Writers Guild makes a deal with David Letterman

NEW YORK -- David Letterman’s production company has struck an independent deal with the Writers Guild of America that will allow “Late Show With David Letterman” and its sister program, “The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson,” to return to the air Wednesday with its writing staffs, according to a person familiar with the agreement.

Worldwide Pants, which produces and owns both programs, is the first company to strike a deal with the guild in the nearly 8-week-old strike. The terms of the agreement were not immediately known.

The accord means that when Letterman and Ferguson resume production next week, the CBS hosts will be the only late-night comedians back on the air with their writers. NBC’s Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel and Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert said earlier this month that they would also return with new shows in January, but without their writing staffs. (Because their programs are owned by their respective networks, those hosts could not make the kind of separate arrangement with the union that Worldwide Pants did.)

So while Letterman is reeling off his famous Top 10 List, Leno -- who is prohibited from writing under strike rules -- will have to rely on improv, musical guests and celebrity interviews.

The Worldwide Pants deal is a small bright spot for the guild, which is engaged in a bitter standoff with the studios. While the agreement covers only a small fraction of the 10,500 striking writers, it allows the union to make the case that it is willing to work with reasonable producers.

Still, even with Worldwide Pants offering to give the union the terms it sought, it took nearly two weeks for an agreement to be reached between the two sides.

More news on the strike

-- Matea Gold

Comments

[abbey powers]

"So while Letterman is reeling off his famous Top 10 List, Leno -- who is prohibited from writing under strike rules -- will have to rely on improv, musical guests and celebrity interviews."

Don't weep for Leno. Dave is the old warhorse who has been through this before in 1988 with the writer's strike, has many times had to rely on his own improv and is far better at improv and celebrity interviews than Leno. And there is much more to Dave than his Top 10 list which is probably the weakest part of an otherwise extraordinary show night after night for 25 years and countless writing emmy nominations.....Can't wait for Dave.

[Les]

If I was in the WGA--I would be furious with my union to allow this to happen--you DO NOT want your union to be split apart like this--Sure-a few people go back to work --but what CBS gets in the bargain is far better!

[Just Asking]

I wonder how Worldwide Pants was able to give the WGA jurisdiction over reality and animation programs, which remain such a big hurdle to the talks with the AMPTP?

[Hollywood Mark]

Where does that leave the other strikers who are out of work? Isn't Leno a Guild member, so he's banned for life? What does he care if they say he can't write the jokes? He's already banned for life by being a Guild member who went back to work. He already went back to work and crossed the line so why would he not write his own jokes. It doesn't make sense. Also are the other guild members supposed to keep striking as these 12 lucky writers go on with their work and are guild members?

[fly]

Boycott David letterman, watch Conan or Jay. They are funnier anyway.

[John Lamont]

Why write for someone else? The purpose of the market is to exchange your written material, submit your essay to the university, form your white paper for the company. Your " IV " intellectual value is the essence of the high art of writing. Don't give it away to studio execs.

IntellectualExchange.com

[winq]

since letterman is the far superior show (he has the emmy's to prove it), i somewhat feel sorry for leno that he'll be further handicapped by not having his writers. i'll probably tune in to leno just to witness the predicted train wreck, but will switch back to dave as soon as jay begins to really make me feel uncomfortable. hope this strikes ends soon....for all production workers sake.