It has been over a month since the big late night programs have returned to work, and now the psychological and financial effects are starting to make their appearance known.
NBC has laid off 120, count em', 120 staffers for "The Tonight Show." To confirm what I have thought all along, insanely corny (and now apparently cheap) Jay Leno was not going to pay the laid off workers out of his pocket, until threats of a PR nightmare.
Maybe he took a cue from the man who will supersede him. Conan O'Brien, who had a feeling his crew would be getting laid off, vowed to pay his staff out of his own pocket before any news was reported.
Late Night writers have voiced admiration for such a loyal move.
Staying in the "Cone Zone," Conan has posted a video blog unveiling his "strike beard." Cabin fever has hit the late night host.
David Letterman is also starting to get the jitters. Reports are funneling that Late Show show runners are attempting to gather guests, implying that Letterman might have all new shows starting as early as next week (scroll down to 11/29/07 9:55 a.m.).
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i read that letterman is paying his staffers and craig ferguson's staffers out of his own pocket. it'll be interesting to see late night tv without writers. in the strike that happened in the 1980s, carson and letterman returned to work without their writers and winged shows...
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