Bill Carter, a THR contributor, has covered TV for more than 40 years, mostly at The New York Times. A couple of years into Garry Shandling’s groundbreaking HBO comedy The Larry Sanders Show, I got word that Garry and his writers had come up with a plotline for the new season that would mix his fictional late-night television world with the real-life events that I had reported on in my book The Late Shift. At the time, everything Garry was doing on Sanders was head-spinningly new (and brilliant): He was playing a mock late-night host, but the show always
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- 3/29/2016
- by Bill Carter
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jimmy Kimmel and fans of his ABC late-night show owe his wife a great debt of gratitude for blurting out a simple, yet brilliant idea: Recruit the biggest stars in sports and entertainment to read mean tweets about them out loud. The comedian revealed the origin of one of his most popular recurring segments as the first guest on SiriusXM’s new show “The Bill Carter Interview,” which premieres on Oct. 5 at 6 p.m. on the subscription radio service’s Insight Channel. “Mean Tweets was my wife’s idea,” Kimmel said. “We were sitting at the dining room table and our mutual friend Kelly.
- 10/2/2015
- by Greg Gilman
- The Wrap
Bill Carter will launch a weekly interview program on SiriusXM. Launching later this summer, The Bill Carter Interview will be broadcast Mondays at 6 p.m. and will have the former New York Times reporter and author interviewing pop culture figures as well as newsmakers of the moment. The program will air on SiriusXM’s Insight channel 121. It will include a call-in feature. Carter covered television for the Times for 25 years. Along the way, he penned several books that offered a fly-on--the-wall view of the entertainment industry, including the best-selling The Late Shift,
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- 7/7/2015
- by THR Staff
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
As the Great Late-Night Realignment of 2014-15 continues, one thing is clear: The East Coast/West Coast beef lives on, if not in hip-hop, then on late-night television.
This week, CBS announced that, when Stephen Colbert takes over David Letterman's "Late Show" next year, he'll keep the show at Broadway's historic Ed Sullivan Theater. Actually, it wasn't just CBS who made the announcement; it was CBS, several New York state legislators, and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. That's how big a deal it is that Colbert is not moving the "Late Show" to Los Angeles.
Not that there was much chance the show would move, though Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti made a game try at persuading CBS to move the show to what he called "the entertainment capital of the world" in a letter he wrote to the network in April, shortly after CBS announced Letterman's retirement... and...
This week, CBS announced that, when Stephen Colbert takes over David Letterman's "Late Show" next year, he'll keep the show at Broadway's historic Ed Sullivan Theater. Actually, it wasn't just CBS who made the announcement; it was CBS, several New York state legislators, and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. That's how big a deal it is that Colbert is not moving the "Late Show" to Los Angeles.
Not that there was much chance the show would move, though Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti made a game try at persuading CBS to move the show to what he called "the entertainment capital of the world" in a letter he wrote to the network in April, shortly after CBS announced Letterman's retirement... and...
- 7/25/2014
- by Gary Susman
- Moviefone
News
Here we go again, the season premiere of Game of Thrones managed to crash HBO Go. Not too long ago, the app crashed when people tried to use it to watch the season finale of True Detective.
Speaking of Game of Thrones, how about that Red Viper? (There are spoilers at the link, of course.) After the initial thrill faded, it felt like the status quo for me.
I don’t have many complaints about looking at Pedro Pascal, at least.
FX has signed a big deal with the creators of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The deal includes two more seasons of Sunny (which will make it cable’s longest-running live-action comedy, in terms of seasons), an order for a new series starring Tracy Morgan (from all three Sunny creators) as well as ordering three scripts for potential comedy series. One of those series, We’re Good,...
Here we go again, the season premiere of Game of Thrones managed to crash HBO Go. Not too long ago, the app crashed when people tried to use it to watch the season finale of True Detective.
Speaking of Game of Thrones, how about that Red Viper? (There are spoilers at the link, of course.) After the initial thrill faded, it felt like the status quo for me.
I don’t have many complaints about looking at Pedro Pascal, at least.
FX has signed a big deal with the creators of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The deal includes two more seasons of Sunny (which will make it cable’s longest-running live-action comedy, in terms of seasons), an order for a new series starring Tracy Morgan (from all three Sunny creators) as well as ordering three scripts for potential comedy series. One of those series, We’re Good,...
- 4/7/2014
- by Lyle Masaki
- The Backlot
Everything had to go wrong for Jimmy Fallon to get The Tonight Show. NBC had to choose Leno over Letterman, and then choose Leno again over O’Brien: A pair of historic injustices, if you’re the kind of person who treats millionaire-white-dude desk-swapping like generation-defining culture-quakes. There’s a school of thinking that Letterman and O’Brien “deserved” The Tonight Show — not to mention two decades of jokes about how Leno didn’t deserve it. But deserve’s got nothing to do with it. The Tonight Show is a powerful concept — a way to talk about Hollywood or America...
- 2/18/2014
- by Darren Franich
- EW.com - PopWatch
Fact #1: Jay Leno has been the most popular late night host in America for the majority of the past 19 years.
Fact #2: Comedians, Hollywood insiders, and laypeople alike just love hating on Leno, and have been doing so consistently for over 20 years.
Why? In their minds, the reasons are legion: Because he stole The Tonight Show from Johnny Carson’s rightful heir, David Letterman, way back in the early ’90s. Because he refused to simply retire when NBC tried to replace him with Conan O’Brien in 2009. Because his primetime Jay Leno Show tanked, sinking Conan’s Tonight Show...
