TV with MeeVee

Jimmy Fallon Will Take Conan's Chair, But We Knew That

As I type these words I'm half-listening to an NBC conference call/press conference, live from 30 Rock, where Lorne Michaels and a bunch of NBC bigwigs are introducing Jimmy Fallon as the next host of "Late Night." Fallon's appointment, though, has been widely reported for weeks if not months.

Former "Saturday Night Live" standout Fallon will take over Conan O'Brien's "Late Night" chair sometime in the first half of 2009, but that's about the only specific anyone has to give us. There are few scraps of info on what Fallon's "Late Night" will be like - he says he's not going to "reinvent the wheel," and that there will be comedy and interviews and music. He just said that one change he's going to make is that "Late Night" will now be "a morning show." Rimshot please!

This, of course, is just the first of many shoes to drop as NBC implements a deal it made four years ago which will find O'Brien taking the "Tonight Show" reins from Jay Leno next year. There have been grumbles from the Leno camp that he doesn't want to leave, and competitors like ABC are ready to snap him up when he does go, next year. Conan, of course, got "Late Night" when David Letterman moved to CBS after being passed over for the "Tonight Show" gig.

Meanwhile, Fallon is leaving the world of (mostly mediocre) movies for the grueling grind of late-night television. His wife, at least, knows what it's going to be like. "She left me a note this morning that said 'Nice knowing you,' " Fallon said.

McCain On Letterman

I'm cool. I'm cool. Hey everybody. Look at me smile. I'm John McCain. I'm on a late-night talk show. Letter-Man. I'm not at all similar to Montgomery Burns. Elect me! Vote for me! I'll smile all you want! And rule you with an iron fist!

Barack Obama Top 10 List

Sen. Barack Obama delivered the Top 10 Barack Obama Campaign Promises on CBS' "Late Show With David Letterman" last night, and while late-night appearances are now a commonplace among candidates, this was pretty good. Being from Massachusetts, my favorite was naming Mitt Romney "Secretary of Lookin' Good." Which is, of course, all the two-faced creep is good for. Here's the video, but you can also see it and read the list at Letterman's site.

Letterman Advantages: Lucy Liu

Letterman's deal with the WGA means he gets writers, but it also means he can book guests on his show who won't cross picket lines. The other hosts, like Leno and Conan and Colbert, are stuck with fewer options.

Meanwhile, Letterman's got a monopoly on folks like Lucy Liu, shown here arriving at the taping for last night's show.

Yeah, that's an incentive to bargain right there.

Ah, to own one's own production company!

Writers Strike: Where We Are Now

Developments came fast and furious over the weekend, and you can expect more big news today, as the Golden Globes, Jay Leno and Jimmy Kimmel, Tom Cruise and United Artists are all embroiled in strike related brouhahas. Can you feel the love?

BIG MESS NUMERO UNO: Today could spell the end for next week's Golden Globe Awards, at least the televised version. Late last week the Screen Actors Guild announced that its members would not cross Writers Guild of America picket lines to attend the ceremony. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association tried to get a Letterman-style waiver deal from the WGA, but failed. So will NBC want to pay a fat rights fee for a show without big stars? Doubtful. Expect NBC and the HFPA to have an announcement today. One possibility was that the telecast would be canceled, allowed the awards show to go on, so at least the stars could have their ego moments - Steven Spielberg is getting the Cecil B. DeMille Award! Rumer Willis is Miss Golden Globes! -  and the studios would be able to put "Winner of Five Golden Globes!" in their movie ads.

BIG MESS NUMERO DOS: NBC is also spank in the middle of a nasty pissing match with the WGA over Jay Leno's return to the airwaves with a monologue he's writing himself. Jay and the network say he has the right to pen his own gags - and in some versions of the story from their camp, the WGA promised to look the other way. But the WGA says Leno is in violation of the WGA contract. Leno could adopt the obscure "fi-core" clause in the contract and opt out of the guild, but it's not clear what the long-term effect of such a move would be. Somebody's going to get stung here. Meanwhile Leno and fellow L.A.-based host Jimmy Kimmel are going to combat the lack of big-name guests on their WGA-boycotted shows by doing a crossover on Thursday night, with Leno visiting Kimmel's ABC talker and Kimmel heading to the "Tonight Show."

