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Am I the only person who isn’t particularly offended by the news Jimmy Fallon will be taking over Late Night next summer? This isn’t to say I’ll be watching, but as a strategic move in chess game of late night programming, it makes perfect sense. Let us not forget the genre is clearly in its waning years. Really, network television, like newspapers, aren’t a particularly sound investment right now. That being said, the transition from where we are now to where we will eventually be isn’t going to be immediate, and frankly, we probably won’t see it happening. One day we’ll just wake up, go to work, stumble over to the water cooler and say to whomever is standing there, “Hey, did you watch Letterman last night?” To which they will undoubtedly respond, “What’s a letterman?” And then you will realize that they don’t even have televisions at the nursing home and that you haven’t gone to work in 23 years. More after the jump…

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I’ve been over The Daily Show for some time now, though given my current state of nothing-to-do-ness I’ve been watching just about every night if for no other reason than for there to be another voice in the apartment (and thus keeping me from going completely insane). At this stage of the game, the show is what it is — perhaps too big to be as subversive as it once was, maybe a tad cocky to boot. Regardless of its macro-affect there is one reason above all overs to tune into The Daily Show: John Oliver. That Brit makes me laugh. Perhaps this is because of everyone on the show (Hodgman excluded), Oliver tends to be the silliest. Check out the video above for proof. The second part available after the jump…

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Pencils down?

Last night I was watching the return of both The Daily Show and The Colbert Report on Comedy Central. Both shows came back without their writers despite desperately trying to make their own deal with the union, and one could tell… kinda. Your typical episode of either of those programs is highly written. Last night it felt like the shows were half-written. The hosts were clearly out there trying to make something out of nothing, but at the same time, there were plenty of well-timed jokes and video pieces and by damn if it didn’t seem like there was at least some sort of script they were going by. Frankly, I found the whole thing very confusing. Was there writing taking place? Is this aloud? Doesn’t even a little writing kind of hurt the writer’s cause? The rules seems so complex. Originally I was thinking these late-night shows were really going to crack this thing wide open and make the AMPTP go back to the table. They would expose the hideousness and hypocrisy of the network stooges, but instead Jay is doing the same show he’s always done, Letterman has the artillery but isn’t turning the screws and now Stewart and Colbert are producing a half-wattage show that appears to neither sting the opposition nor illustrate a world where they simply can’t survive without their writing staff. It’s incredibly frustrating.

Is it wrong to think the shows that were forced back on the air without their writers should be taking a dive — that the hosts should be intentionally tanking to force everyone back to the bargaining table? Oh, I should say here that I am not a professional labor negotiator.

The line for Wednesday’s show, the first in eight weeks.

These are dark times for fans of television. The writers are in the middle of a seemingly endless strike that has effectively wiped original scripted programming from the networks (both broadcast and cable) for the foreseeable future. While there are some new series in the can, only a few have any significant buzz behind them (like, say, half a season of Lost). Two and a half days into 2008 and there are only two television events that I was genuinely excited about. The first is the fifth (and final) season premiere of The Wire this Sunday (an episode which I’ve actually already seen on HBO On-Demand). The second, and dare I say the more culturally significant of the two (at least when it comes to ‘the now’), was Wednesday’s return of the late night talk shows, specifically The Late Show with David Letterman. More after the jump…

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This post is basically an excuse to use this awesome picture of Letterman that The Post ran on Friday, as well as to say that various sources are reporting that all of the big-four late-night hosts have been talking about coming back on the air at the same time (presumably early January) as to avoid generating Ellen-esque animosity from the union.

Update: The NYTimes just posted this story about talks between Letterman and the WGA that would allow him to come back in January WITH writers.

Photo via Flickr

Last Friday the AMPTP released a statement saying:

The AMPTP today unveiled a New Economic Partnership to the WGA, which includes groundbreaking moves in several areas of new media, including streaming, content made for new media and programming delivered over digital broadcast channels.  The entire value of the New Economic Partnership will deliver more than $130 million in additional compensation above and beyond the more than $1.3 billion writers already receive each year.

The WGA then lifted their media blackout and said:

Among the rumors was the assertion that the AMPTP had a groundbreaking proposal that would make this negotiation a “done deal.” In fact, for the first three days of this week, the companies presented in essence their November 4 package with not an iota of movement on any of the issues that matter to writers.

