NBC: Leno, O'Brien returning to air January 2 Options

[Conan_the_shooti...]

I'd like to see remotes related to the strike, such as on the picket line.

Conan was quoted as saying: "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."

I am saying I am doubtful that if Conan were to stay off the air, those 80 people would literally lose their jobs/be fired. If every other freaking strike-related memo and rumor has been posted on the internet, then why not the one about the ultimatum to Jay and Conan regarding their staffs? When I read Conan's statement, I thought he was exaggerating the truth (about the 80 people that were laid off) to make a better case for his coming back without writers, thinking that those of us reading it wouldn't know any better.


(For comparison, Jay Leno was quoted as saying: "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.")

What I meant by "I understand his rationale" was that I understand Conan is being kicked in the balls financially right now, it doesn't feel nice, and it's not something he can endure forever. However, as for the argument in Conan's defense that going back without writers was the only thing that could've been done or that it must be done, I really can't agree. And I am in disbelief about references to the "hardship" the non-writing staff has to endure, when they have been getting a free ride since this thing started.
I guess I need to have more faith that Conan, Jeff, et al. know what the h.ell they're doing.

Also, it's absurd and deceptive of NBC to liken Conan & Jay's return without writers to that of Johnny Carson, as Carson was never a WGA member. He could thus write his own jokes during the strike, etc.

It is NOT just financial for Conan. It's a business and Late Night ratings dropped 35- 40 percent. This strike is way bigger than Late Night to solve. Conan needed to save his own show, because his whole future depends upon it--- way after the strike is over. Conan can only do so much to support the strike, but when his main job is hosting NOT writing he really had to go back. I knew Conan had to go back. All talk show hosts are returning then.

And Aaron Bleyaert works for NBC -- the AMPTP side. He can't be out there carrying a writer's picket sign! Aaron, our Conan and the rest at the latenightunderground crew did what they could do --to keep the fans close... in touch through this horrible strike. I love them for it.

God this is such a nightmare. I do love the writers too and it is sooo sad, all of this, I am really scared for them but I also trust Conan's decision to go back. I wish the writers would take off some of their added requests and stick hard to the internet downloading.

[SonOfJoel_1]

Conan has said for several years that one day, after the monologue, he would cross over to the desk and the band would just jam out for the entire hour. No guests, no talk, just music and dancing. (He often embellishes the story with Gogo girls dancing in cages and the audience getting in on the action.)

Maybe this is his chance to make that dream a reality?

SOJ

[raymel1]

Correct me if im wrong (and im sure you will) but ISNT Conan a WRITER himself? Im sure that with 14 years of shows under his belt, there is alot of things he wasnt able to do before. Im stayin positive.

[pm_in_ny]

I just read Conan's statement and am very surprised at his position. I am not a writer nor a member of any union--I thought Conan had a little more depth than this. To show support for writers, he shouldn't participate in production. This is how I felt when Johnny Carson crossed the picket line years ago--he was great but after that I couldnt bear to watch him--his humor was less relevent. I have adored Conan since he was the new guy on the network, full of sincerity with a refreshing slant on things. This will be the last nail in the coffin.

[Conan_the_shooti...]

"Don't call it a comeback: No telling what Leno, Stewart and the rest will do"