Fact #2: Comedians, Hollywood insiders, and laypeople alike just love hating on Leno, and have been doing so consistently for over 20 years.
Why? In their minds, the reasons are legion: Because he stole The Tonight Show from Johnny Carson’s rightful heir, David Letterman, way back in the early ’90s. Because he refused to simply retire when NBC tried to replace him with Conan O’Brien in 2009. Because his primetime Jay Leno Show tanked, sinking Conan’s Tonight Show...
- 2/5/2014
- by Hillary Busis
- EW.com - PopWatch
Question We Don’t Really Care About The Answer To: With his E! show canceled after one season, it looks like his fans will be asking, “What Will Ryan Lochte do?”
Least Self-Aware Therapist: Before bringing back a controversial past guest, Dr. Phil viewers to tweet “and use the hashtag Khalood” before asking, “Is that what it’s come to?” He then went on to accuse Khalood of being addicted to the drama… which he fed by putting her back on TV.
Coolest Stage: Queen Latifah’s new chatfest features a huge, fun set designed by Lenny Kravitz that is fit for… well, a queen!
Lamest Ending: After 11 rambling, often maddeningly pointless episodes, Siberia’s finale failed to answer any questions and left the few viewers still paying attention wishing NBC hadn’t bothered with a summer series.
Most Fun Casting Game: The Late Shift author Bill Carter offered up...
Least Self-Aware Therapist: Before bringing back a controversial past guest, Dr. Phil viewers to tweet “and use the hashtag Khalood” before asking, “Is that what it’s come to?” He then went on to accuse Khalood of being addicted to the drama… which he fed by putting her back on TV.
Coolest Stage: Queen Latifah’s new chatfest features a huge, fun set designed by Lenny Kravitz that is fit for… well, a queen!
Lamest Ending: After 11 rambling, often maddeningly pointless episodes, Siberia’s finale failed to answer any questions and left the few viewers still paying attention wishing NBC hadn’t bothered with a summer series.
Most Fun Casting Game: The Late Shift author Bill Carter offered up...
- 9/20/2013
- by theTVaddict
- The TV Addict
"Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell" started as an under-the-radar weekly late-night show on FX, hosted by the titular comedian and executive produced by Chris Rock. But now, with the move to FX's new sister network Fxx, Bell is going nightly.
"Totally Biased" will air five nights a week (new season premieres Wed., Sept. 4 at 11 p.m. on Fxx), Sunday through Thursday, with a best-of compilation show on Sundays.
HuffPost TV caught up with Bell at the Television Critics Association Summer 2013 press tour party for FX and Fxx, and he talked about changes you'll see on his show now that they've worked out some kinks, where he falls in the late-night show hierarchy and which "Rocky" he wants to be.
When asked about Jimmy Fallon's new gig as host of "The Tonight Show," and whether or not he thinks the show will tame Fallon's brand of comedy (which many...
"Totally Biased" will air five nights a week (new season premieres Wed., Sept. 4 at 11 p.m. on Fxx), Sunday through Thursday, with a best-of compilation show on Sundays.
HuffPost TV caught up with Bell at the Television Critics Association Summer 2013 press tour party for FX and Fxx, and he talked about changes you'll see on his show now that they've worked out some kinks, where he falls in the late-night show hierarchy and which "Rocky" he wants to be.
When asked about Jimmy Fallon's new gig as host of "The Tonight Show," and whether or not he thinks the show will tame Fallon's brand of comedy (which many...
- 8/2/2013
- by Maggie Furlong
- Huffington Post
NBC has officially announced that Jimmy Fallon will take over "The Tonight Show" in 2014, and Jay Leno will end his run as the host of the show. Bill Carter of The New York Times reports that Fallon, currently the host of "Late Night," will begin hosting the show in February.
Fallon has hosted "Late Night" since 2009, and along with his house band The Roots, has developed a variety show that blends music, celebrity impressions and an enthusiastic approach to the talk show format to make it one of the most unique late night programs on the air.
Lorne Michaels executive produces Fallon's current show, and will produce "The Tonight Show" in addition to his "Saturday Night Live" duties.
The news follows months of rumors that Fallon would take over the show when Leno's contract expires next year. The show will be taped at 30 Rock in New York, the first time...
Fallon has hosted "Late Night" since 2009, and along with his house band The Roots, has developed a variety show that blends music, celebrity impressions and an enthusiastic approach to the talk show format to make it one of the most unique late night programs on the air.
Lorne Michaels executive produces Fallon's current show, and will produce "The Tonight Show" in addition to his "Saturday Night Live" duties.
The news follows months of rumors that Fallon would take over the show when Leno's contract expires next year. The show will be taped at 30 Rock in New York, the first time...
- 4/3/2013
- by The Huffington Post
- Huffington Post
All but confirming the weeks of rumors, The New York Times is now reporting that NBC has quietly made an offer to move Jimmy Fallon to The Tonight Show no later than fall 2014, a one-and-a-half-year transition that matches the pace of the retaliatory barbs Jay Leno is currently lobbing the network’s way. The news comes from The Late Shift and The War For Late Night writer Bill Carter, who admirably refrained from yelling, “Oh boy! New book!” in his passing along the news, citing several unnamed sources close to the situation. Also backing Carter up is the fact ...