Thursday morning, the first new proposal was finally presented to us. It dealt only with streaming and made-for-Internet jurisdiction, and it amounts to a massive rollback.
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Talks are scheduled to resume on Tuesday. Given the current tone it doesn’t sound like a deal is close. More stuff after the jump…

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Pic via Flickr

I’m going to forgo the usual episode recaps today as I 1) haven’t actually watched anything from last night and 2) feel like dedicating some space to the WGA strike as tomorrow night will mark the first significant casualty of the work-stoppage. Thursday’s episode of The Office entitle “The Deposition” will be the last new episode we can expect from the show until the strike ends. The Office was one of the first series to close up shop due in large part to the fact that a good chunk of the cast happens to also write for the show.

The Futon Critic has a really handy guide with the amount of episodes each show has left to air before going dark. Most of the networks biggest series will have trouble making it past the first week in December (which, luckily for them, is traditionally dark). We should expect little (if any) scripted programming come 2008.

In the meantime, treat yourself to the endless supply of strike blogs popping up on the internet, the most informative being the guild’s official blog United Hollywood. Here are some others:

Late Show Writers on Strike
Scribe Vibe (Variety)
Show Tracker (LA Times)

One last note: since the major sticking point for this strike is writer’s compensation for ad-supported material posted on the web, I would encourage everyone to avoid using the networks’ video services until a deal is made.

Last night on The Late Show, Drew Carey formally announced that he is going to be the new host of The Price Is Right, replacing animal/spokesmodel lover Bob Barker who retired last month after hosting the show for 35 years (since Letterman is taped around 5:30, most of this info had hit the digisphere earlier this evening). Now we’re basically left with one question: how do we feel about this decision?

Personally, I think I’m for it. I mean, why not. He seems jolly, and jolliness is a prominent trait in most successful game show hosts (except for Trebek… that guy seems overly concerned with correct punctuation to be even the slightest bit jolly). Plus, given the names that were thrown around for this position, Carey was an obvious best-fit. On one end there was John O’Hurley who seemed like he might have worked, though perhaps too overtly cartoonish. Sometimes it’s hard to tell where he ends and where J. Peterman begins. On the other side of the spectrum was Rosie. She never had a chance, though I’d argue that she’d have been a perfect for the job. She has a tendency to be jolly. She also has a tendency to say things that are batshitinsane. Luckily, The Price Is Right, like all game shows, are all about a familiar pattern. There’s no room in TPIR for excessive extemporaneous speaking. It’s all about name the price, spin the wheel, win the car.

So all in all, I say Mr. Carey, go get’em! If I were unemployed, or able to awake before 10am, I’d totally watch.

Last night I watched Late Night with Conan O’Brien. Perhaps you’ve heard of it. As a disciple of late night talk, I used to watch all the time but until Monday’s show hadn’t seen it in years. There was a point in my life (lets call it 2002) when I would watch The Daily Show, The Late Show, and Late Night every time they were shown. The problem with doing this is the burn-out factor. Too much of a good thing is never positive, but late night talk shows seem to have a quick fuse – this is especially true if you aren’t in love with the personality behind the desk.

And therein is the problem: I don’t like Conan. No. I like Conan. I believe he is one of the most talented comedy writers working today. I don’t like Conan’s on-screen persona. It’s irritating and painfully repetitive. Granted, this coming from a huge fan of David Letterman – the man who made irritating and painfully repetitive into an entire career – seems at best like a homer call and at worst horribly short-sighted.

I’m not claiming to be a barometer for the television masses as a whole. God knows Conan is very popular and I’m the same person who thought Studio 60 was going to be a massive hit after watching the pilot episode. I would argue, however, that there is a growing contingent of former fans who are starting to feel the same way. More after the break…

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I’m Vinnie Van Lowe and I want your vote.

Some quick thoughts on a so-so V-Mars. Again, the mystery of the week wasn’t particularly interesting in terms of actual mystery and trying to figure out who did what. The story seemed to have much more purpose in that all of our characters are going to be disbursed throughout the world come summer.

Quick nitpicky item: Piz gets an internship with Pitchforkmedia and says he’ll have to move to New York. Aren’t they based out of Chicago? Sorry, I don’t want to be “that guy” — the guy who doesn’t understand television physics. More troubling was that he was actually considering taking an internship at a local radio station instead so he could remain close to Veronica (a total LC move if you ask me).

Things I loved: the Vinnie Van Lowe political ad, the way Veronica shook her head when her dad was talking about her “gentleman callers,” Dick showing some emotion, Keith positioning his P.I. test neatly at the top of the drawer, and the fact that again, Piz got an internship at Pitchfork despite having a Jet poster in his room.

