In This Section
TV Guide Spotlight
Also on TVGuide.com
|
« Today's News: Our Take
A Robin Lands on Letterman, While Leno Hearts Huckabee
Jay Leno by Paul Drinkwater/NBC
Late Show with David Letterman returns on Wednesday not only with his writing staff (see our Strike Watch blog) but Robin Williams as his lead-off guest, says the AP. Also onboard for the evening is Shooter Jennings, with Donald Trump bumped to Friday. On Thursday, Dave welcomes Bill Maher, Ellen Page and a performance from Broadway's Young Frankenstein.
Meanwhile, all eyes are on the late-night talkers that have not hammered out an agreement with the WGA (as Worldwide Pants' Letterman and Craig Ferguson did), and thus might have a harder time luring talent across a picket line. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Tonight Show with Jay Leno is expected to have former Arkansas governor and White House hopeful Mike Huckabee as its first guest.
Related:
• WGA Plans "Intense" Pressure on Returning Late-night Shows
• Letterman, Ferguson to Return with Writers, Thanks to WGA Deal
|
TVGuide Links:
|
|
|
|
Dec 31, 2007 8:50 AM
|
|
The point being?...
|
|
Dec 31, 2007 5:39 PM
|
Dave is my hero for working out a deal with his writers, and paying the remainder of his staff during the forced time off; no one in His Late Show family had to go hungry for Christmas. I will be tuned in to see Dave return to late night. Dave has my admiration and respect.
Jay and all the other late night hosts crossing the picket lines can go suck lemons. Hopefully the striking writers will keep tabs on any actors who cross the picket lines. Also, Mike Huckabee will never get my vote or support if he crosses over a picket line...writers are hard working Americans, and The President of the United States must represent all the Citizens, not just the Late Night hosts making millions of dollars...
I am no longer impressed
with Mr. Huckabee!
|
|
Dec 31, 2007 7:51 PM
|
|
You know, a lot of these guys are producers too and have responsibilities to ALL their employees. Not just the writers.
|
|
Dec 31, 2007 9:28 PM
|
|
While I'm a big Letterman fan, it should be noted that Leno, Conan, and Craig all paid their employees during the layoff, not just Dave.
|
|
Dec 31, 2007 9:32 PM
|
Yes, but Dave did it first. Leno only paid them after first basically giving them a pink slip telling them they would be contacted in the future if they are needed. I can't imagine how that felt as a loyal employee right before the holidays. It was only after plenty of scathing blogs, etc. that Leno paid his employees. To me, it looks like he was embarrassed and forced into it.
I know that Letterman's circumstances are different as he owns his company, but I feel that how he handled the strike and his employees, including the writers, only confirms what a class act he is.
And by the way, I think Ellen Page is fantastic. I'm looking forward to seeing her on Letterman. If you haven't seen Juno, rush out and see it asap!
|
|
Jan 1, 2008 8:21 AM
|
|
Important distinction you are overlooking, sweetpea. Leno has no employees. Leno is himself an employee of NBC, and there are other employees that work on Leno's show that also receive their paychecks from NBC. NBC, not Leno, layed off the employees, and Leno out of his own generosity paid their salaries. NBC owns the Tonight Show and could have placed in a substitute host to keep those workers from being layed off. But Leno didnt want that to happen and decided to pay them out of his own pocket. Yes, Dave made the first move in terms of paying his people, but Dave OWNS his show--CBS does not! Those employees truly are Dave's OWN employees, looking directly to him for their paychecks, because they work directly for him and his own production company (Worldwide Pants). It may not seem like much of a difference, but it is.
|
|
Jan 1, 2008 1:10 PM
|
This is not about Dave or Jay paying staff members. This is about union workers getting their fair share of the profits; Dave has been an employer who apparently is willing to give his staff their fair share of the profits (fairly compensating work well done).
Important distinction being overlooked: Jay Leno is also a stand-up comic; and stand-up comics also write their own material. Jay is already on contract to host his program, but any joke Jay tells on the program is within that nebulous territory of him working as a writer instead of just a host. Would that make him a HACK? I do not know.
The agreement that Dave has forged with the writers union only helps support the unions stand about internet profits; Dave is only supporting the cause by coming to this agreement with the writers union. Dave has also been involved in producing TV programming, and his involvement with the writers union goes well beyond the Late Show programming...
At some point this strike has to end. People go back to work. Hurt and hard feelings have to be mended. There have been many actors and actresses that were forced to work on their programs last fall, but spent their lunch hours walking the picket lines with the striking writers...some people have been more supportive of not just the union, but the process and the philosophy behind the Union system.
Dave has shown that support and respect to the Union.
|
|
Jan 1, 2008 9:32 PM
|
|
Kudos to Letterman. I will be watching for sure now. I had been kind of on the fence about this whole strike issue. However, after watching my children sift through available downloads to purchase for their new video ipods, got a WHOLE different take on the issue. More power to them!
|
|
Jan 2, 2008 1:36 PM
|
|
|