- 3/20/2013
- avclub.com
The rumor that Jimmy Fallon was going to replace Jay Leno as host of the Tonight Show has been going around for a while now, but today the guy who literally wrote the book(s) on it, The Late Shift and The War for Late Night author Bill Carter, is reporting that a change is imminent. He cites that his story has been confirmed by several sources close to the decision. However, maybe the one thing that gave it away more than anything is 30 Rockefeller Plaza construction plans. According to Carter, since taking over the network, Comcast is in the process of renovating the building, and part of that process is building a new Tonight Show set. This will mark the show’s return to its original home, from which it taped from 1954 through 1972, when Carson moved it to Burbank. It should be noted that NBC has consistently denied...
- 3/20/2013
- by Jesse David Fox
- Vulture
Last week, Tina Fey told HuffPost that when Lorne Michaels retires, "Saturday Night Live" should end. On Monday night during a discussion with New York Times reporter Bill Carter, Seth Meyers told a packed house at 92Y that he agrees with Fey's assessment.
"I don't think the show can go on without Lorne," Meyers said when an audience member asked him what would happen were the longtime executive producer to leave the show.
Meyers, an 11-season veteran of the show who is currently head writer and Weekend Update anchor, expanded that Michaels' prowess lies not only in running the show, but in network relations that would be impossible to duplicate.
Michaels has been the executive producer of "SNL" since the show launched in 1975, minus five years in the '80s that are often seen as a low point in the history of "SNL" (despite introducing the world to Eddie Murphy...
"I don't think the show can go on without Lorne," Meyers said when an audience member asked him what would happen were the longtime executive producer to leave the show.
Meyers, an 11-season veteran of the show who is currently head writer and Weekend Update anchor, expanded that Michaels' prowess lies not only in running the show, but in network relations that would be impossible to duplicate.
Michaels has been the executive producer of "SNL" since the show launched in 1975, minus five years in the '80s that are often seen as a low point in the history of "SNL" (despite introducing the world to Eddie Murphy...
- 3/19/2013
- by Ross Luippold
- Huffington Post
The Chairman of NBC Entertainment reportedly took issue with a series of jokes told by Jay Leno that poked fun at how NBC had recently fallen to fifth place behind Univision.
According to a report in the New York Times, a monologue given by Leno on Feb. 28 — which included jokes about NBC trailing Univision by saying “it’s so bad, NBC called Manti Te’o and asked him to bring in some imaginary viewers” — prompted top exec Robert Greenblatt to send a email of complaint to the late-night star.
Nyt writer Bill Carter — who has written two books about the...
According to a report in the New York Times, a monologue given by Leno on Feb. 28 — which included jokes about NBC trailing Univision by saying “it’s so bad, NBC called Manti Te’o and asked him to bring in some imaginary viewers” — prompted top exec Robert Greenblatt to send a email of complaint to the late-night star.
Nyt writer Bill Carter — who has written two books about the...
- 3/16/2013
- by Lynette Rice
- EW - Inside TV
Tonight, "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" moves to ABC's 11:35 timeslot, putting the show in direct competition with Jay Leno and David Letterman. In the newest issue of Rolling Stone, Kimmel offered some potent criticism of the "Tonight Show" host -- and did not mince words.
"Leno hasn't been a good stand-up in 20 years," Kimmel told reporter Jonah Weiner as they drove past the Comedy & Magic Club, where Leno tries out monologue jokes for "The Tonight Show" each Sunday.
Kimmel left no doubt in the public's mind how he felt about Leno in 2010, when Leno was in negotiations to return to his "Tonight Show" throne after Conan O'Brien occupied the desk for a mere seven months. Kimmel hosted an entire episode of his show doing a mocking impersonation of Leno, and then did an interview on "The Jay Leno Show" where he repeatedly blamed Leno for the Conan controversy (despite Leno's attempts...
"Leno hasn't been a good stand-up in 20 years," Kimmel told reporter Jonah Weiner as they drove past the Comedy & Magic Club, where Leno tries out monologue jokes for "The Tonight Show" each Sunday.
Kimmel left no doubt in the public's mind how he felt about Leno in 2010, when Leno was in negotiations to return to his "Tonight Show" throne after Conan O'Brien occupied the desk for a mere seven months. Kimmel hosted an entire episode of his show doing a mocking impersonation of Leno, and then did an interview on "The Jay Leno Show" where he repeatedly blamed Leno for the Conan controversy (despite Leno's attempts...
- 1/7/2013
- by The Huffington Post
- Huffington Post
Jimmy Kimmel has little love for Jay Leno these days. Sitting down for a chat at New York City's 92nd Street Y on Monday night, the comic had a tart two-word reply when asked about The Tonight Show host. "F--k him," xfinity.com reported Kimmel as saying. With Jimmy Kimmel Live moving up from 12:05 a.m. to its new 11:35 p.m. time slot and about to go head-to-head with Leno in the ratings for the full hour, the funnyman had some fightin' words for his new rival. After lavishing praise on David Letterman, Kimmel was asked by event host Bill Carter his thoughts on Leno, whom Kimmel took to task for the allegedly shoddy treatment he felt Jay had given Conan O'Brien in 2010 when...
- 8/29/2012
- E! Online
He may bring in the most viewers, but America's most popular late-night host still can't seem to win over his contemporaries.
According to xfinity.com, Jimmy Kimmel had only two words to say about Jay Leno while on stage at the 92nd Street Y in NYC on Monday night: "F--- him."
