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« WGA Post-Strike Watch: News About Returning Shows
NBC's Writer-less Late-night Hosts Face Big Challenges
What will The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with Conan O'Brien be like without writers? "It's going to be hard," says Late Night executive producer Jeff Ross. "We have 12 writers here regularly. We haven't had those conversations yet. Obviously those shows will look a little different."
Ross and Tonight Show executive producer Debbie Vickers said in a Monday conference call that they both have surveyed publicists about which prospective guests will be willing to cross a picket line to come on the shows if the Writers Guild of America strike is still going on when Leno and O'Brien return to work on Jan. 2. "We've been on the phones with publicists for weeks," said Vickers. "January feels better than December did."
The hosts — both WGA members — announced they are coming back to their NBC shows after sitting out for seven weeks and paying their nonwriting staffs out of their own pockets (and watching their ratings sag). What they can and can't do as writer-performers on their shows still has to be hashed out. The only precedent Leno and O'Brien have for their situation is when Johnny Carson returned to The Tonight Show several months before the 1988 strike ended. Carson's production company eventually cut its own deal with the WGA, but for three weeks the host went on without writers. "Johnny did a monologue," said NBC's longtime late night exec Rick Ludwin. "The situation at the time was that performers were allowed to prepare their own material."
Both Leno and O'Brien could be at a disadvantage. David Letterman's Worldwide Pants production shingle is trying to reach its own agreement with the WGA that would enable The Late Show and The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson to return with their writing staffs before the strike is settled. "It would be great if we were on an even playing field, and we may not be," said Ross. "We're going to have to deal with that." — Stephen Battaglio
Related:
• Jimmy Kimmel Joins Late-night TV's Jan. 2 Reboot
• Leno and Conan Strike Back, Return to Work Jan. 2
More strike coverage:
• WGA Won't Award Waivers to Award Shows
• AMPTP's Open Letter Calls WGA's Tactics "Unreasonable" and "Impractical"
• WGA to Talk with Individual Studios, AMPTP Calls It "Grasping for Straws"
• Ausiello's chart: How many episodes are left of your favorite shows?
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Dec 17, 2007 1:43 PM
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I really hope the actors stick with the writers and only agree to appear on Dave and other shows that strike an interim deal with the WGA.
And I hope at least some viewers are aware of the strike situation and refuse to watch the broadcasts without writers.
It would be great if the shows all return but the ones without writers (and as many good guests) get clobbered in the ratings.
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Dec 17, 2007 1:50 PM
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Are you crazy? I'm not going to miss any of my shows if there are new episodes.
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Dec 17, 2007 3:24 PM
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Really? You absolutely have to see every episode of Leno, even if there are no real jokes since there are no writers, and the guests aren't as good as usual because some are honoring the strike?
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Dec 17, 2007 3:30 PM
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Glad they are coming back. Can't wait for Letterman to come back too. I hope he decides to do the same thing as Leno and Conan and get back on the air as soon as possible.
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Dec 17, 2007 4:24 PM
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I hope other shows follow their lead and cross the picket line. I'm already sick of all of this! Grow-up compromise and get your a** back to work. Wouldn't it be funny if you finally get the deal you want and then the viewers say screw you and don't return then your show gets canceled and your out of a job. Now that would be ironic. All that striking and crying and you lose your job anyway and get blackballed. Now there's a twist you writers didn't seem coming.
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Dec 17, 2007 5:06 PM
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I agree, actors and guests need to support the writers and not appear on SCAB television. I'll never watch Jay or Conan again, which is a shame because I can't stand Dave. Oh well, I'll have to learn to love the teeth.
Better to be annoying than a scab.
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Dec 17, 2007 6:16 PM
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"I hope other shows follow their lead and cross the picket line."
No writers are crossing the picket line on these, they'll be working without writers. It's pretty easy for a talk show host to sit there and gab with guests without anything written (although it won't necessarily be as entertaining).
Which other shows do you imagine showing up and shooting episodes with nothing written? Do you really think the actors can show up and just fake their way through an episode of Grey's or the Office without a script?
And Letterman looks like he'll be back around the same time, difference is he won't be scabbing, he'll be back WITH his writers under a new interim contract drawn up just for his show. Hopefully should be an announcement in a couple days.
And hopefully Letterman will have much better guests and much better ratings.
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Dec 17, 2007 6:23 PM
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Sounds to me like I should go out of my way to watch Jay and Conan. Dave giving into the writers doesn't sit well with me.
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Dec 17, 2007 10:11 PM
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I don't see how doing shows without writers is going to be all that difficult. Jay, Conan and the rest get paid millions of dollars to do what they do and they have all been in the business long enough to know how to do a show on their own without being prompted by a script. Some of the best moments from these shows are the ones that are unscripted. Also if actors going on these shows are able to voice their support for the writers and their cause isn't that worth crossing the lines for? It seems to me that they should welcome the opportunity for their side to be heard every night.
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Dec 18, 2007 6:15 AM
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"Dave giving into the writers doesn't sit well with me."
Why not?
He's a writer himself, and a member of the WGA.
And his writers WRITE THE SHOW FOR HIM. They are collaborators who make his show possible.
You really think it's better for someone like Leno to come back without his writers, even if it means a worse show and worse guests?
Makes absolutely zero sense to me, I can't even imagine a comment like that coming from anyone but a studio plant...
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Dec 18, 2007 8:57 AM
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You might as will kiss the strike “Goodbye”, once the Union allows “Any” writers to return via a separate agreement.
I.E… Allowing writers to work on the “Late Night Shows”
Once upon a time…
There was a strong “Carpenter’s Union”. They went on strike for an extra 75cents an hour.
They were on strike for a few weeks, when one contractor (producer) found out that he was going to be billed for not having his job finished on time.
So, he went to the Union and said, “I will pay Tuesday for a hamburger today.”
OK, he asked, “If you let my carpenters work today, “I will pay them the future per hour rate, after the Union settles the strike.”
The Union said, “That sounds fair”, and let the carpenters go back to work.
Now the other contractors (producers) heard of this, so they went to the Union and each made separate deals. Each saying, “I will pay Tuesday for a hamburger today.”
The Union agreed. What’s the harm letting a few workers go back to work?
Amazingly, the Union discovered, “Hey, where are the striking carpenters?!”
Well, “They’re out on the job sites.”
“How come?”
“We agreed to let one crew go back, now they’re all back to work.”
“But, we Never settled!”
“Precisely.”
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Dec 18, 2007 1:27 PM
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Blarfeecoo.
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Dec 18, 2007 1:49 PM
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Both Leno and O'Brien gives in at the same time?
I just wonder what kind of pressure NBC put on them? Conan you can't become the host of The Tonight Show when Leno leaves if you don't go back to work when you are told?
Is NBC so desperate for cash they have to resort to trying to bust the union?
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Dec 18, 2007 5:56 PM
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Desperate or not, that's exactly what NBC and the rest of the members of the AMPTP are trying to do. They are trying to break the unions. I for one won't be watching any late night shows until the strike is settled fairly.
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Dec 18, 2007 8:08 PM
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