http://canadianpress.google.com/article/AL...6tPWmGl5PiVL-dA

"Don't call it a comeback: No telling what Leno, Stewart and the rest will do
1 hour ago
NEW YORK - Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel and Jon Stewart all plan returns to late-night television over the next two weeks, but aside from their familiar faces, viewers may not recognize much.
After two months away because of the still-unresolved writers strike, NBC's Leno and O'Brien, and ABC's Kimmel, resume their programs next Tuesday, Jan. 2. Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert come back to Comedy Central the following Monday, Jan. 7.
Barring a new year's miracle, none of their writers will be joining them.
David Letterman is also pushing to return Jan. 2, but his Worldwide Pants production company is still trying to reach its own deal to bring his show's writers back onboard.
The hosts - with the exception of NBC's Carson Daly - are also members of the striking Writer's Guild of America, making them subject to union rules that would severely limit what they can do.
The union's strike rules say members cannot write or perform any material that would normally be written for them. Under this interpretation, for example, Jay Leno couldn't perform a monologue, because his staff of writers normally crafts his jokes.
The comic skits that are a part of several late-night shows would also be off-limits without writers.
"I think that people will see some interesting television," said Chris Albers, former president of Writer's Guild of America East and a comedy writer for O'Brien. "Obviously, these are some of the funniest people in the country so they're probably going to do a very good job. It's just a different animal than what they're used to and what we're used to."
In a conference call with reporters last week, producers of NBC's "Tonight" and "Late Night" said they were still trying to figure out what their shows would look like. They weren't willing to talk further this week, a spokesman said.
Comic ad-libbing, musical performances and lengthier appearances by interview subjects willing to cross picket lines are the most likely recourse.
"I don't know what they're going to do," said Mike Sweeney, head writer for O'Brien's NBC show. "My obvious speculation would be more guests, and maybe talk to them more slowly."
Stewart and Stephen Colbert would appear to have the toughest time reconfiguring their programs, which have a large amount of scripted material. By a strict interpretation of the guild's rules, a member would be prohibited from performing as a character if union writers normally write material for the character.
Colbert performs his entire show in the character of a blowhard political commentator.
"We don't know how he's going to do it," said Sherry Goldman, spokeswoman for the Writers Guild of America East, "and I'm not so sure that he's figured it out yet."
Comedy Central would not let its executives talk about planning for the shows' returns.
Only two late-night shows were affected when writers went on strike in 1988: Johnny Carson's "Tonight" show and Letterman's program, both on NBC. Carson was not a writer's guild member, so he wrote his monologue himself for the few weeks that he worked without writers.
His monologue, part of the fabric of American life, was welcomed back but Carson's writer-less debut in May 1988 didn't draw raves: "The whole show seemed lame," wrote the Washington Post's Tom Shales at the time, "unfunny comic Joe Piscopo, Ed McMahon showing photos of his little girl, a hackneyed arrangement of Irving Berlin tunes by the band and film of mating condors."
Letterman's "Late Night" substituted comedy with freewheeling filler. One gag had the show's associate director playing "Lady of Spain" on the accordion, night after night.
"Fifty-five minutes, ladies and gentlemen, 55 minutes to go!" he said early in one show. "That's all we're really trying to accomplish, is to eat up valuable network time."
Letterman weighed in frequently on the strike, calling network management "money-grubbing scum."
While the strike raises the possibility of train-wreck television, some performers may thrive in without-a-net circumstances. A critic in the New York Times wrote that Letterman's strike programs were often "downright exciting," a throwback to the early years of late-night television when there was more improvisation.
It's uncertain whether Letterman will get the chance to repeat the experience. His representatives were still talking with the union on Thursday. Donald Trump and Shooter Jennings are booked as a guest for Letterman's Jan. 2 show - if there is one.
There's a difference of opinion among union members about whether cutting a separate deal with Letterman is wise, Albers said. Some believe it would put pressure on NBC to settle the strike because Leno would be at a competitive disadvantage; others think it would be wrong to effectively reward CBS with a show using the services of writers, he said.
Sweeney has his own secret wish for O'Brien if he returns without writers.
"I hope he tries to hold a telethon to raise money for us," he said."

................................................................................
............................

I'm standing right with you on this, Conan O'Brien,... I'm standing right with you, on your 'tortuous decision' to come back.

CCC

[latenightgoddess]

Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel and Jon Stewart all plan returns to late-night television over the next two weeks, but aside from their familiar faces, viewers may not recognize much.

These shows are almost guaranteed to be a disaster, and the fact that all of these WGA member/hosts (save Letterman) are willing to return without writers is mind-boggling. Yeah, it will be compelling to watch those shows without writers for about a day to see how no one figured out what to do with their shows in this predicament - an indication that they probably shouldn't be doing shows at all - but beyond that, this will probably only serve to prolong the strike. How is that good for anyone but the AMPTP? There have got to be hidden motives involved here. There were practical ways to keep these shows' staffs paid besides screwing the writers.

