WGA STRIKE COVERAGE: Writers Guild 'Appalled' at NBC's Carson Daly
First Late-Night Show to Return Since WGA Strike Hit
By Marisa Guthrie -- Broadcasting & Cable, 11/27/2007 6:28:00 PM
The Writers Guild of America Tuesday chastised Carson Daly for his plans to return to work on his NBC late-night show.
“We’re disappointed at Carson Daly’s decision to return to work. Mr. Daly is not a writer and not a member of the WGA, unlike other late-night hosts Jay Leno, David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Craig Ferguson, Jimmy Kimmel, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, who have all resisted network pressure and honored our writers’ picket lines," the WGA said in a statement. "We’re especially appalled at Mr. Daly’s call for non-Guild writers to provide him with jokes. We hope he’ll change his mind and follow the lead of the other late-night hosts.”
NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly is the first late-night entry to go back into production since the Writers Guild of America strike shut down Hollywood more than three weeks ago.
The news comes on the heels of new -- and, by all accounts, civilized -- talks between the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers Monday and Tuesday.
Daly will begin taping new shows this week that are scheduled to air next week. The half-hour show, which airs weeknights at 1:35 a.m., is heavy on musical performances and guests and light on scripted comedic sketches. And while Daly has traditionally opened Last Call with a monologue, it's unclear if the shows taping this week will feature one. Daly is not a member of the WGA.
Like the other late-night talkers, Last Call has been in repeats since the strike. But such topical shows have a finite shelf life, and three weeks of reruns have sent most ratings into the doldrums. (Last week, ABC's Nightline beat CBS' Late Show with David Letterman in total viewers and news' target demographic of 25- to 54-year-olds.)
David Letterman's Worldwide Pants -- which produces Late Show, as well as Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson -- will pay the staffs of both shows through the end of the year. And the staffs of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with Conan O'Brien have been told that they will be paid at least until the end of the month.
Additional reporting by Ben Grossman
For full coverage of the strike, click here.
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Carson Daly is a lousy louse. He is the embarrasing zit on the face of late night talk shows. He is SO NOT FUNNY! What's he gonna do - not speak and have crappy bands on? And his interviews with actresses are creepy! Each one is a perfect photo-op for Hot Chicks with Douche Bags (which by the way, is a brilliant site). There's a huge difference between neurotic comedy and feigned personality - will someone please give Carson the memo?
Tre$ Tragique - 11/29/2007 3:46:00 PM EST -
These holier than thou "lynching mob" type, so called ''writers supporters'' sicken me.
As they these''writers supporters'' sit comfortably with their regular paychecks and do their carefree shopping for the holiday... while people like non-writers are faced with no money, no job and FEAR!!!
After a MONTH of Carson Daly honoring the writers strike, even though he is not a writer like Jay Leno and the rest of the hosts, with self interest who get a piece of the writer''s pie, Carson shut down production and honored the strike.
Now that it is rumored the strike is about to end, with the AMPTP and the WGA talking in seclusion, Carson decides he needs to bring back his laid off staff, these supporters of the union writers who are getting residuals/royalties throughout the strike, want to crucify Daly.
Welcome to American where according to some, freedom of choice only applies to them.
Supporter of Writers And Non-Writers - 11/29/2007 2:13:00 PM EST -
NBC has to make money. They are bleeding to death. Nobody watches them anymore. I wonder why.
Bruce VB - 11/28/2007 10:43:00 PM EST -
It's a shame he had to go back, but I don't think of him as a scab since he isn't in the union and isn't trying to break the strike.
Shows like his are easily dropped for low ratings and I'd hate to see permanent job loses over this. Remember the reason for this strike is to attain fairness in receiving compensation from new revenue streams, not permanently injuring other creative artists.
Franklin J. - 11/28/2007 12:45:00 PM EST -
How typical of that no-talent jerk to be the first one to weaken. I do not demur from the previous posters characterization: SCAP!
Dermot O'Brien - 11/28/2007 9:22:00 AM EST
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