Over the past two decades, I have followed the saga known as the Late Night Wars intensely. The comedic performers who grace our TV screens late at night has been filled with serious drama that has risen to almost Shakespearean levels at times.
This was never more true than in the early 90s when late night king Johnny Carson made the decision to give up his throne after 30 years. The question on the minds of TV watchers was an obvious one: would Jay Leno or David Letterman be given the coveted “Tonight Show” gig? The dynamic between the two performers had a history of its own with Jay getting his biggest break by Dave featuring him regularly on his 12:30 show that followed Johnny.
We all know that it was Mr. Leno who received the honor. What you may not know is the fascinating back story behind it all. It’s a tale first told in a book of the same title by NY Times writer Bill Carter. The novel would be turned into an HBO movie that is definitely worth seeking out.
The Late Shift focuses on the rough office politics that led to Leno’s ascendancy to the “Tonight” throne and Letterman’s eventual move to CBS to directly compete with his rival. We see Leno driven at all costs to obtain the gig, even hiding in a closet at one point to eavesdrop on a network executives conference call. He is aided by his ruthless producer Helen Kushnick, played wonderfully by Kathy Bates.
The casting is a mixed bag. Daniel Roebuck plays Leno as more of a direct impersonation, while John Michael Higgins acquits himself well as Dave. Higgins doesn’t attempt to do a Letterman impersonation, but rather embody the often prickly and difficult personality that those who’ve researched Mr. Letterman are aware of. It works. As the ultra powerful Hollywood agent Mike Ovitz, Treat Williams gives a solid performance. One unfortunate bit of casting is well-known celebrity impressionist Rich Little as Mr. Carson. It seems gimmicky. Too bad they didn’t get Kevin Spacey to portray the Late Night King. His Carson is terrific. Here’s an example of the actor doing his impression on Mr. Letterman’s program:
The Late Shift is a solid movie. It’s especially interesting to look at from a historical perspective. As we watch the infighting between the main players and their teams, we can’t help but think of what would occur nearly two decades later when Mr. Leno and Mr. Conan O’Brien experienced a similar battle for the “Tonight” throne.
And just yesterday, reports broke that NBC is working on a plan to bring Jimmy Fallon in to host next year. Watching The Late Shift and remembering the recent actions with Conan, there’s a good chance Jay Leno won’t slip quietly from the late night landscape.
In closing, The Late Shift is a Movie You Might Not Know about some television legends you know quite well. It’s worth a look.
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