One of the things that bothers me the most is that in the early years of Late Night when Conan wasn't the all-star performer that he is now, he would talk about how the writing is what saved the show and ultimately kept him on the air. Now, Conan can do the show in his sleep, and apparently it's not too difficult to say "I don't need you anymore" to the writers. That's just one way this can be viewed. If he truly believed the show was going to be terrible without the writers, would he even toy with the idea of doing it? I don't know. None of this makes sense to me. I am disappointed and upset by Conan's decision. It seems that Sweeney is understandably hurt by it too.

[SonOfJoel_1]

Correct me if im wrong (and im sure you will) but ISNT Conan a WRITER himself? Im sure that with 14 years of shows under his belt, there is alot of things he wasnt able to do before. Im stayin positive.

Hi raymel,

Yes...but none of the late night hosts will be able to perform any material that they normally would have had written for them while the strike is ongoing. David Bauder has a good rundown of the situation here:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071227/ap_en_...Q8yGrlu5o.2GL8C

SOJ

[Shenandoah]

Hi raymel,

Yes...but none of the late night hosts will be able to perform any material that they normally would have had written for them while the strike is ongoing. David Bauder has a good rundown of the situation here:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071227/ap_en_...Q8yGrlu5o.2GL8C
SOJ

Conan can do a Jack Paar -- have 3 or 4 guests on and everybody sit around and bat the breeze. It's good to have two people on who can't get along, like Paar would have Zsa Zsa and Georgie Jessel -- every time Georgie tried to say something (and believe me he was never at a loss for words) Zsa Zsa would interrupt him, talk loudly and try to drown him out.

[Conan_the_shooti...]

These shows are almost guaranteed to be a disaster, and the fact that all of these WGA member/hosts (save Letterman) are willing to return without writers is mind-boggling. Yeah, it will be compelling to watch those shows without writers for about a day to see how no one figured out what to do with their shows in this predicament - an indication that they probably shouldn't be doing shows at all - but beyond that, this will probably only serve to prolong the strike. How is that good for anyone but the AMPTP? There have got to be hidden motives involved here. There were practical ways to keep these shows' staffs paid besides screwing the writers.

One of the things that bothers me the most is that in the early years of Late Night when Conan wasn't the all-star performer that he is now, he would talk about how the writing is what saved the show and ultimately kept him on the air. Now, Conan can do the show in his sleep, and apparently it's not too difficult to say "I don't need you anymore" to the writers. That's just one way this can be viewed. If he truly believed the show was going to be terrible without the writers, would he even toy with the idea of doing it? I don't know. None of this makes sense to me. I am disappointed and upset by Conan's decision. It seems that Sweeney is understandably hurt by it too.

These shows are almost guaranteed to be a disaster, and the fact that all of these WGA member/hosts (save Letterman) are willing to return without writers is mind-boggling. Yeah, it will be compelling to watch those shows without writers for about a day to see how no one figured out what to do with their shows in this predicament - an indication that they probably shouldn't be doing shows at all

I know you are upset because at one point you're saying "These shows are almost guaranteed to be a disaster", and the next to saying "Now, Conan can do the show in his sleep, and apparently it's not too difficult to say "I don't need you anymore" to the writers". Sure, Mike Sweeney head writer must have been crushed and disappointed when Conan decided he HAD to come back, but he also stated that, "we all know what a difficult position Conan is in. He's been incredibly supportive of us."


Actually, Conan did state in his interview with Charlie Rose in 1996? that even though a part of his show is scripted like the monologues, he still ad-libs around it and in between the jokes and essentially he has to ad-lib throughout the show. Conan was being very modest in giving his fellow writers so much credit on his show. The sketches and bits are really a collective ensemble from all the writers including contributor, writer Conan O'Brien which will be greatly missed. For I do love the Late Night writers sooooo much, I want to scream in pain for them. Trust me, I am sure Conan feels terrible about this. But there is an old adage in Hollywood, 'the show must go on... ' with or without you. I've seen it too many times. Nobody is indispensable in this business, in fact many producers believe you're only as good as your last performance... well anyway...

