Writers to Hit Picket Lines

Related Newser Stories

• It's No Joke: Colbert Boosts Democracy

  Apr 5, 08 6:42 PM CDT
  Political satire that "means it" is missing from late-night TV, Russell L. Peterson argues in his new book, Strange Bedfellows: How Late-Night Comedy Turns Democracy Into a Joke. In Salon, Louis Bayard applauds Bedfellows for advancing a "decidedly moral argument," even if it undervalues Conan O'Brien and tenders some tired complaints about society. Where Peterson gets it right, Bayard writes, is in hailing Stephen Colbert. More »

• Late-Night Hosts at a Loss for Words

  Dec 28, 07 12:38 PM CST
  The late-night talk shows will be back next week, but they’ll be virtually unrecognizable, the Wall Street Journal reports. Broad, vague Writers Guild rules prohibit the hosts, many of whom belong to the striking union, from providing their shows with “writing services.” That means no scripted monologues, sketches, or fictional characters. More »

• Daly Defies Writers' Strike

  Nov 28, 07 3:48 AM CST
  NBC late-night talk show host Carson Daly will defy striking writers by becoming the first to resume taping new episodes since the union action pushed the network night programs into re-runs. Daly's decision comes after NBC threatened to lay off all non-writing staff, reports E! News. There's no sign that Jay Leno, David Letterman or Conan O'Brien will follow suit. More »

• At a Loss for Words, Colbert Quits 'Race'

  Nov 5, 07 5:10 PM CST
  Stephen Colbert’s fake dreams of becoming president ended in South Carolina last week, and the Writers Guild strike has put the final nail in the coffin of his White House aspirations. “I am going off the air until I can talk about this without weeping,” the fake candidate said today—not coincidentally, the same day his show was forced into reruns, ABC News reports. More »