TVSquad

Fans of comedy like myself waited with baited breath to see what their favorite talk shows would be like when they returned from the strike.

Dave Letterman, having made an interim deal with the WGA has settled back into usual comedy groove and Jay Leno, in all his scabby glory, has surprised millions by becoming even lamer than before. The one talk show host who stands out as really making an effort to please everyone is Conan O' Brien.

Even though The Late Show and The Late Late Show are in reruns, the company that produces them, Worldwide Pants, is continuing to pay their staff. The announcement came from the offices of WWP and went on to say that the writers (Update: the entire staff is being paid) for both shows in New York and in Los Angeles will continue to earn a salary, at least through the end of the year.

Worldwide Pants is owned by David Letterman who, as a writer for his talk show is in a precarious position. As a member of the WGA, Letterman is forbidden to do any writing for the show but as an executive producer he is still involved in the day to day decisions regarding the show.

I remember when I was a young man many years ago, watching a short-lived sitcom called Working Stiffs. I was enthralled with a very young and talented comic-turned-actor named Michael Keaton but even more so with the man who played his brother, Jim Belushi.

Since I was really just a kid, I was unable to be a real fan of John Belushi. Sure, I had heard about some of the stuff he did on Saturday Night Live and my parents talked about him a lot, but I was just too young to grasp his genius at the time. Jim, however, was a different story.