I am certain that Conan, a smart, kind Harvard graduate must have weighed it out Very carefully, and realized at the end of the day his only real choice was to go back and save his show, his people.

I also feel since we are not a communist society but corporate america, the employers will always get much much so much more than their employees even if it doesn't seem fair. I also realize that the writers know that. Clearly, the Writers deserve internet download compensation, for their work and I would fight for that too. Late Night shows returning will not lenghthen the process for the strikers. I feel that since the Amptp who employs the writers and hosts like Conan etc., it is always difficult for employers and employees see things the same way. I also feel that it is crucial to get a union leader that is more likable and respected to the opposing side in order to get more accomplished then when someone 'rubs' the 'employers' AMPTP the wrong way. Like in the broadway musical made to movie, 1776. John Adams for years COULD NOT GET any of his proposals to be even heard amongst his colleagues such as voting to break free from England's rule because Adams was disagreeable even disliked by many, so Penn Franklin had Robert E Lee do it, whom all parties liked well enough to listen to him etc... the result is we are now a free nation today... happy 4th of July.

Unfortunately, many times it is not so much as 'What is being asked for but by Whom!!! Therefore I strongly believe to get the amptp backed to the tables they NEED a different negotiator for the wga that the ampta also respects. It wouldn't hurt to remove a little bit off the wga's asking table unrelated to the internet downloads, to help facilitate these two parties in getting back to talking. I strongly believe if the WGA does not make these changes ASAP this strike will go on and on... infecting all those around it like a virus.

There were practical ways to keep these shows' staffs paid besides screwing the writers.

I am curious as to what you think that would be? Don't you think if there was a way to appease his bosses and save his non writers, without going back he would?


What will Conan's show be like now w/o his great writers? I used to watch the daytime talk show The Merv Griffin show as a child and I think Conan's show for now, until his writers come back, will resemble that format.


Sorry for any typos...

CCC

P.S> this song comes to mind from moulin rouge



Today's the day
When dreaming ends

Zidler:
Another hero. Another mindless crime.
Behind the curtain, in the pantomime.
On and on
Does anybody know
What we are living for
Whatever happens
We leave it all to chance
Another heartache
Another failed romance
On and on
Does anybody know
What we are living for

The show must go on
The show must go on
Outside the dawn is breaking
On the stage that holds
Our final destiny
The show must go on
The show must go on

Satine:
Inside my heart is breaking
My makeup may be flaking
But my smile still stays on

The show must go on
The show must go on

I'll top the bill
I'll earn the kill
I have to find the will to carry
On with the
On with the
On with the show

On with the SHOW!
On with the SHOW!

The show must
The show must go on

[Conan_the_shooti...]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU3D3iTFrtI...feature=related

from moulin rouge the show must go on... come what may

[latenightgoddess]

The show isn't going on. An empty shadow of the show is going on.

Don't you think if there was a way to appease his bosses and save his non writers, without going back he would?

I have absolutely no idea. I'm not Conan and I don't know his motives or the details of what goes on between him, NBC, his staff, and his writers. Letterman found the "option B" and is respectably returning with writers (as is Craig Ferguson), although I understand the circumstances surrounding the ownership of those shows are different than those at NBC. Maybe Conan could've continued to do what he was doing until NBC execs decided they didn't like the advantage that the Late Show and Late Late Show had with new scripted shows on CBS against their reruns of the Tonight Show and Conan and would've decided to negotiate with the WGA. But NBC already has Jay & Conan agreeing to be out there on their own doing new shows, so NBC automatically has less of a reason to consider negotiating. I realize there's really nothing that can be done about that now so it's pointless to even speculate about what could've been done or might have happened if Conan and Jay had stuck to their guns and stayed off the air.

[Conan_the_shooti...]

