Jay Jay the Jet Plane

JAY LENO says he supports the striking writers, but the feeling ain't mutual. The Writers Guild of America said yesterday that The Tonight Show host broke its rules by writing and telling jokes when his late night program returned Wednesday night for its first all-new show since the strike began nearly two months ago. The Guild didn't specify what, if anything, it plans to do in response to Leno's infraction.

The issue appears to be that Leno is a WGA member, which means when he wrote and performed his own jokes Wednesday night, he broke the rule prohibiting members from, quote, "performing any writing services during a strike for any and all struck companies."

Leno didn't address the budding controversy on last night's episode of The Tonight Show, but NBC spoke out on his behalf. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the network defended Leno by saying, quote, "The WGA agreement permits Jay Leno to write his own monologues for The Tonight Show. The WGA is not permitted to implement rules that conflict with the terms of the collective bargaining agreement between the studios and the WGA."

Leno hasn't been shy about expressing his support for striking writers, handing out doughnuts on the picket line and mentioning on Wednesday's show that he's on their side. When asked to comment on the alleged infraction, a publicist for Leno said the comedian was, quote, "busying himself with the show."

And now....Jay Scab-eoo!!

NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno was one of five late night shows to resume broadcasting yesterday, but it did so without reaching a deal with the striking writers, which seemed to throw off Leno's first guest, Republican presidential candidate MIKE HUCKABEE.

The former Arkansas governor created a stir before he appeared on the program when it was pointed out to him on the Iowa stump that he would be crossing a picket line to appear. Huckabee responded that he thought the writers had come to an agreement to keep all late night shows on the air. In fact, that deal was only reached with The Late Show with David Letterman and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. The Tonight Show did not use any writers on last night's show.

Huckabee elected to keep his commitment to appear on the show, but his campaign released a statement prior to the broadcast that read, in part:

"The Governor would only agree to join Jay, an active member of the Writers Guild, for the taping after he was assured that no replacement writers were being used in the show's production. Governor Huckabee believes that the writers deserve to be fairly compensated for the sale of their work. Governor Huckabee is glad that Jay Leno was able to put his 160 employees back to work and he strongly encourages both sides of the current labor dispute to work diligently toward an equitable solution for all parties involved."

Several protesters picketed outside The Tonight Show studio yesterday in Burbank, California, one of whom carried a sign saying, quote, "Huckabee is a scab." WGA chief negotiator JOHN BOWMAN said of Huckabee's professed ignorance, quote, "Huckabee claims he didn't know. I don't know what that means in terms of trusting him as a future president."

The Writers Guild of America released a statement about Huckabee's decision to sit down with Leno. It said it was, quote, "disappointed" in the politician and recommended he, quote, "respect our picket lines in the future and urge the media conglomerates to return to the bargaining table..."

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.

"Now here's Dave"

JAY LENO may renew his nightly competition with DAVID LETTERMAN when he returns on January 2nd. According to the New York Post, Letterman is "poised" to announce tomorrow that he will also come back to television on that date. Letterman's production company has met with the striking Writers Guild of America to bring back The Late Show and its writers, but no agreement has been reached yet and no new negotiations are scheduled. Letterman could still follow the lead of Jay Leno, CONAN O'BRIEN, and JIMMY KIMMEL and go back to work on January 2nd without his writers. An insider told the Post, quote, "As that date gets closer, [Letterman] is going to be forced to make a decision."

Strrikkee!

Now entering its eighth week, the Writers Guild of America strike has shut down many TV shows and cost more than 350 million dollars in lost wages. And that's making for a bleak holiday season for prop masters, electricians, carpenters and other "below the line" workers, who have been forced out of work by the strike. Prop company owner JIM ELYEA says his business has dropped by 40 percent since the strike began November 5th, forcing him to lay off some workers and take a pass on exchanging Christmas presents this year.

In the meantime, reps for Late Show host DAVID LETTERMAN met with striking writers on Friday, in an attempt to reach a deal that would allow for Letterman's show to return to the air with its writing staff. Late-night hosts JAY LENO, CONAN O'BRIEN and JIMMY KIMMEL plan to return to their shows January 2nd without their writing staffs. JON STEWART and STEPHEN COLBERT will bring their Comedy Central shows back without writers on January 7th.

Here's Jimmy Kimmel!

JIMMY KIMMEL will follow the lead of fellow late-night hosts JAY LENO and CONAN O'BRIEN and return to work on January 2nd, without the help of his striking writers. Much like Leno and O'Brien, the host of ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live made his decision out of consideration for his non-writing staff members. He said yesterday in a statement, quote, "Though it makes me sick to do so without my writers, there are more than a hundred people whose financial well-being depends on our show. It is time to go back to work."

Leno and O'Brien announced their impending return earlier this week, though they also won't have writers to pen jokes for them until the seven-week-old strike is resolved.