In other late-night news, amid plunging ratings for reruns, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert return to the air tonight on Comedy Central, sans writers, and it should be interesting to see how that's going to work. Bill Maher will also return to the air this week, but he can ease into more of a talk-show format which much pain.

BIG MESS NUMERO TRES: The Tom Cruise-run United Artists studio has signed a Letterman-style waiver deal with the WGA that would allow production on its projects to go ahead. That's be a second crack in the united front of studios and productions houses aligned against the WGA, and things are getting ugly behind the scenes. It seems likely that behind the scenes the AMPTP members are frantically dialing each other on their Crackberries and iPhones to make sure no one else is going to jump ship. Compared to the solidarity that SAG is showing with the writers (see BIG MESS NUMERO UNO), things are looking just a bit shaky for the moguls. But then there's also the Directors Guild, which is beginning its own negotiations with the AMPTP and is believed to be considerably less sympathetic to the writers.

We'll be watching developments all day. Meanwhile, here's Letterman talking about the strike:

Late Night Ratings - Bigger Pie, Same Sized Slices

The much ballyhooed - by us, among many others - return of late-night TV shows on Wednesday was, well, much the same as the old late-night scene, at least in terms of ratings.

Despite lacking writers due to the strike, NBC's "Tonight Show With Jay Leno" topped the professionally written "Late Show With David Letterman" by about a million viewers in early ratings (5.8 million to 4.7 million). The other shows lined up about as usual. But everyone got a bigger audience than usual, too, thanks to the ballyhoo.

Dave Vs. Jay, The First Night Back

Both late-night hosts went for writers strike jokes big-time. It was when they moved to other material that the difference became clear.

CBS' "Late Show With David Letterman" and NBC's "Tonight Show With Jay Leno" returned to the air tonight for the first time since the writers strike began Nov. 5, and the difference was that Letterman has writers - and Robin Williams. Both shows opened with a barrage of strike humor, and Leno - apparently writing his own monologue - had gags like "There are more people picketing NBC now than watching NBC." His most pointed piece was a tongue-in-cheek look at NBC honcho Jeff Zucker's mansion and butler, compared to the squalid shanties of "Writer Town."

For his part, the newly bearded Dave went on about the pain of spending time with his family during the strike, and reassured his audience that the pickets outside weren't angry writers but "people who just hate the show." But then he too geared it up, as his his head writer Bill Scheft read a comic-yet-serious statement exhorting producers to "stop spending money on cufflinks, cocktails and whores" and come back to the negotiating table. Then Letterman introduced a Top 10 list written by his own writers: "Top 10 Demands of the Striking Writers." The jokes themselves were not as meaningful, perhaps, as the fact that they were read by real striking writers - from "The Daily Show," "The Colbert Report," "Law & Order" and "Late Night With Conan O'Brien," all on other networks. Ouch.

At that point, Leno had to go to a mostly painful audience Q&A segment - "Did you miss doing a New Year's Eve Show?" "We haven't done one for several years." - and a dull Mike Huckabee interview. Since the writers are striking over internet revenues, it was ironic that he had a taped bit from the Internet humor outfit JibJab - but it was a not-so-hot year-in-review piece set (cliche alert!) to the tune of "We Didn't Start The Fire."

Dave, on the other hand, had Williams, who wasn't as magical as he can be, but did open with a two-minute gonzo guitar solo of jokes about Letterman's beard, Civil War reenactments and more. "Ladies and gentlemen, General Lee! ... My God, you should have your own cough drop! ... Nice to see you, rabbi! ... He spent the last eight weeks converting to Judaism, and he circumcised himself! ... I just came from Iraq, where everyone looked like you!"

Round one to Letterman, although the ratings are of course what matters most. And yeah, I know Kimmel is back too, but I'm writing this instead of watching him.

Bearded Letterman Nabs Hillary, Leno Closes Taping

Holy crap, it's Santa! "Late Show With David Letterman" returns to the air tonight with Dave wearing a full beard. Hillary Clinton introduces the Top 10 and a leggy chorus line plays the best-looking WGA picket line ever, in the show taped earlier this evening for airing tonight. How awesome is this? Whatever Robin Williams came up with is going to be an afterthought.

