into a country fair that included jumping frogs and hay bale races.

The staff competed in the different events, including a frog jumping contest that predictably went awry when the frogs wouldn't jump in a straight line. They were also entertained by a young banjo player in a bluegrass ensemble.

Al Roker visited Alaska for the first time for 'Today' (weekdays, 7AM on NBC), and discovered cool glacial waters, dog mushing, bald eagles, black bears, and some tasty grilling. He called it, "an experience of a lifetime," though he couldn't resist a cheesy joke to top it all off.

In the segment, Roker was traveling down a river listing the things he'd seen, and wishing for just one thing. "We've seen a bald eagle, we've seen a black bear, now if we could just catch a salmon," he said. He got his wish, and got to eat a freshly grilled salmon burger from Alaskan chef Kirsten Dixon. "I will fight a bear for this," he said.

Roker summed up his report by saying, "It was an Alaskan adventure of ice, snow, dogs, wildlife and planes. An experience of a lifetime." Back in the studio, he said, "One of the bald eagles Twittered that he saw a bald black guy, so that's pretty good." Matt Lauer said that was a long way to go for that joke, literally and figuratively.

Finally, the trend of the day has to do with the strange behavior of seniors instead of the kids. Jenna Wolfe reported on older women getting their first tattoos, and going back for more, Monday on 'Today' (weekdays, 7AM on NBC) and wound up getting personally involved with the story to show her dedication to her job.

Wolfe visited Ami James of 'NY Ink,' who said that 55% of his clients were women. That includes 65-year-old artist Eileen Hickey-Hulme, who got a tattoo of a hand pointing a revolver directly at the viewer. "I feel tougher," she said after it was done. "I feel like I can hold my own."

Jeff Bridges released his self-titled major-label debut Tuesday, following the success of his performance on the 'Crazy Heart' soundtrack. He'd released an album before, but with 'Crazy Heart,' he found a successful partnership with producer T Bone Burnett and a groove that took the best advantage of his talents. Speaking with Matt Lauer Tuesday on 'Today' (weekdays, 7AM on NBC), Bridges sounded like someone starting a second career.

Lauer asked if Bridges was going to tour to support the album, and he mentioned a recent show at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and taping for 'Austin City Limits,' among some other upcoming dates. Bridges doesn't dream about Grammys on his shelf, but he's serious about the music nonetheless. "No, I don't do that," he said. "But, you know, there's going to be some more music. You know, this is, as far as I'm concerned, this is kind of the tip of the iceberg."

For Hoda Kotb's birthday last week on 'Today' (weekdays, 7AM on NBC), she got a visit from her boyfriend and a bottle of tequila. Kathie Lee Gifford's birthday was today, and she got a celebratory serenade from Jeff Bridges, a visit from her husband, her favorite meal and a birthday cake. Kotb will have to do a little more lobbying for a bigger birthday celebration next year.

Bridges, who had performed earlier on the show, sang a celebratory song in a wandering falsetto about Gifford's revolutions around the sun. Frank Gifford, who was also celebrating his birthday Tuesday, surprised his wife, and Matt Lauer stopped by to give them both a peck on the cheek.

In its short history, the Zac Brown Band has earned seven number one singles on Billboard's country charts, and Brown has gotten to play with some of his personal idols. On Friday's edition of 'Today' (weekdays, 7AM on NBC), Brown said he was humbled at the idea of being at the center of a platinum-selling band. "It's amazing," he said. "Every day I pinch myself."

One of the more recent singles, 'Knee Deep,' featured Jimmy Buffett, one of Brown's favorites. "I think he's one of the best American songwriters that have ever lived," said Brown, "... Been covering his songs forever, and getting to actually collaborate with some of my heroes have been some of the big milestones of my career."

The Buffett influence was easy to hear when the band played the tune (sans Jimmy Buffett himself) after the interview, a breezy mix of light rock and reggae, catchy enough for some of the crowd to sing and dance along.

Bobby Flay showed some versatility on 'Today' (weekdays, 7AM on NBC), discussing his acting role on 'Entourage' while he was cooking up a nice peach relish with Matt Lauer. Flay seemed a little nervous while describing the 'Entourage' appearance, in which he plays "Bobby Flay," a celebrity chef dating Ari Gold's wife while the couple is separated.

"I'm playing a fictional version of Bobby Flay," he said, "because in the show, there's a restaurant called Flay's In L.A., which doesn't exist. And I'm also single on the show, but ..." "Having an affair with Ari's wife," interjected Lauer. Flay was quick to point out that he is married in real life, and that the role was "kind of weird." It caused no trouble at home, though. "It's going fine, actually," he said, "because the actress who plays Mrs. Ari, Perrey Reeves, and my wife are very good friends."

We always appreciate it when TV personalities prove that they can laugh at themselves, and 'Today Show' host Matt Lauer certainly demonstrated that during his guest spot on 'Royal Pains' (Wed., 9PM ET on USA) this week.