In the interview, conducted by Bill Carter (author of The Late Shift and The War for Late Night), the ABC talk-show host went on to describe his disparaging impressions of Leno as "the most fun [he's] ever had on [his] show." These impersonations came during the infamous battle between Leno and Conan O'Brien, resulting in Leno taking back the reins of The Tonight Show.
According to Jimmy, things weren't always so hostile between the two rivals. In fact, Jimmy says that they carried on a friendship, but that their bond was ultimately disingenuous.
Video: Jimmy Kimmel's Bra Battle with Zac Efron
On Tuesday, ABC announced...
According to xfinity.com, Jimmy Kimmel had only two words to say about Jay Leno while on stage at the 92nd Street Y in NYC on Monday night: "F--- him."
In the interview, conducted by Bill Carter (author of The Late Shift and The War for Late Night), the ABC talk-show host went on to describe his disparaging impressions of Leno as "the most fun [he's] ever had on [his] show." These impersonations came during the infamous battle between Leno and Conan O'Brien, resulting in Leno taking back the reins of The Tonight Show.
According to Jimmy, things weren't always so hostile between the two rivals. In fact, Jimmy says that they carried on a friendship, but that their bond was ultimately disingenuous.
Video: Jimmy Kimmel's Bra Battle with Zac Efron
On Tuesday, ABC announced...
- 8/29/2012
- TheInsider.com
Jimmy Kimmel isn't fake friends with Jay Leno anymore. "Fuck him," Kimmel said when asked about Leno at a panel Monday, Xfinity reports. Kimmel will face off with both David Letterman and Jay Leno when "Jimmy Kimmel Live" moves to 11:35 p.m. in January. At a 92nd Street Y talk with New York Times writer and late night authority Bill Carter, Kimmel praised Letterman, prompting Carter to ask about Leno. Kimmel delivered his two-word reply, before saying a "friendship" he once had with Leno was "fake."...
- 8/28/2012
- by Tim Molloy
- The Wrap
ABC's Jimmy Kimmel -- who is slated to join in on the Late Night Wars (not to be confused with the current, ongoing wars on Christmas, Religion, Atheists, Republicans, Saturday, Democrats, Women, Men, The Unborn, or Shia Labeouf) alongside NBC's Jay Leno and CBS' David Letterman -- sat down with The Late Shift and The War for Late Night author Bill Carter Monday night, where he was asked both about his admiration for Letterman and his thoughts about Leno.
- 8/28/2012
- by Alex Alvarez
- Mediaite - TV
One of the highlights of AOL’s Digital Content NewFront came after AOL CEO Tim Armstrong introduced a short clip highlighting some of the best major motion pictures and television programming of all time (like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Beverly Hills Cop, Cheers, Family Ties, and more), which in turn introduced one of the individuals instrumental in making all of those major motion picture and television programs come to fruition, Michael Eisner. The former-ceo of Disney and founder of new media studio Vuguru (which is behind such online video productions as Prom Queen, The All-For-Nots, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, The Booth at the End, the soon-to-launch-on-aol Little Women Big Cars and Fetching, and more) gave the audience a very abridged version of his career in show business before giving the audience a very brief education in the current state of entertainment. Eisner explained that while New York...
- 4/25/2012
- by Joshua Cohen
- Tubefilter.com
Looks like the ongoing Jimmy Kimmel/Jay Leno feud has escalated.
Last Thursday, Leno offered some Valentine's Day gift ideas on "The Tonight Show," and one of the gags was a blanket made up of celebrity hairpieces. "There's even a Jimmy Kimmel! It's still got the black dye on it!"
Kimmel seemed mostly amused that Leno considers Kimmel such a threat that he'd go out of his way to make the joke. Kimmel even replays Leno's clip in slow motion to mock the "look what I did, ma!" grin that Leno bears when finishing the bit.
Of course, Kimmel and Leno's history, full of camaraderie and conflict, goes back far. According to Bill Carter's "The War For Late Night," they became friendly during the WGA Writer's Strike, when both their shows were off the air. However, the friendship was not permanent. Kimmel made headlines in 2010 during the Conan/Leno "Tonight Show" fiasco,...
Last Thursday, Leno offered some Valentine's Day gift ideas on "The Tonight Show," and one of the gags was a blanket made up of celebrity hairpieces. "There's even a Jimmy Kimmel! It's still got the black dye on it!"
Kimmel seemed mostly amused that Leno considers Kimmel such a threat that he'd go out of his way to make the joke. Kimmel even replays Leno's clip in slow motion to mock the "look what I did, ma!" grin that Leno bears when finishing the bit.
Of course, Kimmel and Leno's history, full of camaraderie and conflict, goes back far. According to Bill Carter's "The War For Late Night," they became friendly during the WGA Writer's Strike, when both their shows were off the air. However, the friendship was not permanent. Kimmel made headlines in 2010 during the Conan/Leno "Tonight Show" fiasco,...
- 2/14/2012
- by The Huffington Post
- Aol TV.
Wow, has it been a year already since the late night war was resolved? I suppose I should specify Late Night War II. The first war happened when Johnny Carson vacated The Tonight Show throne nearly twenty years ago. This was well chronicled in Bill Carter’s book “The Late Shift” which was also the basis of an HBO original movie. Carter’s released a new book about the new battles if you want some more background information ( or wait for the inevitable cable TV movie ). The focus of the new documentary by Rodman Flender, Conan O’Brien Can’T Stop, concerns this war’s aftermath. As part of his NBC settlement, O’Brien must stay off TV, radio, and the Internet for several months. So is Coco gonna’ ride the couch? Not a chance! He’s going across the country ( and Canada ) to thank his loyal fans by putting on a live stage show!