Pictures released by CBS show Dave with a full Sanny Claus eight-week strike beard and hotties carrying Writers Guild of America picket signs. Clearly Letterman, a WGA member, is enjoying sticking it to the "weasels" who run the entertainment conglomerates, including CBS, while supporting the striking writers, with whom he struck a side deal.

Letterman has jokes; writer-less Leno has Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, who appeared surprised on ABC News tonight when informed that he'd have to cross a picket line to get to the show.

Leno's "Tonight Show" taping was closed, perhaps because of rumors that he was going to be heckled from the audience by strikers, although that stealth mission is reportedly scheduled for later in the week.

Writers Strike: Tonight's The (Late) Night

(UPDATED) Tonight is the biggest night for the two-month-old writers strike since the producers stomped away from the table in December. With no talks scheduled and anger rising on both sides, the late night hosts will return to the airwaves with new shows for the first time since the WGA went to the picket lines on Nov. 5. (Yeah, yeah, Carson Daly's back already, but that barely counts.)

What's going to make it really interesting is that CBS' "Late Show With David Letterman" and "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" will be staffed by writers under a special deal that Letterman struck with the WGA, while NBC's "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" and "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" will all try to entertain us without professional comedy scribes. Letterman and Ferguson may also have an easier time booking big-name star guests who don't want to cross the WGA picket line, as the union concentrates its efforts at NBC.

Letterman kicks off tonight with Robin Williams, who should bring his A game for the occasion, along with musical guest Shooter Jennings. Leno has lured Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee out of Iowa for his show. Letterman, long a second-place finisher in the ratings, no doubt hopes for a boost by providing actual professional entertainment. But viewers may also tune in Leno to see how he copes with the deeply odd - and entirely improvised - situation. "Potential train wrecks" as one CBS sources referred to the non-writer shows in the Times yesterday. Bill Maher, Donald Trump and Lupe Fiasco are among Letterman's other scheduled guests this week - ironic because Trump's nonunion reality show "Celebrity Apprentice" debuts on NBC Thursday night.

You might want to read the WGA West president's message to the members about the pickets: Our picket will not be of the hosts themselves but the companies for which their shows are produced. Our purpose is to continue awareness of our strike and the media conglomerates against which we strike, and to encourage performers, politicians and others to honor our picket line and not appear as guests on these struck programs.

No word yet on who will appear on the other shows, but we'll follow that throughout the day. "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report" don't return to the air until Monday.

If you're feeling too sorry for either side, though, best to read this Monday Times story about the "awkward encounters" occurring between the two sides at L.A.'s fanciest bars and restaurants. Poor babies.

Letterman, WGA Make A Deal: What Does It Mean For Writers Strike?

David Letterman's Worldwide Pants company has struck a deal with the WGA that will return the writers to "Late Show" and the Worldwide Pants-owned "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" on Jan. 2, when those two CBS series and their late-night competitors all return to the air. That should give Letterman the creative edge over NBC's Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien and ABC's Jimmy Kimmel, who will return sans writers with shows devoted to musical performances and celebrity interviews. The question is whether it will affect the overall strike situation. If the other late night shows in turn put pressure on their networks...or if Letterman's ratings soar...it could add an incentive for the moguls who run the other shops to return to the negotiating table. But this is only a vague hope at the moment.

The reports:

• Announcement from the writers' side. (United Hollywood)
• And from Letterman. (TV Decoder)
• Insiders say the WGA was worried that allowing some writers to return to work could split the Guild. (Deadline Hollywood Daily)
• Pressure on other shows to intensify. (TV Decoder)
• Mp3: "Late Show" expert Aaron Barnhart talks about the deal. (TV Barn)

Writers Strike Update

It will be interesting to watch today for reverberations from the big weekend news that David Letterman will be the first producing entity to negotiate separate with the writers. Already the WGA's online supporters are bandying around the word "collusion" to describe the AMPTP's purported solidarity.

