The Late Shift (film)

The Late Shift is a 1996 American TV movie produced by HBO. It is directed by Betty Thomas and based on the book of the same name by The New York Times media reporter Bill Carter.

Plot synopsis

Behind-the-scenes network politics embroil television executives responsible for late-night programming after the unexpected retirement announcement of Johnny Carson (played by Rich Little) from The Tonight Show on NBC in 1992.

Carson's frequent guest host, Jay Leno (Daniel Roebuck), and the host of the show that follows Carson's each night, David Letterman (John Michael Higgins), both vie for the position. It is widely assumed Letterman is the hand-picked heir apparent Carson favors, but privately NBC's executives speculate that Leno could be more popular with 11:30 p.m. audiences as well as easier for the network to deal with and control.

Leno's tough manager, Helen Kushnick (Kathy Bates), secures the spot for Leno with negotiating tactics that could be construed as either shrewd or unethical. Leno is concerned that her methods might alienate Carson, but he made promises to Kushnick after his career took off and does not wish to be disloyal. She harshly instructs the comic to just keep telling jokes and leave the business end to her.

Sure enough, she lands Leno the coveted job as Tonight Show host and the producer's position for herself, on the condition that no public announcement will be made. Letterman continues to believe he is still in contention for it. Another reason NBC's executives prefer Leno is that they will own the show, whereas Letterman maintains ownership rights to his.

Kushnick's abrasive and threatening manner angers Leno's bosses, colleagues and potential guests. The top NBC execs warn the mild-mannered Leno that they are going to fire Kushnick and, if he sides with her, he might be let go as well. Leno eavesdrops on a private executive meeting in which they discuss the possibility of having Letterman step in as host. The final say falls to the NBC president, Bob Wright, who decides that they should remain loyal to Leno.

Letterman, devastated by his being passed over, brings in superagent Mike Ovitz (Treat Williams) to negotiate on his behalf, resulting in his being courted by a number of major networks and syndicates. He continues to want his lifelong dream of hosting the Tonight Show, but when a colleague of Carson's makes it clear that the Tonight job is no longer what it used to be and that he would be working with the same people who passed him by, Letterman accepts a lucrative offer to host his own 11:30 show on CBS.

Kushnick is dismissed by NBC and barred from the set. She pleads with Leno to keep his promise to her, but he is livid that she nearly cost him a dream job. Letterman and Leno ultimately go head-to-head at 11:30, Letterman winning in the TV ratings in the beginning, then Leno firmly re-establishing his show's dominance. Their personal relationship, once cordial, is never quite the same.

Cast

Reception

The film received seven Emmy Award nominations in categories including "Outstanding Made for Television Movie",^[1] makeup,^[2] casting,^[2] writing,^[3] directing,^[1] and acting.^[1] For her role in the film as Helen Kushnick, actress Kathy Bates won awards from the American Comedy Awards,^[4] the Golden Globe Awards,^[5] the Satellite Awards,^[6] and the Screen Actors Guild Awards.^[7] The film was also recognized with an award for "Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Specials" from the Directors Guild of America Awards.^[8] David Letterman, who saw clips of the film, called the movie "the biggest waste of film since my wedding photos". He also likened John Michael Higgins's portrayal to that of a "psychotic chimp". Letterman invited Higgins onto his program, but Higgins declined.^[9]

Awards and nominations

Lawsuit

Kushnick filed a $30 million lawsuit against Bill Carter, author of the eponymous book upon which the HBO film was based, claiming libel. Specifically, her case related to a claim that she planted a story about Carson's retirement in the New York Post.^[12] The then-pending lawsuit was noted in the film's epilogue, as the Broadway tune "There's No Business Like Show Business" plays. The lawsuit settled out of court for an undisclosed sum; Kushnick died of cancer in August 1996.^[13]

Sequel

Carter wrote a sequel to The Late Shift titled The War for Late Night, which is based on the controversy involving Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, The Tonight Show and NBC.^[14] O'Brien joked on his final Tonight Show that he wants Academy Award-winning actress Tilda Swinton to portray him in the movie. Swinton responded by saying she would "absolutely" do it if asked.^[15]

References

Notes

Bibliography

• Carter, Bill (January 30, 1994). "Behind the Headlines in the Leno-Letterman War". New York Times: p. 628. http://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/30/magazine/behind-the-headlines-in-the-leno-letterman-war.html?pagewanted=1. 
• Carter, Bill (2007). Desperate Networks. Broadway. pp. 333–340. ISBN 0767919742. 
• Carter, Bill (2010). The War for Late Night: When Leno Went Early and Television Went Crazy. Viking. ISBN 978-0670022083. 

Lawsuit

• Helen Gorman Kushnick v. Disney Book Publishing, Inc., et al. (1994) Los Angeles Superior Court

External links

• The Late Shift at the Internet Movie Database