I too should never post when I am upset like I am over this strike. I am all over the place in my writing.
Anyway, in regards to my reference about Communism what I meant was I am glad we are Corporate America, it gives anyone an opportunity to prosper and reap the rewards in this country. In communism... something Seinfeld alluded to, in his episode was... 'that's why communism never caught on etc...'
I was trying to convey that of course 'conglomerates' will always make more than it's subordinates. I remember a coworker complained about the owner driving a mercedes when she did all this hard work and could hardly pay her bills with her salary. She was very resentful. Then years later she married and became the owner of a corporation and saw it in a different light.
However, this is different, for I feel the writers want a small piece of the internet pie, they are humble creative people and deserve it. I'll stop there.

[Conan_the_shooti...]

The show isn't going on. An empty shadow of the show is going on.

Maybe Conan could've continued to do what he was doing until NBC execs decided they didn't like the advantage that the Late Show and Late Late Show had with new scripted shows on CBS against their reruns of the Tonight Show and Conan and would've decided to negotiate with the WGA. But NBC already has Jay & Conan agreeing to be out there on their own doing new shows, so NBC automatically has less of a reason to consider negotiating. I realize there's really nothing that can be done about that now so it's pointless to even speculate about what could've been done or might have happened if Conan and Jay had stuck to their guns and stayed off the air.

I actually was writing my last comment when you posted this so I missed this.

Maybe Conan could've continued to do what he was doing until NBC execs decided they didn't like the advantage that the Late Show and Late Late Show had with new scripted shows on CBS against their reruns of the Tonight Show and Conan and would've decided to negotiate with the WGA.

*But at the time that Leno and Conan was pressured to come back there was no WGA deal with Letterman. In fact I read, "This happened by the slimmest of all possible margins." So tough that Dave's negotiating team didn't know whether the pact would be approved by the WGA until the very last minute today." Meaning many people didn't think this letterman deal was ever going to come to fruition.

But NBC already has Jay & Conan agreeing to be out there on their own doing new shows, so NBC automatically has less of a reason to consider negotiating.

I read that all AMPTP members signed a pledge (including Jeff Zucker) that they would NOT consider Independent Dealings with the WGA and that in the aftermath, Letterman was only able to work it out yesterday because his company is not part of the AMPTP therefore Conan and Leno coming back now did not harm negotiations considerations of NBC with the writers.

However, I did read from your other post from the WGA that they are hoping this letterman deal may cause NBC to put their strong influence on the AMPTP to re-negotiate.

I just feel Conan O'Brien is a victim in all this and that makes me mad!!!

[sissarui330]

I can see how great it would be if Conan could have pulled a great "Mr. Smith's goes to washington" type Fillibuster for all of his writers, but the hard reality is that there are other people who go into working at late night. Camera men, graphic designers, tons of team players who need to work to support families. It was the right thing to do in the mean time.

[nobody1me]

Knock Knock
Who's there?
Writers
Writers who?
Writers who I desperately need

that would get a laugh

[uuf]

...bump...
10 minutes until the mystery is solved of how Conan shall approach this...

[Conan_the_shooti...]

quote name='LateNightGoddess' date='Dec 18 2007, 08:09 AM' post='2794867']
I see Conan's return as a huge betrayal to his writers and the WGA, and potentially harmful to his important relationship with them, unless he makes the show about supporting the WGA. If I see a character or any recycled material on the show, I will be extremely irate and I don't think I'll be able to watch Conan again until the strike ends. I'm going to feel incredibly guilty watching any episode of Late Night without writers as it is, and I'll feel slightly less guilty if Conan uses the monologue and sketch time to advocate for the writers. I could care less about seeing Conan interview whichever d-list celebrities are crossing the picket lines that day.

http://tvdecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01...etly-picket/?hp

The Writers Guild of America mounted a small line of picketers outside an entrance to Rockefeller Center Wednesday afternoon as audience members of “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” waited inside.

About 15 writers quietly picketed in the numbing cold along 48th Street, a far cry from the 200 who had gathered for previous demonstrations outside Rockefeller Center. Michael Winship, president of the East Coast guild, said the small size was strategic.

