The Late Shift (1996) (TV)

Director:

Betty Thomas

Writers (WGA):

Bill Carter (book)
Bill Carter (teleplay) ...

Release Date:

24 February 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Talk-Show

Tagline:

Two heads fighting for the late night crown - One head's gotta roll.

Plot:

A dramatization of the rivalry to be the successor of Johnny Carson as the host of "The Tonight Show."

Plot Keywords:

Manager | Television | Based On True Story | Based On Book

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 4 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Kathy Bates	...	Helen Kushnick
John Michael Higgins	...	David Letterman
Daniel Roebuck	...	Jay Leno
Bob Balaban	...	Warren Littlefield
Ed Begley Jr.	...	Rod Perth
Peter Jurasik	...	Howard Stringer
Reni Santoni	...	John Agoglia
John Kapelos	...	Robert Morton
Steven Gilborn	...	Peter Lassally
John Getz	...	Brandon Tartikoff
Lawrence Pressman	...	Bob Wright
Sandra Bernhard	...	Herself
Treat Williams	...	Michael Ovitz
David Brisbin	...	Alan Levine
Michael Chieffo	...	Rick Ludwin

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Australia:M | UK:15 | USA:R

Company:

Home Box Office (HBO)

Trivia:

A few days after the film's premiere, John Michael Higgins was booked on "Late Show With David Letterman" to talk about the movie and what it was like to portray Letterman. Higgins then sat in the green room as Letterman spent the next hour padding bits and doing filler, all the while promising Higgins was "coming up". At the end of the show Letterman apologized to Higgins for "running out of time", pointedly saying he hoped the actor could "come back again soon." Higgins was never re-booked.

Goofs:

Continuity: When David is telling Jay at the conference to call Morty and he'll book him on the show, Dave points at Jay and his hand switches from right to left.

Quotes:

David Letterman: [embarrassed] How can a television show be worth all this embarrassment?

Movie Connections:

References "The Arsenio Hall Show" (1989)

Soundtrack:

Johnny's Theme

Enjoyable Behind-the-Scenes Look at Television

Although a made for cable film by HBO, it is an enjoyable movie and a fascinating look at the back-stabbing and double-dealing world of television. Allowing the viewer to peek behind the scenes of the so-called late night talk show wars in the early 90s, as Jay Leno and David Letterman competed for the coveted position as host of the Tonight Show. Kathy Bates gives a bravo performance as Leno's mercurial manager Helen Kushnick and one can feel empathy for what Leno/Letterman endured at the hands of tv executives. It is just as timely now, considering the recent events involving the failed attempt by ABC to replace Nightline with Letterman. No matter how many times I have seen this film, I still find it as much a pleasure to watch as I did when it first aired. If this should ever be released on DVD, I would certainly add it to my collection.