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« WGA Post-Strike Watch: News About Returning Shows
Will Tonight Show Go On... With Guest Hosts?
Jay Leno courtesy NBC
While many expect David Letterman or Jimmy Kimmel to return to their late-night hosting duties sooner rather than later, NBC is said to be pondering a series of guest hosts for The Tonight Show and Late Night, should Jay Leno and/or Conan O'Brien opt not to ire the WGA — especially in light of the tongue-lashing that picket-line crosser Ellen DeGeneres has taken for resuming her own talker.
According to Variety, Tonight Show exec producer Debbie Vickers issued a statement saying, "All sorts of things are being discussed, including guest hosts. Our preference is that we return to production... with Jay as host as soon as possible. [But] we want to protect the staff, who have been loyal to this show for decades, in the same way that Johnny Carson reluctantly returned without his writers in 1988."
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Nov 12, 2007 8:52 AM
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That would be better than reruns. Frankly I think even beyond the strike they should use guest hosts.
I can understand a former guest host wanting to protect again a possible usurper. However, now that Conan is locked into a 2009 take over, I think a guest host, or collections of popular skits/bands, would be better than an out of date monologue
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Nov 12, 2007 11:36 AM
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i don't think jimmy kimmel or letterman would return that soon, i think they are probably more loyal to their writers, also supposedly if letterman returns then the rest may follow, but i don't think he would be so eager. i love conan, kimmel, & dave, and i hope they return but when the strike is over & hopefully not before then with guest hosts, that would be really crummy. hopefully those scum studios will give in because this could last for sometime, and what would it matter if they resolved it now or wait nine months, just no new shows/movies, no one here wins.
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Nov 12, 2007 2:55 PM
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Leno's been in reruns??!! He seems as "topical" as ever!!!!! "> I can't see any of these hosts returning before the strike ends without damaging their careers-
Plus, most of them are/were writers!! (I didn't say they were all GOOD!)
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Nov 12, 2007 3:16 PM
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Mr F.: Leno's still on the air?
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Nov 12, 2007 3:24 PM
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I seriously doubt the validity of using guest hosts to replace Jay Leno or even Conan O'Brien. The same reasons that Leno and O'Brien have for not crossing the picket line should also apply to any guest host who unwisely chooses to host. While keeping the staff still working is an admirable thought--I am somewhat cynical that this is another weasel like movement by NBC to put pressure on everyone to come back to work. By giving in the last time, the writers had to wait 20 years to attempt to rectify that mistake. Way to go, producers and studios, you all are a class act--NOT.
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Edited by PatMc at 11/12/2007 12:32 PM
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Nov 12, 2007 3:31 PM
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Can wait to see Jimmy Kimmel back in action soon.
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Nov 12, 2007 4:19 PM
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Mr F.: Leno's still on the air?-AF
I think on ONBC-the Old News Broadcasting Channel!!
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Nov 12, 2007 4:34 PM
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It has just been announced that David Letterman will pay not only HIS staff, but Craig Ferguson's staff, throughout the duration of the strike. How's THAT for class!
Now to be fair, Dave owns both shows (not CBS), while Jay is just a hired hand. Nevertheless, this just shows that Letterman continues to be a down-to-earth/salt-of-the-earth kind of guy.
I wouldn't be surprised if he returns to work, though, without writers. He did it in '88, and he (and Carson) made some great strides in getting the cause of the writers out to the public (who didn't have blogs and such back then). As we've read this week, he would have someone give him a shave in lieu of a monologue, thereby showing how dull television can be without writers. I think it would be cool to have some writers on as guests!
Anyway, this is why I love Dave. All this and more. I may think Kimmel is funnier these days, but Dave will always hold the title of King Of Late Night for me.
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Nov 14, 2007 9:53 PM
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