They're Back! Part Deux

Several late-night hosts will celebrate the New Year tonight with new episodes, their first since the writers' strike began nearly two months ago. NBC's JAY LENO and CONAN O'BRIEN, CBS' DAVID LETTERMAN and CRAIG FERGUSON, and ABC's JIMMY KIMMEL will all make their return tonight.

Letterman and Ferguson will hold a competitive advantage over the other hosts. Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants, which owns both Late Show and Ferguson's Late Late Show, reached a deal with the Writers Guild of America last week, clearing the way for their writing staffs to return to the job. Leno, O'Brien and Kimmel will have to make do without their writers until the strike is resolved, or NBC elects to secure its own deal.

One early sign that the pact will benefit Letterman and Ferguson: the Screen Actors Guild said its members are now open to appearing on the CBS late-night programs. The WGA has announced that they'll be picketing Leno's L.A. studios and Conan's New York studios, meaning any guests booked on those shows would have to cross a picket line to do so.

Many stars have shown their solidarity with the writers since the strike began on November 5th. Letterman has already lined up one actor for tonight's show: ROBIN WILLIAMS, who will appear along with country musician SHOOTER JENNINGS. Leno's The Tonight Show will welcome Republican presidential candidate MIKE HUCKABEE tonight, while the other late-night shows had yet to announce their guests as of yesterday.

The major late-night shows have aired reruns in the last two months, with NBC's CARSON DALY having resumed production on Last Call about a month ago. Comedy Central's The Daily Show and The Colbert Report will go back on the air without their writers this Monday, and Fox's Saturday-night chatfest, Talkshow With Spike Feresten, reportedly will return on January 12th.

"Put on a show or the little puppy dog gets it!"

CARSON DALY says he had no choice but to resume production of his late-night show Last Call with Carson Daly to save the jobs of his non-writing staff members, after NBC issued him an ultimatum in the wake of the writers' strike. He tells the Los Angeles Times, quote, "It was, 'Put a new show on December 3rd or 75 people are fired. What's your answer?'" Daly said that order was passed down by his "immediate bosses" at NBC, but did not elaborate further. Daly was the first late-night host to go back on the air during the ongoing writers' strike, which currently is in its eighth week.

NBC hosts JAY LENO and CONAN O'BRIEN and ABC's JIMMY KIMMEL will return without their writers on January 2nd. JON STEWART of The Daily Show and STEPHEN COLBERT of The Colbert Report will air new episodes on Comedy Central beginning January 7th, also without the aid of their writing staffs.

It's the Tonight Show, With...

Those of you tired of watching old reruns of late-night TV shows could soon have new episodes to look forward to. According to Variety, several late-night hosts could go back to work in the near future, following a hiatus that began when the writers went on strike last month. NBC's JAY LENO and CONAN O'BRIEN most likely would return early next month, regardless of whether the strike is still in effect by then. Other hosts could also return soon, although these plans are far from a certainty since all are cautious of becoming the first among their group to tape new episodes. CARSON DALY has already resumed production of his late-night show.

Here's Carson!

CARSON DALY became the first late night host to cross the picket line during Hollywood's writers' strike last night when he hosted an all-new episode of Last Call on NBC. Daly, who ad-libbed his way through his opening remarks on the episode, addressed his decision to come back to work, saying he chose to so because, quote, "We ran out of repeats." He did get serious, though, when he said, quote, "If I had not been back on the air tonight, 75 members of my loyal staff and crew were going to get laid off." Daly explained that NBC gave him an ultimatum, claiming the network told him that if he didn't return to the air, the non-striking members of the show would be laid off.

Carson Daly is a scab!

CARSON DALY plans to defy the writer's strike and resume production of his late night talk show. Daly is not a member of the Writer's Guild of America, but had joined ranks with other late night hosts and chose to air repeats rather than tape new shows without striking writers.

An NBC spokesperson says Last Call With Carson Daly will begin taping new shows in Burbank for airing next week. It's not clear when the first new show will air or what guests will appear.No word on what effect Daly's decision will have on NBC's other late night shows -- The Tonight Show With Jay Leno and Late Night With Conan O'Brien. Those shows, along with ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live, CBS' Late Show With David Letterman and Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson, continue to air reruns, although there were recent rumors of "back-door talks between the shows' producers about returning to the air before the strike ends. Comedy Central's late night shows -- The Daily Show With Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report -- have also been in reruns.