Last night I watched both The Daily Show and The Colbert Report for the first time in 2007. I had been watching Colbert pretty religiously into February before taking a break. TDS, on the other hand I had quit watching sometime last fall. Given that sweeps is in full bloom I figured I might as well see how things are sitting over there in Comedy Central’s late-night division.

As it turns out, both shows are more or less how they were when I last watched, which I suppose is as comforting as it should be. The Daily Show did get a new set. It seems like the program is single-handedly keeping New Yorks booming set-building-industry operating at full steam.

The good news is that the increasingly early political season should provide a much-needed jolt of humor in what had otherwise turned into a pretty dire half-hour of comedy. I mean how many times can you sit back and laugh at the non-joke of the United States’ one-time blissful ignorance. Luckily, presidential primary candidates know how to bring the funny (at least Kucinich).

At the bottom of the hour The Colbert Report is still comedy packed, but the character’s freshness seems dated. His dual-mug gracing the cover of GQ this month is probably a year late. This isn’t to say the show shouldn’t be watched. It clearly provides much more of a venue for creativity than TDS, simply based on the format. The thing is neither of these programs are really designed to be watched every night — well, they are and they aren’t. Obviously the programs themselves want you to tune in and want to reward those who tune in often (The Late Show is masterful at paying off long runners, but we’re not talking Letterman here), but anyone who insists on watching hundreds of episodes of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report day in and day out is really no different from the person who watches Headline News all day or insists upon seeing Jeopardy before the night can really begin. I say this because I am that guy and I can spot our own.

I’m watching the Edie Falco last night on The Late Show, and Dave is asking her about the end of The Sopranos. He asks, “Is there a chance you could get wacked?” She starts to respond when a sandbag falls from the sky and lands on Dave’s desk.

Assuming that the joke was about someone trying to bump off her or Dave, I guess it succeeded as it’s of what I immediately thought. The same is likely untrue for Ms. Falco who seemed legitimately shook up.

In fact from this point on the interview seemed spliced together from what I have to assume was a greater conversation on the gag itself. There were all sorts of uncomfortable edit points and conversation changes and all further questions were directed toward a visibly shaken Edie Falco. She kept rubbing her arms across the arms of the chair as if she was an Olympic downhill skier getting ready to launch out of the shoot.

Very awkward, though way more interesting than most throw-away gags have any right of being.

Listen to “The Fallen” by Franz Ferdinand

I just finished reading an interesting article over at Blogcritics Magazine about a tech writer who was recently interviewed for a Daily Show correspondent segment. His name is John Bambenek and he was used in a piece about Daylight Savings Time. He details how it all went down…

The way The Daily Show operates is somewhat different than the news. For instance, they won’t really let you know where they are going until they’re running tape. They like getting “first reactions” for their segment. In this case, it wasn’t a big deal because I ended up being of the same mind that they were about the DST controversy… it was mostly media hype over little more than minor inconveniences for us IT guys.

Read Aclockalypse Now: My Appearance on The Daily Show

According to the Associated Press, David Letterman went home sick today after coming down with a stomach bug. Adam Sandler, who was suppose to be tonight’s guest got a quick promotion to host.

Since coming to CBS in 1993, Letterman has had a string of guest hosts twice. First when he had his heart surgery in 2000 and then a few years later when he came down with a case of shingles. Tonight will mark the first time he simply got sick and couldn’t go on the air.

The Late Show does double tapings on Monday so he’ll be back on the air Wednesday night. Thursday and Friday’s shows are pre-empted by college basketball.

Read Bill Carter’s story over at the Times

Here are the following questions that I thought to myself while watching last night’s airing of The Half Hour News Hour on Fox News:

-Why didn’t they hire comedy writers?

-Who is the target audience for this? And does that audience actually exist?

-Does Fox News still harp about all of that “Fair and Balanced” nonsense, and if so does putting a comedy show on a news channel finally dispel those thoughts that they aren’t, in fact, a right wing mouthpiece?

-Have the creators of this show ever seen The Daily Show?

-Why is it that actually having a real live audience still can’t make it sound like real live people are actually laughing?

I didn’t think FOX could ever produce something as unfunny as Happy Hour. Now I just don’t know what to think. It was so monumentally awful writing anything about it just seems unnecessary. Did anyone else watch? What did you think?