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October 2008
- Letterman Fits McCain Into His Schedule
  
  TV Guide | Oct 12, 08 2:59 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Three weeks after turning himself into a punch line by blowing off David Letterman, only to surface within hours elsewhere on CBS, John McCain has scheduled a return engagement with the late-night icon. After lengthy negotiations—during which Letterman continued his on-air taunting by saying McCain was being "squirrely"—they've made a date for Thursday, TV Guide reports. More »
- Palin, SNL Make a Date: Oct. 25
  
  New York Post | Oct 10, 08 2:48 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Sarah Palin will appear on Saturday Night Live after all, New York Post gossip columnist Cindy Adams reports. The VP candidate and her endearing near-profanities are scheduled to visit Rockefeller Center Oct. 25, a little more than a week before the election. Is a reverse lampooning of Tina Fey in the works? As the folksy cliche goes, stay tuned. More »
- Nightline Racks Up Ratings
  
  Media Life Magazine | Oct 9, 08 7:30 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Financial and political uncertainty means big ratings for Nightline, which is enjoying its highest numbers since being reformatted in 2005, Media Life magazine reports. Despite being under virtually constant threat of cancellation, Nightline regularly outdraws Late Night With David Letterman and is closer to Jay Leno's Tonight Show than at any other time since 2000. Nightline averages 4.06 million viewers, up 9% from last year but behind Leno's 4.72 million. More »
- Election Results In: Comedy Wins
  
  New York Times | Oct 9, 08 1:55 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - No matter which candidate ultimately surges ahead, political comedy is emerging as the clear winner in the presidential race, reports the New York Times . Tina Fey's dead-on parody of Sarah Palin has triggered a huge boost in viewership for Saturday Night Live . The Colbert Report and the Daily Show have canceled vacations to keep the jokes coming and the ratings soaring. More »
- Mac, Dave to Make Up
  
  New York Post | Oct 7, 08 1:33 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - David Letterman's favorite whipping boy may return to the show next week in a move to make the peace, reports the New York Post. John McCain is in talks for his Late Show redemption on Oct. 15, ending a feud that's dogged the candidate since he ditched Dave for Katie Couric two weeks ago. More »
- Top 10 Things 'Overheard at Palin Debate Camp'
  
  San Francisco Chronicle | Oct 2, 08 8:40 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - David Letterman was not kind to the Republican vice presidential candidate last night—his Top 10 list focused on "Things Overheard at Sarah Palin Debate Camp." Among the highlights: "Any way we can just get Tina Fey to do it?" "Maybe we'll get lucky and there won't be any questions about Iraq, taxes or health care." "Let's practice your bewildered silence." Watch the full list or click the link below. More »
September 2008
- Diss Letterman at Your Peril
  
  Gawker | Sep 26, 08 5:20 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - John McCain is playing with fire if he thinks he can stand up David Letterman and get away with it. "The middle-of-the-road personalities who've dominated network television since its inception do retain one singular power," Gawker Media head honcho Nick Denton, writing for his flagship blog, warns the wayward candidate. "When they finally get off the fence, the mass of similar-minded voters take notice." More »
- 'Ugly Date' Letterman Skewers McCain Again
  
  Los Angeles Times | Sep 26, 08 4:31 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The David Letterman-John McCain feud continued last night on the Late Show as the host kept hammering the candidate for standing him up, reports the Los Angeles Times . Letterman, whose guests included Paris Hilton—"McCain's first choice as running mate"—said he felt like an "ugly date" after McCain cancelled on him Wednesday, pleading that he had to rush to Washington—then did an interview with Katie Couric and spent the night in New York. More »
- Letterman Lambasts AWOL McCain
  
  New York Daily News | Sep 25, 08 3:06 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - John McCain was scorched by the full fury of a Letterman scorned after blowing off last night's Late Show an hour before taping, the New York Daily News reports. "This just doesn't smell right. This is not the way a tested hero behaves," Letterman raged. "Somebody's putting something in his Metamucil." McCain told Letterman he was rushing back to Washington, but in fact was still in town, preparing for an interview with Katie Couric. More »
- Franken Hatched Mac-Mocking SNL Skit
  
  Politico | Sep 21, 08 6:48 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Former Saturday Night Live scribe and current Minnesota Democratic Senate hopeful Al Franken hatched the idea for last night’s sketch mocking John McCain—raising tough political questions for the program and NBC, Politico reports. Critics raised concerns about the propriety of a politician playing a role in an attack on a candidate from the rival party. Franken's involvement may also fuel claims that NBC has a liberal bias, Politico notes. More »
- Feminist Fey Skewers Palin as Only a Woman Can
  
  Globe and Mail | Sep 15, 08 12:51 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Sarah Palin has made John McCain into a punchline, and there’s been no shortage of late-night comedians pointing that out. Unfortunately, they’ve almost all been male. Thank goodness, then, for Tina Fey, Simon Houpt writes in the Globe and Mail . It took Fey, a dead ringer for Palin, to “tackle the jaw dropping jujitsu” of the Republican Party’s feminist turn. More »
- Letterman Perplexed by NBC's Move to Ditch Leno
  
  New York Times | Sep 3, 08 8:32 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - David Letterman isn't planning to head off into the sunset when his Late Night contract expires in 2010, the New York Times reports, telling a Rolling Stone interviewer that he would love to keep going at CBS—and that he was confused by NBC's decision to put longtime rival Jay Leno out to pasture next year. "I don’t know why, after the job Jay has done for them, why they would relinquish that,” said the 26-year veteran. More »
August 2008
- Leno Could Doom Nightline with ABC Move
  
  Los Angeles Times | Aug 11, 08 2:05 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - These should be banner days for ABC’s Nightline , John Edwards’ confessional outlet of choice. Instead, staffers fear Jay Leno's departure from NBC will wind up costing them their jobs, the LA Times reports. ABC appears to be Leno's most likely destination after he retires next year, which would likely spell the doom of the 29-year-old news magazine. More »
July 2008
- Leno Bowing Out in May
  
  Broadcasting & Cable | Jul 22, 08 3:02 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Jay Leno's last appearance as host of the Tonight Show will be the final Friday in May, reports Broadcasting & Cable . Conan O'Brien will take over the following Monday. In the several months between O'Brien's leaving Late Night and his Tonight Show debut, NBC plans a huge promotional campaign to keep his profile high. More »
- SNL Expands Election Coverage
  
  Zap2It | Jul 21, 08 8:42 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Saturday Night Live is expanding its satirical coverage of Election 2008, reports Zap2it. NBC will air three SNL primetime campaign specials, plus four consecutive Saturday night shows beginning in September, boosting the number of pre-election live shows to seven. The program will also feature the traditional election eve special " SNL Presidential Bash." More »

News Sections

Newser Specials

Stories

Letterman Fits McCain Into His Schedule

Palin, SNL Make a Date: Oct. 25

Nightline Racks Up Ratings

Election Results In: Comedy Wins

Mac, Dave to Make Up

Top 10 Things 'Overheard at Palin Debate Camp'

Diss Letterman at Your Peril

'Ugly Date' Letterman Skewers McCain Again

Letterman Lambasts AWOL McCain

Franken Hatched Mac-Mocking SNL Skit

Feminist Fey Skewers Palin as Only a Woman Can

Letterman Perplexed by NBC's Move to Ditch Leno

Leno Could Doom Nightline with ABC Move

Leno Bowing Out in May

SNL Expands Election Coverage