Most late-night shows have aired reruns since the strike began on November 5th. CARSON DALY resumed production on his NBC late-night show last month, and DAVID LETTERMAN's production company, Worldwide Pants, is reportedly seeking an individual agreement with the Writers Guild of America to bring back his CBS show and its writers, as well as The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, which Letterman's company produces.

They're Back!

JAY LENO and CONAN O'BRIEN are coming back to late-night television on January 2nd, ending a two-month hiatus in support of the writers' strike. The hosts of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with Conan O'Brien are members of the Writers Guild of America, but they expressed concern yesterday for the welfare of their non-writing employees. Leno said in a statement, quote, "We fully support our writers and I think they understand my decision."

Until the writers' strike is resolved, neither Leno nor O'Brien will have writers to rely on for jokes and other material, a reality that O'Brien acknowledged yesterday. He said, quote, "I will make clear, on the program, my support for the writers and I'll do the best version of Late Night I can under the circumstances. Of course, my show will not be as good. In fact, in moments it may very well be terrible." No celebrity guests for either show have been announced yet. Indeed, it will be interesting to see what stars will be willing to appear on the shows, under the circumstances.

Still, the Guild appears to be forgiving, for now. The WGA responded to the news yesterday by saying, quote, "Jay and Conan have been supportive of us from the beginning, and we understand the pressure they're under from NBC."

There is precedent for a late-night host returning to work during a writers' strike -- JOHNNY CARSON did it in 1988, after two months of repeats. CARSON DALY resumed production of his NBC late-night show earlier this month.

What impact Leno and O'Brien's decision will have on other late-night hosts remains to be seen. DAVID LETTERMAN's production company has expressed interest in reaching an individual agreement with the Writers Guild to bring back his CBS show and its writers, at least until an overall settlement with producers is reached.

The Tonight Show and Late Night have aired reruns since the writers' strike began on November 5th.

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.

Such a warm and wonderful person....

JAY LENO has finally joined his late night brethren in lending a hand to his employees. According to the Hollywood Reporter, The Tonight Show host announced Saturday he will pay the salaries of about 80 non-striking staffers on the program for at least the next week. The Tonight Show, of course, has been in reruns for nearly a month due to the writers strike.

Leno is a little late in helping his employees compared to his counterparts. DAVID LETTERMAN, whose production company produces both his Late Show and The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson, is paying the staffs of both series through the end of the year. And last week, CONAN O'BRIEN decided he would pay the non-striking employees of his Late Night show out of his own pocket on a week-to-week basis. Leno's decision comes after he rankled some feathers Friday when several staff members of The Tonight Show were laid off and told they may not be re-hired once production resumes. Several workers were furious, especially since Leno had told them shortly after the strike began they were not in danger of losing their jobs.

The Hollywood Reporter is also reporting comedian WANDA SYKES turned down the chance to guest host The Tonight Show during the strike and NBC mulled over the possibility of using a rotating stable of musicians as hosts. The network even considered having Leno continue to host the show without any monologue whatsoever.

Strike 2007! UPDATE

NBC's Bionic Woman and the SciFi Channel's Battlestar Galactica have become the latest victims of the writers' strike. The Hollywood Reporter says production of Bionic Woman, which has struggled in the ratings, ended last Friday. Battlestar Galactica reportedly was expected to close up shop today due to a lack of scripts. Both shows are shot in Canada.

The writers began their strike on November 5th, asking for more revenue from online sales and DVD rentals of TV shows and films. They also seek compensation for ad-supported streaming of programs online, an issue that the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, or AMPTP, says it won't concede. The AMPTP also stated in newspaper ads yesterday that it has offered writers a share of licensing fees from websites that offer shows. The Writers Guild says it has turned down that proposal because the payments wouldn't kick in until six weeks after a show is posted online.

Your favorite primetime programs may not produce new episodes for a while, but there's hope that some major late-night TV shows will return as early as next month. According to Variety, representatives for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Show with David Letterman and other late-night shows have had, quote, "secret back-channel conversations" to discuss when the shows could possibly return. Variety says there are some obstacles to overcome -- for instance, none of the shows wants to be the first one to resume production.

In other developments related to the strike, cast members of Saturday Night Live will perform a live show Saturday night at 11:30 p.m. at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in New York City. The performers will deliver sketches, just like a regular SNL episode, except there won't be any cameras rolling. Superbad star MICHAEL CERA will act as the celebrity host. 30 Rock will follow suit at the same venue Monday night when the cast performs an actual episode, although it's not clear if it will be a rerun or not. Tickets for both shows have been sold out.

Strike UPDATE!!