“We don’t want to interrupt the shows. We don’t want to mess up Conan’s life,” Mr. Winship said.

Mr. O’Brien, a member of the writers’ guild, has publicly supported his writing staff. Mr. Winship said Mr. O’Brien was made aware that the picketing was not a personal attack. Rather, Mr. Winship said, the pickets were meant to protest Mr. O’Brien’s corporate parent for “forcing him back on the air” and to encourage guests not to cross the picket lines to appear on the show.

Bob Schneider, a vice president for the East Coast guild, reiterated that point, saying: “We’re not picketing Conan. We’re picketing NBC.” He pointed to a peacock logo on the building.

Mr. Schneider added: “When all the late-night hosts return between Jan. 2 and 7, you get the feeling somebody put the hammer down,” remarked Mr. Schneider. “It was whoever heads Viacom. It was whoever heads GE. It was whoever heads Disney.”


(Frank Franklin II/AP)
Inside the building, “Late Night” fans received wristbands for a late-afternoon show taping. Several of the fans said they sympathized with the writers.

Bill Bucher, a 20-year-old fan from Pennsauken, New Jersey, said he had requested tickets for “Late Night” on a whim in November.

“Because of the strike I didn’t expect to ever see him,” Mr. Bucher said.

Ashley Nicoletti, a 21-year-old from Holland, Pennsylvania, said she requested tickets in December, knowing the strike could cancel her plans. She jokingly labeled Mr. O’Brien’s return a “miracle” and said she had no apprehensions about seeing the comedian perform without the support of his writing staff.

“He’ll ad-lib, which will be awesome,” she said.

Similarly, her friend Erin Pollock, 21, also of Holland, said she wasn’t concerned about the impact that a picket line could have on Mr. O’Brien’s ability to book guests.

“It doesn’t matter who’s on, as long as Conan is there,” Ms. Pollock said.

Rebecca Greer, 22, and James Crosslin, 18, both came from Long Island to see “Late Night.”

For the past two months, late-night TV has been, in a word, boring, Ms. Greer said. Mr. O’Brien’s show, like the others, reverted to reruns on Nov. 5 when the strike commenced.

“I watch Conan every night, so I recognized the repeats right away,” she said.

Fans seemed mostly unaware of the economic issues at the heart of the writers’ strike, but had felt the effects on television.

“The strike has killed some of our favorite shows,” Mr. Crosslin complained, citing “Heroes” on NBC and “Lost” on ABC as two examples.

Picketing outside NBC is expected to continue Thursday and possibly Friday."


................................................................................
...............................


It's a relief to see the wga understands and appreciates Conan's support.

He even kept his beard. Love you Conan welcome back.... you too Aaron baby!!!

[uuf]

His beard is almost as big at Letterman's...that can't be real...he can't grow that much facial hair...

[latenightgoddess]

Lots Of On-Air WGA Support: A Sneak Peek At Late Night TV's Official Return
Deadline Hollywood, Wednesday, Jan 2nd, 2008 at 04:46PM

CONAN O'BRIEN: In Rockefeller Plaza, Conan O'Brien also sported a strike beard. (Shown here earlier.) But it was his lame opening that really surprised me. Forget that it was not funny at all. Which clearly meant no writers were used to prepare it, WGA or scabs. But I thought it bizarre that Conan had barely referred to the writers strike, even though he has been a WGA member for some time. But then I discovered that when NBC gave me the "official" transcript of O'Brien's remarks, they left out every sentence he said in support of the writers. That's right -- NBC didn't provide me with the whole transcript of Conan's monologue. Now they're trying to claim it was just a giant mistake.

So here is what I never was informed Conan said: "Let's talk for a minute about the situation we find ourselves in. As you know, two months ago the Writers Guild of America went out on strike and we took our show Late Night with Conan O'Brien off the air in support of the writers. This has been a tough time not only for our show, but for a lot of people in the entertainment industry. Good people right now are out of work. And possibly worse, with all the late night shows off the air, Americans have been forced to read books and occasionally even speak to one another, which has been horrifying.