- 6/24/2011
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Filed under: Features, Celebrity Interviews
Now that Conan O'Brien is back on the air and is churning out the comedy on basic cable, it's safe to say that the Second Late Night War is effectively over, or at least it's in a cease fire state. After all the recrimination, the back and forth between Jay Leno, NBC, and O'Brien, and the giggling of Jimmy Kimmel and David Letterman from the sidelines, the only question left to ask at this point is a simple one: "What's next for late night?"
I asked Bill Carter, who has followed up his acclaimed 1994 book 'The Late Shift' with 'The War For Late Night: When Leno Went Early And Television Went Crazy,' whether he thought the current late night talk show format, especially at 11:30, is on the decline. "Yes. There's no question," said the New York Times television reporter, who examines...
Now that Conan O'Brien is back on the air and is churning out the comedy on basic cable, it's safe to say that the Second Late Night War is effectively over, or at least it's in a cease fire state. After all the recrimination, the back and forth between Jay Leno, NBC, and O'Brien, and the giggling of Jimmy Kimmel and David Letterman from the sidelines, the only question left to ask at this point is a simple one: "What's next for late night?"
I asked Bill Carter, who has followed up his acclaimed 1994 book 'The Late Shift' with 'The War For Late Night: When Leno Went Early And Television Went Crazy,' whether he thought the current late night talk show format, especially at 11:30, is on the decline. "Yes. There's no question," said the New York Times television reporter, who examines...
- 12/2/2010
- by Joel Keller
- Aol TV.
We're nearly at the end of the week, which is exciting all on it's own but also because we're getting closer to American Thanksgiving and I'm excited to go home and eat ridiculous amounts of food. Of course, we're also getting closer to the end of the semester for me which is kind of nerve wracking for me because it's my last semester of classes and I'm sort of blocking on how much work I still have to do. However, somewhere in my busy schedule I found time to email FX about keeping "Terriers" on the air, and I told them that I was totally a minor internet celebrity and I was telling all my readers that they should email in as well so now y'all have to so I don't look bad. You don't want me to look bad, do you? Nothing worse than talking a lot of shit...
- 11/18/2010
- by Intern Rusty
A network in a bind and two men at opposing comedic poles provide grist for Bill Carter’s mill in The War For Late Night: When Leno Went Early And Television Went Crazy, whose release concurrent with Conan O’Brien’s return to television cannot be coincidental. Yet while the outsize personalities haven’t changed since Carter’s 1995 book The Late Shift, the speed of the news cycle renders his gossipy tidbits mostly irrelevant, and his analysis incomplete. Carter’s earlier reportage feeds The War For Late Night’s depiction of NBC as a fundamentally risk-averse organization scarred by ...
- 11/18/2010
- avclub.com
After weeks of speculation that he’ll follow NBC-Universal Chairman Jeff Zucker out the door after the merger with Comcast, NBC Universal TV Chairman Jeff Gaspin confirmed Monday that he is leaving the company. He sent this memo out to the staff:”During the course of the Comcast/Ge merger, I’ve had many good conversations with Steve Burke about my role at the new NBC Universal. Under the current structure, all of the television entertainment assets including cable, broadcast, and distribution report to me. As is his prerogative, Steve has determined that he wants to move in a different...
- 11/16/2010
- by Lynette Rice
- EW - Inside TV
After weeks of speculation that he’ll follow NBC-Universal Chairman Jeff Zucker out the door after the merger with Comcast, NBC Universal TV Chairman Jeff Gaspin confirmed Monday that he is leaving the company. He sent this memo out to the staff:”During the course of the Comcast/Ge merger, I’ve had many good conversations with Steve Burke about my role at the new NBC Universal. Under the current structure, all of the television entertainment assets including cable, broadcast, and distribution report to me. As is his prerogative, Steve has determined that he wants to move in a different...
- 11/16/2010
- by Lynette Rice
- EW - Inside Movies
After weeks of speculation that he’ll follow NBC-Universal Chairman Jeff Zucker out the door after the merger with Comcast, NBC Universal TV Chairman Jeff Gaspin confirmed Monday that he is leaving the company. He sent this memo out to the staff:”During the course of the Comcast/Ge merger, I’ve had many good conversations with Steve Burke about my role at the new NBC Universal. Under the current structure, all of the television entertainment assets including cable, broadcast, and distribution report to me. As is his prerogative, Steve has determined that he wants to move in a different...
- 11/16/2010
- by Lynette Rice
- EW - Inside Movies
On CNN's Reliable Sources, host Howard Kurtz laid out what the public perception of Jay Leno was during the late night debacle: a scheming bad guy who plotted to get rid of Conan O'brien in order to get back his old job. But Bill Carter, author of The War for Late Night, said today that that’s not accurate at all.
- 11/14/2010
- by Matt Schneider
- Mediaite - TV
Even when he was a struggling writer for NBC's "Saturday Night Live," trying to fill a summer with a stage show in Chicago to hone his craft even more, Conan O'Brien knew he was destined for late-night television. But when it came time for him to take on even a pretend microphone at a pretend desk, who did he emulate? Johnny Carson? David Letterman? Art Linkletter? No. It was none other than "Star Trek" legend George Takei. In his new book, "The War for Late Night: When Leno Went Early and Television Went Crazy," author Bill Carter said O'Brien got the idea to create a scenario where Takei replaced Joan Rivers on Fox's ill-fated late-night lineup, and was only able to bring on one guest -- fellow writer Jeff Garlin, who was staying with O'Brien in Chicago during that summer in 1988. The ...