After Hank lied about getting them a spot on Lauer's show, Evan just so happened to run into the host at the grocery store and proceeded to try and convince him to give them a real shot.

Warning: We are about to alert you to a new food choice that could take down the entire bacon-worshiping Internet. This new creation comes to you courtesy of 'Today' (weekdays, 7AM on NBC) and Chris Kimball of 'America's Test Kitchen,' and it is called "bacon paste." Yes, bacon paste was just one ingredient in Kimball's chicken kebab recipe, but we can see it taking off in a way that will make chocolate chip cookie dough look like small potatoes.

"Now this is hot," said Kimball. "This is trending." Kimball and Matt Lauer made the paste for the chicken kebabs, to be mixed with some spices and used to marinate the chicken, using two pieces of bacon in a blender. "This is not that much fat," said Kimball. "For some people, it's just a little hors 'devour. And we run that for about forty-five seconds. What we end up with is..." bacon paste!

Ricky Gervais was cutting and funny hosting the Golden Globes, but the buzz after the show was about how many people were offended by his jokes. He managed to burn some bridges with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the organization behind the awards. Now Gervais has been nominated for an Emmy for that performance. He spoke with Matt Lauer on 'Today' (weekdays, 7AM on NBC) about the experience, and got into a little tussle with Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds.

Lauer said he thought Gervais's hosting was brilliant, but said others thought his jokes had crossed a line. "I crossed the line?" said Gervais. "Who drew the line? I didn't draw the line. Where's this line?" He seemed perplexed by the idea.

James Franco's been busy lately. Between his work on 'General Hospital,' hosting the Oscars and his frequent talk show appearances, we sometimes forget that he's also a movie star. Franco took a break from his varied activities to talk to Matt Lauer Monday on 'Today' (weekdays, 7AM on NBC) about two upcoming prequels in which he stars -- 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' and 'Oz, The Great and Powerful.'

Lauer said when he saw the original 'Planet of the Apes' decades ago, he didn't sleep for three-and-a half years. He asked Franco how high the "freakout factor" is in the new installment. "Actually, it's not a freakout movie," said Franco, struggling to hit on the right description. Lauer suggested "thoughtful," which Franco thought was apt. "It's a little bit of a character piece with feeling," he said.

Alex Trebek morphed from game show host to scantily-clad crimefighter Wednesday, when he chased after a woman who broke into his hotel room in San Francisco. As reported Thursday on 'Today' (weekdays, 7AM on NBC), the 'Jeopardy' host ran down the burglar, rupturing his Achilles tendon in the process.

Trebek described the scene. "I woke up and I saw a figure in our hotel bedroom and I thought I was dreaming," he said. "And I realized immediately that someone had been in the room and I put on my underwear and ran down the hall to see if I could find her." When he caught up with her, he asked her a series of questions about what she had been doing on his floor. The woman denied she had been in his room, but Trebek knew better.

Steve Carell is one of the funniest comedic actors around, but every so often he's called upon to play it straight. Matt Lauer brought up Carell's versatility on 'Today' (weekdays, 7AM on NBC), when he and Julianne Moore stopped by to promote their new film, 'Crazy, Stupid, Love.' He asked Carell if he felt comfortable doing drama, and also how it felt to see 'The Office' go on without him.

To answer Lauer's first question, Carell said, "Yes, I am a very fine dramatic actor. I know that's the point you were trying to make." Lauer laughed and said he wanted Carell to say it himself. "Well, I wanted to say it, and I was hoping that that subject would come up, because I really have a lot of pride in my dynamic dramatic acting," Carell deadpanned, motioning toward Moore. "She was so intimidated by me."

Cee Lo Green is gearing up for a run in Las Vegas, which earned him the nickname 'Lo-berace' from Matt Lauer Friday on 'Today' (weekdays, 7AM on NBC). Green, a hit-making singer and judge on the singing contest show 'The Voice,' is hoping the run will be a big deal for fans who might not be too familiar with the city's big shows.

"I wanted to do something new and fresh for this generation," Green told Lauer. "I don't think anybody from our generation has got the opportunity to do something monumentous like that. And so I would like to do something exceptional, you know. The way that I feel about myself and the way that my career is going, it makes sense."

The filming for season eight is done, the premiere is set for Sunday, and all that's left is for the fans to watch the final season of HBO's 'Entourage.' Tuesday on 'Today' (weekdays, 7AM on NBC), Matt Lauer interviewed the stars of the show -- Kevin Connolly (Eric Murphy), Jeremy Piven (Ari Gold), Adrian Grenier (Vincent Chase), Kevin Dillon (Johnny Chase), and Jerry Ferrara (Turtle) -- about the final season, and whether that is, in fact, the end of the show.

Lauer asked if everyone was on board with the show ending. "No, we got cancelled," joked Connolly. "We were not on board with it at all." Dillon added, "We'd shoot tomorrow if you let us." About the rumors that there might be an 'Entourage' movie in the works, Connolly confirmed, "We're going to try really hard to make that happen."