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April 2008
- Ferguson Overtakes Conan
  
  New York Times | Apr 10, 08 4:01 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - It appears the tides are changing for Conan O’Brien—well, sort of. Last week, and for the first time, the NBC late-night host was beaten in overall ratings by CBS rival Craig Ferguson, the New York Times reports. More »
- Conan's Stalker Priest Pleads Guilty
  
  WBZ 4 | Apr 8, 08 4:17 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A Roman Catholic priest who stalked Conan O'Brien pleaded guilty today to disorderly conduct and apologized for his actions, WBZ-TV reports. Rev. David Ajemian, 46, sent the late-night talk-show host threatening letters on parish letterhead—referring to himself as "your stalker priest"—contacted O'Brien's parents, and got caught trying to sneak into a New York taping after being told to stay away. More »
- It's No Joke: Colbert Boosts Democracy
  
  Salon | Apr 5, 08 6:42 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - 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 »
- Letterman, McCain Trade Comic Riffs
  
  New York Times | Apr 1, 08 8:39 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - David Letterman had his routine McCain-is-old shtick interrupted today with comebacks from the Arizona senator himself, the New York Times notes. In the Late Show monologue that airs tonight, Letterman fired off comments such as, “He looks like the guy at the hardware store who makes the keys”—until McCain walked onstage. "Hi Letterman. You think that stuff’s pretty funny, don’t you?” he quipped. More »
March 2008
- 'SNL' Staffers Not Laughing at Hillary Bias Claims
  
  Los Angeles Times | Mar 13, 08 1:09 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - “Saturday Night Live” staffers are getting serious over accusations of a pro-Clinton bias, with producer Lorne Michaels telling the Los Angeles Times any perception of bias is a "major concern" and assuring “there’s no agenda.” The show’s send-up of a media crush on Barack Obama was credited by some pundits with ending the love fest—but head writer Seth Meyers says watchers are giving “SNL” too much credit. Hillary impersonator Amy Poehler says the show targets "whoever is winning." More »
- Letterman to Spitzer: 'Get Out of Office!'
  
  New York Daily News | Mar 12, 08 8:05 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - David Letterman has made as many Eliot Spitzer jokes as anyone since the governor’s indiscretions broke, but last night he went on a punchline-free rant against Client 9. “He should have stepped down yesterday,” he said. “Get out of office. Who is running the state, for the love of God?” The audience applauded wildly, the Daily News reports. More »
February 2008
- Fey's 'SNL' Spot May Boost Clinton
  
  Time | Feb 26, 08 4:00 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - She didn't rap over a stump speech, but Tina Fey's rousing defense of Hillary Clinton on "Saturday Night Live" may help the underdog candidate challenge Barack Obama's domination of viral videos, writes Time TV blogger James Poniewozik. Fey's lampooning of the arguments against Hillary, including that she's a bitch—"Yeah, she is. So am I. You know what? Bitches get things done!"—is "the kind of thing a campaign needs," Poniewozik writes. More »
- Tina Fey Will Host SNL 's Return Show
  
  MSNBC | Feb 13, 08 4:58 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Saturday Night Live 's first new show since the writers' strike began will be hosted by former head writer Tina Fey, MSNBC reports. SNL was the only late-night comedy show to go AWOL for the whole strike. " SNL thrives during an election year and they can’t wait to get back on," says an NBC exec. The show is scheduled for Feb. 23. More »
- Clinton: In my White House, I'll Wear the Pantsuits
  
  Reuters | Feb 5, 08 4:50 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - Hillary Clinton showed off her lighter side in a Super Tuesday eve appearance on David Letterman, joking to the talk-show host that in her White House, "we'll know who wears the pantsuits." Clinton said she was hoarse from rooting for the Giants in a Minneapolis sports bar, and that she took heart from their last-minute victory. More »
January 2008
- Leno's Secret: He's Beloved Boy Prince of Mediocrity
  
  New York | Jan 31, 08 11:41 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - Despite a dearth of guests willing to cross Writers Guild picket lines and near-scab status himself, late-night host Jay Leno has still managed to trounce rival David Letterman in ratings. Not that either is that funny, but Letterman at least returned with "a fetching gray beard, and the moral high ground"—so why couldn't he steal the show? asks New York 's Sam Anderson. More »
- Obama's Top 10 List for Dave
  
  Associated Press | Jan 24, 08 10:12 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Barack Obama tonight became the latest presidential hopeful to appear on David Letterman, where he counted down a list of campaign promises we can be pretty sure he won't keep, the Chicago Tribune reports. Three words: Vice President Oprah Pronounce the word nuclear, nuclear I'll find money in the budget to buy Letterman a decent hairpiece I won't let Apple release the new and improved iPod the day after you bought the previous model I'll rename the 10th month of the year "Barack-tober" More »
- Stewart, Colbert Return to Late Night
  
  Chicago Tribune | Jan 8, 08 11:24 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - Late-night TV hosts Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert returned to the air last night, without writers or scripted material. In recognition of the WGA strike, both shows included commentary on the work stoppage, reports the Chicago Tribune. Stewart said, “From now on until the end of the strike, we will be doing ‘A Daily Show with Jon Stewart’ but not ‘The Daily Show.’” More »
- Writers Want Leno to Can the Jokes
  
  New York Times | Jan 4, 08 9:34 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - Jay Leno is back on the air telling jokes, but striking writers want him to knock it off. Leno returned to TV—and the top of the ratings—Wednesday and yesterday with monologues he wrote. Writers say that violates strike rules and are trying to pressure him and NBC to scrap the stand-up bits, reports the New York Times . Leno, though, says he got permission from the guild and is holding firm. More »
- Late-night comedy titans return
  
  BBC | Jan 3, 08
  
  The titans of late night comedy have returned to US TV with - and without - their usual teams of writers.
- A sequel with the same ending
  
  Los Angeles Times | Jan 3, 08
  
  The writers guild keeps saying that its strike against the studios is about the future, but one need only look back to the 1988 strike to see that in key ways it is a repeat of the past. Nearly 20 years ago, when the writers asked for a bigger slice of the pie, the studios shrugged and Hollywood sank into a malaise. But out of that emerged new ways of doing business, a scenario that's happening again.
- Late-Night Hosts Return With Laughs, Politics
  
  Associated Press | Jan 2, 08 11:19 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Late-night talk shows returned to the air tonight for the first time in two months with a dose of politics mixed among the laughs, the AP reports. Mike Huckabee appeared on Leno, apparently a bit confused by the status of the writers' strike, while Letterman got a taped intro from Hillary Clinton. Letterman and Conan O'Brien sported beards, having put their razors on strike, too. More »