- 11/5/2010
- GeekNation.com
Photo by Pop Culture Passionistas
When Jay Leno took The Tonight Show reigns from JohnnyCarson in 1992, his rival David Letterman was not happy. Their animosity was sonotorious journalist Bill Carter wrote a book about it that was turned into aTV movie called The Late Shift. As a side note, that pop culture gemstarred John Michael Higgins of the Christopher Guest movies fame as Dave andDaniel “You’ve got a little Arnst on you” Roebuck from Lost as Jay.
But we digress…
Earlier this year, Jay got in another late night smackdown.This time, wrestling The Tonight Show out of Conan O’Brien’s precarious grip.Now, don’t get too excited. We’re not about to report that there’s an impendingTV movie starring Craig Bierko as Jay and Tilda Swinton as Coco—although youhave to admit that would be pretty entertaining.
There is, however, a new book about the late night melodrama.
When Jay Leno took The Tonight Show reigns from JohnnyCarson in 1992, his rival David Letterman was not happy. Their animosity was sonotorious journalist Bill Carter wrote a book about it that was turned into aTV movie called The Late Shift. As a side note, that pop culture gemstarred John Michael Higgins of the Christopher Guest movies fame as Dave andDaniel “You’ve got a little Arnst on you” Roebuck from Lost as Jay.
But we digress…
Earlier this year, Jay got in another late night smackdown.This time, wrestling The Tonight Show out of Conan O’Brien’s precarious grip.Now, don’t get too excited. We’re not about to report that there’s an impendingTV movie starring Craig Bierko as Jay and Tilda Swinton as Coco—although youhave to admit that would be pretty entertaining.
There is, however, a new book about the late night melodrama.
- 11/5/2010
- by Pop Culture Passionistas
- popculturepassionistas
Conan O'Brien, whose new late-night talk show debuts Monday on TBS, said Jay Leno will not be invited as a guest to appear on the show."He can come as the musical guest, because that I want to see; no one knows he has an operatic range," O'Brien joked in an interview with Playboy before adding, "No, there are certain things I will not do, regardless of the price."O'Brien added that he isn't bitter after the "Tonight Show" debacle at NBC earlier this year, which resulting in him leaving the show after seven months as host and Leno returning to his 11:35 p.m. spot on "Tonight." As for the impassioned speech he gave on his final episode, urging viewers not to be "cynical," O'Brien said he made it a point to "end on an optimistic note."...
- 11/4/2010
- Filmicafe
Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi makes an appearance as a special guest after Joan Rivers steals the "Jersey Shore" star's signature look for her over-the-top Halloween costume (complete with pouf, fake tan and fabulous ta-tas). It's a Bitch fashion face-off you won't want to miss. [E! Online]
Eddie Cibrian's ex Brandi Glanville was arrested at midnight Thursday night (Oct. 28) by the Beverly Hills Pd. She was pulled over on Sunset Blvd. for an unknown traffic violation. According to law enforcement sources, officers detected the odor of alcohol and Glanville was given a field sobriety test. She was then arrested for suspicion of DUI. [TMZ]
Giants quarterback Eli Manning and wife Abby are expecting a baby in teh spring. The college sweethearts met during his junior year at Ole Miss and wed in April 2008. [People]
New York Times writer Bill Carter is releasing a tell-all book about the Conan O'Brien-Jay Leno "Tonight Show" mess.
Eddie Cibrian's ex Brandi Glanville was arrested at midnight Thursday night (Oct. 28) by the Beverly Hills Pd. She was pulled over on Sunset Blvd. for an unknown traffic violation. According to law enforcement sources, officers detected the odor of alcohol and Glanville was given a field sobriety test. She was then arrested for suspicion of DUI. [TMZ]
Giants quarterback Eli Manning and wife Abby are expecting a baby in teh spring. The college sweethearts met during his junior year at Ole Miss and wed in April 2008. [People]
New York Times writer Bill Carter is releasing a tell-all book about the Conan O'Brien-Jay Leno "Tonight Show" mess.
- 10/29/2010
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
New York, New York (X17online) - New York Times writer Bill Carter is releasing a new book called The War for Late Night: When Leno Went Early and Television Went Crazy which will detail what went down when Conan O'Brien left NBC. In the book, Carter writes the question "What does Jay have on you?" ... something he claims is what Conan kept asking NBC executives. He writes that O'Brien, who found out that Leno was taking The Tonight Show back, told executives, "I know how hard I worked for this. It was promised to me. I had a shitty lead-in." As for how O'Brien felt about Leno, Carter says Conan told his producer and head writer, "I’m not gonna hear from that guy. I’ll probably never hear from him again." Even Jeff Zucker was quoted as saying, "I want an answer from Conan and I want an answer quickly.
- 10/29/2010
- x17online.com
We're only a scant few days away from one of the most anticipated television events of the year in the premiere of "Conan" on TBS. Conan O'Brien has been legally barred from being on television since his final send-off on "The Tonight Show" back on January 22, but he returns to late night comedy when his show kicks off on Monday, November 8 at 11 p.m. with guests Seth Rogen, Jack White and the winner of a contest they are hosting at the show's official Web site (at the moment, Jack Nicholson has a pretty large lead over the rest of the entrants).