"We're back now but sadly, we do not have our writers with us. I want to make this clear, I support their cause -- these are very talented, very creative people who work extremely hard and I believe what they're asking for is fair. My biggest wish is that they get a great deal very quickly and get back here because we desperately need them on the show. Think about it: Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, The Masturbating Bear, The Walker Texas Ranger Lever -- it's s all writing. Well, not the Masturbating Bear. That's just instinct. Which brings us to the big $64,000 question of the evening: What do we do now?"

But here are the only excerpts from the partial transcript of Conan's monologue which I received: "Everywhere I go in the city for the last couple of days I hear, 'What are you gonna do? You got a whole show to do. What are you gonna do? You got no writers.' We have no writers and an hour show to do every night. Well ladies and gentlemen, we're going to start by talking about my beard. ...I grew it out of solidarity for my writers, and to prove that I have some testosterone. The biggest comment I'm getting the last couple of days is that I look like the character of Kris Kringle in 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town.' [There's a split screen showing the similarities.] I've been taking a lot of flak for this beard, but I think you'll find that if you look closely at this beard, it's actually quite amazing. Let's do that now in a quick Strike Beard Moment." O'Brien finished the top of the show by demonstrating his wedding ring spinning prowess and showing a video package of what he and his skeleton crew staff have been doing during the strike. The main guest was even lamer than the monologue: Bob Saget. No, I'm not kidding.
-----------------

Late Night Solidarity -- �and Scabbing
By Matthew Rothschild, January 3, 2008
The Progressive

Wednesday night, we saw a rare thing on CBS: real labor solidarity.

There was David Letterman, honoring the strike by the Writers Guild of America. His company, Worldwide Pants, which owns the Letterman Show, agreed to the union's terms, so he wasn't crossing a picket line like Leno or Conan or Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert.
He was honoring a picket line.
And he made no bones about where he stood.
From the opening chorus line with picket signs, to the reading of the top ten list by striking writers from other programs (including from Conan's and the Daily Show), to offering a strike captain time to rant, to his own multiple endorsements of the writers, Letterman couldn't have been clearer.
He stood with the strikers against the big studios. Hell, he even mentioned the name of Eugene V. Debs.

But what about Leno? Or Conan? Or Jon Stewart and Colbert?
They say their bosses ordered them to cross the picket line.
But what if they refused?
Would the bosses really have canned them, since they are such cash cows for GE and Viacom?
I really doubt it.

Leno and Conan and Jon Stewart and Colbert could have exercised real courage, since they had maximum leverage against the corporate honchos.
In fact, they may have been able, just among themselves, to bring the strike to an end on terms favorable to the writers.
But they caved.
Shame on them. Kudos to Dave
---------------------

Based on the first show back, I think Conan should've stayed off the air. When is it not going to be all about Conan? Probably never. He didn't really talk much about the strike other than saying he supports the writers and wants them to get "a great deal very quickly." As I suspected, he's unable to seriously talk about anything important on the air for whatever reason -- his personality, the oppressive NBC, or a combination -- at least not for more than the "minute" he allowed for it at the top of the show. It's all fine and dandy for Conan to get through talking about how much he supports the writers and that he grew a beard in solidarity with them as quickly as humanly possible. But how about actually PROVING that he supports them -- either by talking about the strike (look to Letterman for guidance) or getting the heck off the air. He didn't even attempt to educate about what's really going on, which disappointed me. He said, "I believe what they're asking for is fair" -- a perfect opporunity for him to elaborate. Probably at least half of his audience doesn't know why the writers are on strike, what they're (reasonably) asking for, why they deserve everything they're asking for, or that Conan is a WGA member himself. I did appreciate his mocking of the "producers" via petting the invisible cat, followed by the "What the hell am I doing? I think we should immediately go back off the air." That was a joke, but I think there's probably that voice in the back of his head questioning whether or not he made the right decision. There was absolutely no explanation of why he was doing a show without the writers -- also disappointing. I thought that if Conan made some attempt at making a case for why his return was necessary, I might be able to understand it. But he didn't. It did seem like some moments were intentionally made to be very near to unwatchable, which was good. He seemed uneasy and/or upset at times.

