Looks like the earlier reports are true: the late night talk shows are on their way back, even if the WGA strike isn't over.
NBC announced this morning that both Jay Leno's show and Late Night with Conan O'Brien will return to the schedule with new episodes starting January 2. The shows will come back without writers, so expect a shorter monologue, less sketch material (this won't be hard for Leno), and more celebrities and celebrity interviews.
David Letterman is planning to come back on CBS as well, probably the same week, though he is negotiating to actually come back with some writers. Expect an announcement from CBS either way later this week or next.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
12-17-2007 @ 1:09PM
Jennie said...
I had read that they were all going to try to come back on the same night, both to help the writers and to not create even more hostility between the parties. I do wish that Leno and his people would honor this, if it's true. I think these guys on late-night have the opportunity to break the strike, or at least get a conversation started that will lead to a resolution.
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12-17-2007 @ 1:45PM
Eddie said...
Break the back of these greedy and economically retarded writers. Make them write and knit sweaters in an unlit underground factory when they come back.
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12-17-2007 @ 2:26PM
Chris Shifty said...
Conan's New Year's Eve Central Time Zone Countdown put on hold once again...
Good to hear they're coming back.
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12-17-2007 @ 2:28PM
Scott said...
Didn't Leno say recently that he's not funny at all without writers (a fact that many of us have known for YEARS)? So the reason for coming back is not entertainment. Is it to keep the jobs of the rest of the shows' crew? Is it to give desperate Hollywood a medium to plug its movies and CDs? Is it because America is literally STARVING for more celebrity exposure? Uck.
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12-17-2007 @ 2:43PM
Brent McKee said...
And the "Raging Right" is heard from again. And ignored... again.
Letterman is able to apply for an interim agreement because his company "Worldwide Pants" is the sole producer of "The Late Show" and "The Late Late Show." The Tonight Show is created in partnership between Jay's company "Big Dog Productions" and NBC and obviously NBC has no interest in setting up an interim agreement.
If anyone thinks that "The Tonight Show" and the rest, operating without an interim agreement, are going to be able to attract the same level of guests as they did pre-strike, I fear you are sadly mistaken. I doubt that many SAG members are going to want to cross WGA picket lines if they aren't contractually obligated to so I would be very surprised if many of them accept bookings from the shows. That's what makes Dave's decision to seek an interim agreement a master-stroke; with an interim agreement he gets a better quality of guests, which in turn boosts his audience numbers.
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12-18-2007 @ 7:49AM
grumpyoldman said...
Snap. The sound of the backbone of the writer;s strike breaking.
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12-17-2007 @ 5:43PM
Jimmy said...
This might actually the best thing that ever happened to Jay Leno. His monologues suck!
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