It is nearly impossible to not know that O'Brien is returning, as TBS is putting the full court press on plugging his big return to television. They got an actual blimp to fly over baseball stadiums during TBS' coverage of the playoffs, and ads featuring O'Brien are everywhere. But...
It is nearly impossible to not know that O'Brien is returning, as TBS is putting the full court press on plugging his big return to television. They got an actual blimp to fly over baseball stadiums during TBS' coverage of the playoffs, and ads featuring O'Brien are everywhere. But...
- 10/29/2010
- by Kyle Anderson
- MTV Newsroom
Throughout all of the sturm and drang of the battle between Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, and NBC at the beginning of this year, many kept repeating the same refrain, "God, Bill Carter's gonna have some great material for his next book." Carter, of course, wrote the seminal book about the first late night wars, The Late Shift. Sure enough, confirmation soon came that Carter would write a sequel, The War for Late Night, and Vanity Fair now has an excerpt online. It's as tense and exciting as expected.
- 10/28/2010
- by Jon Bershad
- Mediaite - TV
Breaking News! 5th Update: Jeff Zucker decided to reveal he'd been fired by Comcast this morning because he'd just finished negotiating his severance package, insiders explain to me. So Zucker told reporters that the decision for him to leave as head of NBC Universal was made for him by Comcast COO Steve Burke 2 weeks ago during a face-to-face meeting. “He made it clear that they wanted to move on at the close of the deal and I was completely comfortable with that,” Zucker told his favorite journalist, Bill Carter of The New York Times. “We had both gotten to the same place.” It has long been expected that, once NBCU switched out of Ge's control where Zucker was inexplicably protected by CEO Jeffrey Immelt, the savvy Comcast brass would recognize how badly the NBCU topper had "Zucked-up" his job. (I scooped how, during Zucker's mishandling of the Conan O'Brien-Jay Leno Tonight Show situation,...
- 9/24/2010
- by Nikki Finke
- Deadline Hollywood
You won't have Jeff Zucker to kick around anymore. According to the New York Times' Bill Carter, Zucker sent an e-mail this morning to his employees informing them that he would set down as CEO of NBC Universal when the Comcast takeover of the company was complete. "Look, I knew from the day this was announced that this was a possibility," Zucker told Carter. "I wasn't going to shut the door on anything. But in the last nine months it became increasingly clear that [Comcast] did want to put their own team in place -- and I didn't want to end up being a guest in my own house." Developing... [Nyt/Media Decoder]...
- 9/24/2010
- Movieline
Tonight on Jay Leno, "America's Got Talent" judge and former tabloid editor, Piers Morgan talks CNN rumors, Joey King celebrates her birthday and Jaron and the Long Road to Love perform. So far the scuttle is this: The New York Times' Brian Stelter and Bill Carter report that an imminent deal between Turner Broadcasting and NBC Universal to share Morgan, so long as NBC's "America's Got Talent" trumps any of his work on CNN. Morgan also renewed his contract with NBC for three more years. The Sun reports that Morgan has signed a four-year, $8+ million deal with CNN, where he will make approximately $2 million per year for 30 weeks per year. Jay Leno.S Monologue Highlights Tuesday, July 27,...
- 7/28/2010
- by April MacIntyre
- Monsters and Critics
Five months after Conan O'Brien was pushed out of network television and Jay Leno reclaimed the Tonight Show, Hollywood insiders are still sharing their opinions on the scandal that rocked NBC's late night airwaves. Last Friday, Late Shift author and talk show expert Bill Carter shed new light on last January's events, and today, Joan Rivers summarized her thoughts on Conan's hypocrisy. Now, thanks to the prodding of Howard Stern, you can listen to Chris Rock and David Spade's recent, R-rated take on the the Tonight Show scandal. Beware: card-carrying members of Team Coco and profanity-phobes may not want to click through.
- 6/25/2010
- Movieline - TVline
Of all the journalists who covered the dramatic ups and downs of late night television this year, only one has made the genre his journalistic purview. Reacquaint yourselves with Bill Carter: New York Times media reporter, bestselling author of The Late Shift and the authority on late night. In spite of the tens of thousands of headlines already devoted to Conan, Leno and Letterman in 2010, the late night industry is still relatively small, with a handful of hosts, a few hundred employees and several tightly guarded doors. As evidenced by his definitive book about the battle over Johnny Carson's crown, Carter is the only person with complete access to this cutthroat world. In anticipation of his upcoming chronicle, The War For Late Night: When Leno Went Early and Television Went Crazy, which will be published in September, Movieline picked Carter's brain about another HBO adaptation, a potential Tonight...
- 6/18/2010
- Movieline
Bill Carter, the New York Times’ hoary television reporter, in his story the other day about partnership talks between CNN and CBS, treated both networks as though they were august news organizations, instead of ruined artifacts of a former age. Carter’s is yet another an example of the illusion the news media somehow successfully maintains about itself—about its importance and permanence and, even, the awe with which it is regarded—in the face of all evidence to the contrary. As it happens, CBS—“once the home of Walter Cronkite,” as Carter intones—is desperate to get out of the news business (desperate to get out of what’s left of its news business), or anyway CBS Inc, of which CBS News is an irrelevant part, is desperate to get out of it. CNN—with its “extensive news-gathering resources,” in Carter’s version of basso profundo—is desperate to...