A nice pincer move by the writers, but I'm afraid it's still early days, people.

• The moguls' new ads - and a few words on their approach. (Deadline Hollywood Daily)
• Solidarity = collusion? (United Hollywood)
• Letterman move a "chink in the armor?" (Reuters)
• SAG is with the WGA. In English, the actors support the writers. (Deadline Hollywood Daily)
• An episode of "Grey's" got filmed without Shonda. (Buddy TV)

WGA, Letterman Moves Could Change The Game For Writers Strike

Step one came at the end of last week when the WGA announced it would respond to the producers' suspension of talks by trying to divide and conquer - that is, negotiate individually with studios and producers. If the studios' solidarity begins to shatter, it could lead to a quick end to the writers strike, at least that's the thinking. The producers' group, the AMPTP, which is dominated by a handful of huge conglomerates, called the WGA's move "grasping at straws."

But the big break came Saturday with word that David Letterman's Worldwide Pants production company would be the first the try to reach an independent, interim deal with the WGA. Letterman has been spending a ton of money out of pocket to pay his non-writing staff while his show and "Late, Late Show With Craig Ferguson," also produced by Worldwide Pants, are dark because of the strike. Getting back in business would help Letterman's bottom line big-time. And if his move is the first shot of the settlement heard 'round Hollywood, he'll look like even more of a hero than he already does. CBS, of course, says publicly it has no part in his move.

(Jay, Conan and Jimmy don't own their shows, but they're also going into their own pockets to pay staff. They are reportedly getting ready to announce this week that they'll be going back to work after Jan. 1, sans writers.)

The reports:

• The Letterman news from Nikki Finke. (Deadline Hollywood Daily)
• Today's Times story on the Letterman move says Jon Stewart will follow his lead. (NYT)
• Another take on the news. (AP)
• The Letterman news could be good for CBS too. (Variety)
• The divide-and-conquer move. (Deadline Hollywood Daily)

"Tonight Show" Becoming A Nightmare (Again) For NBC?

Looks like NBC might be walking into a "Tonight Show" buzz saw for the second time. NBC honcho Jeff Zucker insisted Monday in New York that Jay Leno is going to leave the late-night institution in 2009 as planned, making way for Conan O'Brien to take over the desk. But he spoke out because Leno hasn't. Leno has maintained radio silence since an L.A. Times report a couple of weeks ago claiming that he doesn't want to leave after all. Sources told the Times that Leno has changed his mind and feels NBC twisted his arm to make the deal a couple of years ago. And Leno didn't deny it after the Times story ran; he didn't say anything at all.

So if this deal falls apart, there are two scenarios. One, Leno stays and Conan goes free from NBC with a lovely parting gift of a reported $40 million penalty payment from the network. Or two, Leno goes, and Conan takes over "Tonight," but ratings king Leno is free to take his act to ABC or Fox. Either scenario would be a nightmare for NBC executives who thought they'd managed their way into an orderly transition unlike the Leno-Letterman nightmare of the early 1990s.

With David Letterman likely to retire from his CBS perch sometime in the next decade, NBC had to be thinking about sewing up late-night with the next generation of viewers with Conan at 11:30 and someone like Jon Stewart in Conan's current 12:30 slot. Zucker says he's hoping to convince Leno, a notorious workaholic, to become a primetime player, but that presumably would not involve a nightly show. But if Leno is pissed - and he may have been quietly carrying a chip since NBC almost dumped him for critical favorite Letterman all those years ago - then NBC could be watching one of its two late-night stars on another network before the end of the decade. And for the peacock that would be bad news indeed.

Rebecca Romijn Does "Letterman"

Rebecca Romijn was on the David Letterman show last night, undelayed by a small fire, and wearing a cute blue trench coat. You just know the photogs and fans were hoping she didn't have anything on under it, but she did: a classic black dress. Lady sure knows how to dress for evening!

Oh, did I mention a fire? Yeah, there was a fire. One of the stage crew got mildly hurt, but as we all know, stagehands don't count as people. The production team blamed the incident on a faulty air conditioning unit, and David Letterman blamed it on the audience.

That's right Dave, it's always the audience's fault.

After the jump, video of her visit.