The only part of the show I genuinely enjoyed, besides finally hearing Jeff Ross speak, was the remote that was shot in and around Conan's office, but that's something I'd be overjoyed to see regardless of whether the writers were on strike. Watching Conan do a writerless show was pretty devastating to me, and I was upset to see him out there having a good time while the writers are on the picket line getting screwed. I watch Conan to see the sketches and I get easily annoyed when he starts blowing off steam at the desk about something menial and consequently part of act 1 or the entire act 3 sketch is cut. I guess there are people who enjoy the ad-libbing more than the written comedy, and I'm not one of them. Maybe I just prefer structure to aimless drivel. Nonetheless, I can't NOT watch this show, despite my guilt over it.

I read that Leno and Conan won in the ratings but Letterman did better in NY than Leno. The interest in the writerless shows may gradually diminish, but I'm not sure. I think it's mostly dependent on what Jay and Conan decide to do (e.g. what they "write" for themselves). Conan brought up the joke/threat that he often makes about dancing to the sounds of the Max Weinberg 7 for the whole show and said it's more of a possibility now. That would be almost a surefire way to sink his ratings after the first 5-10 minutes but I doubt he'll do it. I guess what the hosts resort to doing also depends on how long the strike drags on. I can't/don't want to imagine Conan going on like this for more than a couple of weeks.

Conan has a great opportunity to support the WGA on a large scale with his tv show, and I don't want to see him be careless with it.

[Conan_the_shooti...]

Late Night Solidarity -- �and Scabbing
By Matthew Rothschild, January 3, 2008
The Progressive

Wednesday night, we saw a rare thing on CBS: real labor solidarity.

There was David Letterman, honoring the strike by the Writers Guild of America. His company, Worldwide Pants, which owns the Letterman Show, agreed to the union's terms, so he wasn't crossing a picket line like Leno or Conan or Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert.
He was honoring a picket line.
And he made no bones about where he stood.
From the opening chorus line with picket signs, to the reading of the top ten list by striking writers from other programs (including from Conan's and the Daily Show), to offering a strike captain time to rant, to his own multiple endorsements of the writers, Letterman couldn't have been clearer.
He stood with the strikers against the big studios. Hell, he even mentioned the name of Eugene V. Debs.

But what about Leno? Or Conan? Or Jon Stewart and Colbert?
They say their bosses ordered them to cross the picket line.
But what if they refused?
Would the bosses really have canned them, since they are such cash cows for GE and Viacom?
I really doubt it.

Leno and Conan and Jon Stewart and Colbert could have exercised real courage, since they had maximum leverage against the corporate honchos.
In fact, they may have been able, just among themselves, to bring the strike to an end on terms favorable to the writers.
But they caved.
Shame on them. Kudos to Dave

I say shame of this Matthew Rothschild.

Is he clueless to the fact David Letterman went back without his writers and as a guild member too in 1988 writers strike-- the very moment Johnny Carson returned?

Do you or anyone really believe the Studio can't sue you for breath of contract as a Show Host? HELLO... they can.

And we can try to presume, speculate whatever we like but the truth remains no one but David Letterman knows what he would have done if the WGA deal fell though. You can't give him kuddos over Conan without knowing that.

Furthermore, I do not doubt for a minute that if Conan owned his own show like Letterman that he would have done the same deal for the writers. That's a no brainer.

Lastly, Conan cannot devote his entire show to the writers strike! This is a business and even though there are many supporters out there, including moi...the majority of the viewers just want to be entertainer and don't want to be used or placed in the middle of the WGA and AMPTP war. I can't pretend that to the consumer it is all about the writers when in truth is it is all about pleasing the public and getting them to watch your show. -If you want a place in show business...

I will also state if the writers start to attack someone with such intergrity as Conan then they risk losing my good opinion... and support.

CCC