Daly's 'Last Call' to get back on track despite strike
NEW YORK (AP) -- NBC’s “Last Call with Carson Daly” is about to become the first late-night talk show to defy the writers strike and resume production.
Daly, who is not a member of the Writers Guild, will begin taping new episodes of his Burbank-based show this week for airing next week, an NBC spokesperson confirmed today. The half-hour “Last Call” airs at 1:35 a.m. EST weeknights, but whether Daly’s first new episode would air next Monday or Tuesday was initially unclear. No guests were disclosed.
A call for comment to the Writers Guild today was not immediately returned. Daly is not the first talk-show host to go back into production. Ellen DeGeneres, who is a member of the union, has continued taping her daytime syndicated talk show after shutting down on the first day of the strike. But “Last Call” becomes the first to break ranks among the late-night shows, which all had chosen to air repeats rather than tape new shows without their striking writers.
It was unclear what effect, if any, the return of “Last Call” would have on other late-night talk shows, which include NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and “Late Night with Conan O’Brien”; CBS’ “Late Show with David Letterman” and “Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson”; and ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Comedy Central’s late-night news and commentary spoofs, “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and “The Colbert Report” with Stephen Colbert, have also been in reruns. There was no immediate word on when any of those shows might follow suit and return with new episodes.
On Monday, contract talks with the studios resumed for the first time since movie and TV writers went on strike Nov. 5. The Writers Guild is seeking more money for material distributed over the Internet and via cellphones.
-- Frazier Moore, AP Television Writer
I am trying to understand WHY we in entertainment or who like to follow arts and movies are expected to take a loss because the writers can't work out their contract differences? Carson must be thinking, "do they support me?"
Even more, I must ask, will they write works and do advocacy with me to help bring about improvements in CNS brain shunts? I'd like to lead a strike against the medical field. I wonder what kind of leverage for progress we could get on the medical device field if large numbers of CNS shunt-users refused treatment. Now that's a cause to support!
Posted by: Stephen | November 27, 2007 at 10:28 PM
Carson Daly, what an ass, I watched his show accidently a few times and it's no surprise to find he is not a member of the WGA, it's such a tragic mess. He needs the WGA's members skills more than any show on television. He is just not smart or funny and now we discover he is stupid as well, big surprise.
Posted by: rp | November 28, 2007 at 07:38 AM
I just heard that the strike is "just about over." Is that true? Need to know.
Someone fill me in. Thanks
Posted by: Tracey McCormack | November 29, 2007 at 04:49 PM
Right on, Carson! The fact that SOMEBODY cares about all the crew people who are out of work is highly commendable.
Posted by: kitty | November 30, 2007 at 05:51 AM