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Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien offically coming back on January 2nd! |
| December 17th, 2007 under Talk Shows, WGA Strike. [ Comments: none ]
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As expected NBC made the announcement today that Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien will return to their shows on January 2nd!
After two months of repeats, "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" will resume broadcasting all-new episodes beginning Wednesday, January 2, 2008 (11:35 p.m., 12:35 a.m., respectively).
The late night shows suspended production due to the strike by the Writers Guild of America on November 5 and have aired repeats since.
"During the 1988 writers strike, Johnny Carson reluctantly returned to 'The Tonight Show' without his writers after two months. Both Jay and Conan have supported their writers during the first two months of this WGA strike and will continue to support them. However, there are hundreds of people who will be able to return to work as a result of Jay's and Conan's decision," said Rick Ludwin, Executive Vice President, Late Night & Primetime Series.
I am glad that late night is slowly returning, now if only Jimmy Kimmel would come back it would make Christmas a little more special!
UPDATE 1: No news on Kimmel as of now.
UPDATE 2: Both Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien have released statements via NBC:
Jay Leno:
"This has been a very difficult six weeks for everybody affected by the writers strike. I was, like most people, hoping for a quick resolution when this began. I remained positive during the talks and while they were still at the table discussing a solution "The Tonight Show" remained dark in support of our writing staff. Now that the talks have broken down and there are no further negotiations scheduled I feel it's my responsibility to get my 100 non-writing staff, which were laid off, back to work. We fully support our writers and I think they understand my decision."
Conan O'Brien:
"For the past seven weeks of the writers' strike, I have been and continue to be an ardent supporter of the WGA and their cause. My career in television started as a WGA member and my subsequent career as a performer has only been possible because of the creativity and integrity of my writing staff. Since the strike began, I have stayed off the air in support of the striking writers while, at the same time, doing everything I could to take care of the 80 non-writing staff members on Late Night.
Unfortunately, now with the New Year upon us, I am left with a difficult decision. Either go back to work and keep my staff employed or stay dark and allow 80 people, many of whom have worked for me for fourteen years, to lose their jobs. If my show were entirely scripted I would have no choice. But the truth is that shows like mine are hybrids, with both written and non-written content. An unwritten version of Late Night, though not desirable, is possible – and no one has to be fired.
So, it is only after a great deal of thought that I have decided to go back on the air on January 2nd. I will make clear, on the program, my support for the writers and I'll do the best version of Late Night I can under the circumstances. Of course, my show will not be as good. In fact, in moments it may very well be terrible. My sincerest hope is that all of my writers are back soon, working under a contract that provides them everything they deserve."
I respect them for coming back and thinking of the other staff. They have supported the writers as long as they can, but now they have to think of the rest of their staff and the fans…and the ratings.
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Is Latenight coming back just to give the hosts a reason to shave? |
| December 15th, 2007 under Talk Shows. [ Comments: 1 ]
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David Letterman reminds me of a lumberjack or Santa Claus on the off-days. Conan O'Brien just looks sad trying to grow a beard.
BTW there are a lot of rumors that news of latenight returning will be confirmed as early as Monday.
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Latenight talk shows coming back January 7th? |
| December 14th, 2007 under Jimmy Kimmel, Talk Shows. [ Comments: none ]
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Variety is reporting that the Latenight Talk Show hosts on NBC and CBS are in talks to return to TV on January 7th.
Nothing's been officially decided, and nobody will comment. But with the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers so broken up, people familiar with the situation said several hosts are nearing the conclusion that it's time to return.
Latenight hosts have stayed off the job since the strike began out of deference to their scribes. And while talks were ongoing, they didn't want to take away any leverage from WGA negotiators by returning. They even went so far as to begin paying their nonscribe staffs out of their own pockets.
So who will come back first? There's some talk that the Big Four hosts — David Letterman, Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien and Craig Ferguson — may all return around the same time. While informal discussions between the NBC and CBS camps have continued via backchannels throughout the strike (Daily Variety, Nov. 16), absolutely nothing like that has been agreed upon.
Latenight insiders, however, believe Leno and O'Brien are most likely to return in early January, no matter what Letterman decides. NBC has to be concerned about the plunging ratings for both shows, which in recent weeks have lost nearly half their audience.
I don't think it as much the ratings decline, but the fact that they are paying the non-writing staff out of their own pockets. Also according to the trade, the writers of Letterman and Ferguson would understand if the shows went back on the air after all they were off the air for two months.
Finally they talked about Jimmy Kimmel, who is sadly not part of the talks maybe because his ratings have actually been doing OK and might be picking up viewers from the other 4, and they said he might also be returning soon too. Kimmel has not been vocal about his status, so there is no way to know if he will be returning soon too but I miss him and want him back!
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Update on NBC late night TV |
| November 30th, 2007 under Talk Shows. [ Comments: none ]
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Today is the last day that the non-writing staff will be paid by NBC and will effectively be laid off. Conan O'Brien said he will be paying his 80 person staff out his own pocket. Unlike David Letterman he does not own the show, so it is really coming out of his own pocket. Way to go Conan!
When it comes to Jay Leno's staff they are SOL as of today. Leno does not own the show and according to DHD since he is mad at NBC and Jeff Zucker for still passing the torch to Conan and will not be crossing the line anytime soon.
Now what about the only talk show host to cross the line, why did he do it. Well also according to DHD Carson Daly was told return to TV now or you will not have a show to return to.
UPDATE: According to TMZ Jay Leno gave his staff a Christmas bonus check, but before you think how nice…it was only for $100.00 whole. In fact not all the staff even got that check and he didn't even say anything to the staff that was laid off. What a Scrooge.
UPDATE: Variety confirms, but explains the Leno situation more.
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Carson Daly will back with new shows next week |
| November 27th, 2007 under Talk Shows, WGA Strike. [ Comments: none ]
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NBC announced that Last Call with Carson Daly will be the first late night talk show to go back in production since the WGA strike according to The Hollywood Reporter. Daly will be taping shows in the same place that Ellen tapes her, so that will make it easier for the protesters striking the shows for being new. Last week there were reports that Jay Leno, David Letterman and Conan O'Brien were in talks to either return December 3rd or Demember 10th, but looks like Daly beat them to the punch. No word if they will be joining Daly with new episodes or when my boy Jimmy Kimmel will be back! Personally I hope that Kimmel follows the man he discovered and is back on the air soon because I am having major withdrawal and the repeats are just not hitting the spot.
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