Jimmy had indicated in the beginning of the writer’s strike that he would hold out and not cross that picket line, no matter how long it lasted. Well, after taking a hard look at the needs of his entire staff and crew, last night he announced that he will be going back on the air with his ABC late night talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live” just one day after NBC late-night TV hosts Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien said they would return to the air with or without a writing staff.
Leno, O’Brien and Kimmel will resume all new broadcasts beginning January 2. This will allow the non-writing staff and crew to come back to work after nearly two months off the job and being paid out of the pockets of all three show hosts. Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert are expected to do the same, but not necessarily by the 2nd.
“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,” Kimmel said in a statement. “I support my colleagues and friends in the WGA completely, and hope this ends both fairly and soon.”
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) holds no ill will toward Kimmel or the other talk show hosts for returning to work and was glad for their support since the strike began on November 5th.
David Letterman continues showing support for the WGA cause with his production company, WorldWide Pants, by getting negotiations for an “interim agreement” with the WGA that would allow his program to return to the air with his entire writing staff intact and fully paid for his and Craig Ferguson’s CBS show “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson,” which Letterman also owns. Letterman continues paying for staff and writer’s salaries out of his own pocket as well.
Unlike Letterman however, the three other late night hosts cannot offer the same kind of package that the King of Late Night can because they don’t own their own television programs.
Sons of b****es. What happened to that other deal that was being worked out, where they went around the AMPTP?
Bronze — that deal was only offered by David Letterman with the hope that show producers for the others would follow his lead. Problem is those “other” shows are owned by active participants in the AMPTP, i.e. GE, Viacom, Disney, etc… while Letterman owns his own show, not Viacom’s CBS/Paramount, so big Dave can do his own thing and negotiate with the WGA for a separate contract with his staff of writers.
I knew Kimmel wasn’t a man of his word. Never have cared for him.
As to David Letterman, my respect for the man continues to grow. Best of luck, Dave.
Tim