Celebrities on both sides of the country supported writers in their ongoing strike yesterday. BEN STILLER, JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS and LISA KUDROW were among the actors who joined the picket lines in Los Angeles.The strike, which began on November 5th, has halted the production of several TV series. Grey's Anatomy star T.R. KNIGHT said production on the hit ABC medical drama will shut down today, and series creator SHONDA RHIMES estimated that the reserve of completed episodes will dry up shortly after the Thanksgiving holiday.

Actors are also monitoring the strike because their contract expires next June. Two and a Half Men star JON CRYER said yesterday, quote, "This is a fight about the future of our rights as performers on the Internet, 'cause everybody knows that fairly soon TV, as a mode of delivery, is gonna go away." The writers are seeking more compensation for online sales and rentals of TV shows and movies. They have also asked for a cut of revenue from ad-supported streaming of programs online, for which they are currently not paid.

Writers were also seen picketing on New York City's Wall Street yesterday.The writers' strike is having a huge financial impact, and not just on the writers. According to today's New York Post, JAY LENO and DAVID LETTERMAN lose 100 thousand dollars each night their respective shows are forced to broadcast reruns. The Post also reports Leno and Letterman have lost a combined one-and-a-half million dollars during the strike so far.

Ellen and the Scabs...well

While ELLEN DEGENERES hasn't publicly shed any tears over the writers' strike, the union is trying its best to make her feel bad about continuing production of her talk show. The eastern branch of the Writers Guild of America has vowed to picket her show when it tapes in New York next Monday and Tuesday. Referring to DeGeneres' emotional conflict over the adoption of a dog last month, the WGA East said, quote, "We find it sad that Ellen spent an entire week crying and fighting for a dog that she gave away, yet she couldn't even stand by writers for more than one day."

DeGeneres did not report to work on the first day of the strike, but later taped a show that aired Friday. She acknowledged the strike on the episode, saying she would not perform a monologue in support of her writers. The producer of The Ellen DeGeneres Show claims that DeGeneres is not breaking strike rules since she's performing her own material. The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, or AFTRA, which represents TV personalities such as DeGeneres, also defended the comedian. She's a member of both AFTRA and the Writers Guild.

The major late-night talk shows have aired repeats since the strike began last week. An executive producer for The Tonight Show said in a statement Friday that it has considered using guest hosts in place of JAY LENO. When asked about that report yesterday, Leno replied, "I hope not."

Several primetime series have also felt the effects of the strike. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Scrubs creator BILL LAWRENCE says several episodes for the current season, which is the series' last, have yet to be written. He also says he earlier turned down a request to write a rushed finale to wrap the series in the event of a strike.

Strike UPDATE!

You may have to go to bed without your JAY LENO or DAVID LETTERMAN fix for awhile. Their shows have scheduled repeats for this week as a result of the writers' strike that began yesterday. Same goes for Comedy Central's The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. The major late-night shows are recycling old episodes because they rely on current events for material.

ELLEN DEGENERES didn't report to work yesterday to tape her talk show, which airs during the daytime, in support of her writers. The fate of her show beyond today is uncertain for now. Today's episode was filmed before the strike.DeGeneres wasn't the only TV star to support the writers' cause. JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS and 30 Rock star TINA FEY joined strikers in California and New York, respectively, while Leno offered doughnuts to writers at NBC's Burbank studio.

The CBS drama Cane was forced to abandon a California café where it was filming due to noise caused by strikers in the area. Production was moved to a nearby CBS lot.The writers are asking for a share of revenue from Internet programming, but say they have dropped a proposal to receive more money from DVD sales. Still, the chief negotiator for the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers doesn't believe a compromise will be reached anytime soon.

Actors should have an interest in how this disagreement will be resolved because, as Julia Louis-Dreyfus noted yesterday, their contract expires next June.

NBC still plans Leno Outser

If "Tonight Show" host Jay Leno is having second thoughts about surrendering his job as planned, NBC doesn't share them -- at least not publicly.
"Conan O'Brien will take over `The Tonight Show' in 2009," NBC Universal President and CEO Jeff Zucker said Monday in New York at an event arranged by Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.
Zucker said he'd like Leno to remain with the company and that "we are in those conversations now."
"I'm hopeful that Jay will be with us," the executive told the question-and-answer session.
A deal for Leno's exit was finalized three years ago as part of NBC Universal's effort to keep "Late Night" host O'Brien from bolting to a competing network. Leno marked his 15th year as host of "Tonight" last May.
Leno has said he's comfortable with his planned departure but, according to a report earlier this month in the Los Angeles Times, the comedian has grown reluctant to retire as host of the fabled, top-rated late-night program.
Leno declined comment on the Times report when it was published. He had no comment Monday on Zucker's remarks, an NBC spokeswoman said

*NBC just doesn't learn from it's past...Look for Leno to move to FOX if he leaves NBC..they have the money, and the spot (11:30 eastern) for him...