- 5/7/2010
- Vanity Fair
"We're going to have to pay" -- so said NBC Universal television entertainment chairman Jeff Gaspin to CEO Jeff Zucker upon his arrival to the sinking ship of a network last summer. Gaspin's prescription for what has ailed NBC since the days of Ben Silverman -- as outlined by Bill Carter in today's New York Times -- is simple: Spend money to make money. So how do they plan to do it?...
- 5/3/2010
- Movieline - TVline
By Josef Adalian
Now that he's going to cable, Conan O'Brien is no longer "my problem," NBC Universal TV chief Jeff Gaspin tells the New York Times.
In a wide-ranging interview in Monday's edition, Gaspin said he no longer has to fret about O'Brien doing damage to NBC's late-night lineup because he'll be on TBS and not a broadcast network such as Fox.
"The Conan story is gone for me," Gaspin said in an interview with the Times' Bill Carter.
It's interesting that Gaspin -- who also oversees NBC U's super-successful roster of cable networks, including top-rated (and so...
Now that he's going to cable, Conan O'Brien is no longer "my problem," NBC Universal TV chief Jeff Gaspin tells the New York Times.
In a wide-ranging interview in Monday's edition, Gaspin said he no longer has to fret about O'Brien doing damage to NBC's late-night lineup because he'll be on TBS and not a broadcast network such as Fox.
"The Conan story is gone for me," Gaspin said in an interview with the Times' Bill Carter.
It's interesting that Gaspin -- who also oversees NBC U's super-successful roster of cable networks, including top-rated (and so...
- 5/3/2010
- by Adalian
- The Wrap
While we wait for Bill Carter to finish writing the The Late Shift sequel, producers Basil Iwanyk (Clash of the Titans) of Thunder Road and Kevin J. Cleary of Content House are developing a miniseries about the drama between the Tonight Show's first three hosts: Steve Allen, Jack Paar and Johnny Carson. The miniseries, called The King of Late Night, will be based on Robert Metz's 1980 book The Tonight Show and will explore the behind-the-scenes drama that plagued the show's hosts long before Jay Leno butted his chin in. [Deadline]...
- 4/30/2010
- Movieline - TVline
Cable news ratings for the first quarter came out this week, and its been a rather tough day for CNN. Writing for the NY Times, Bill Carter's story includes a headline that screams "CNN Fails to Stop Fall in Ratings." No, it's not good news - or more to the point -- it's actually more bad news. Insiders have long whispered about what's going on at CNN, and alas, the continued and consistent poor ratings mean that its finally time to openly question Jon Klein's future in his role as President of CNN.
- 3/30/2010
- by Colby Hall
- Mediaite - TV
News that New York Times reporter Bill Carter is working on a pseudo-sequel to his groundbreaking book The Late Shift' made a smile creep across my face. I haven't yet read the book, but the buzz it caused and the weird stories that came out of it just by word of mouth gave it an aura of mysterious wonder that made the television industry infinitely more fascinating than it already was.
It also spawned a pretty decent made-for-tv HBO movie. Now I don't know what kind of craziness "Round Two" has to offer, but the players involved are definitely going to have all sorts of wild secrets revealed from Carter's work and when it does, HBO is going to want the movie rights. So here's who should play who in this new tragic merry-go-round of television programming hilarity that shall be called 'The Late Shift 2'.
Continue reading...
It also spawned a pretty decent made-for-tv HBO movie. Now I don't know what kind of craziness "Round Two" has to offer, but the players involved are definitely going to have all sorts of wild secrets revealed from Carter's work and when it does, HBO is going to want the movie rights. So here's who should play who in this new tragic merry-go-round of television programming hilarity that shall be called 'The Late Shift 2'.
Continue reading...
- 2/15/2010
- by Danny Gallagher
- Aol TV.
Our brothers and sisters over at TV Squad have busted through the boob tube and brought with them the following juicy bits of must-see eye candy. Numb3rs star David Krumholtz has signed on for Fox's new Ron Howard sitcom. There's a Facebook campaign lobbying to have Betty White host Saturday Night Live, and you won't believe how many signatures they've gotten. Susan Sarandon is in negotiations to star in The Big Valley, a movie based on the TV western from the 1960s. In light of the recent shakeup in the late night talk show wars it's no surprise that Bill Carter, author of 1994's The Late Shift, is planning a sequel. Molly Shannon will be joining the cast of Glee as the school's badminton coach/astronomy teacher. ...and finally, Lucy Lawless may be reprising her role from Battlestar Galactica as the cylon called D'anna on the BSG spin-off series Caprica.
- 2/13/2010
- by Matt Bradshaw
- Cinematical
• Bubba’s bounced back! A day after undergoing surgery to unclog one of his coronary arteries, Bill Clinton has been released from New York–Presbyterian Hospital. [CNN] • After all this kvetching about political gridlock in Washington, Democratic Senate majority leader Harry Reid missed a rare opportunity for genuine cooperation when he axed a bipartisan job bill, advancing only a bare-bones version of it. [NY Times] • Meanwhile, the Senate finally confirmed 27 high-level nominees after President Obama threatened to use recess appointments. [Huffington Post] • The family of fashion designer Alexander McQueen, who hanged himself yesterday, held the funeral as planned for his recently deceased mother, whose death reportedly devastated McQueen. [Daily Mail] • What kind of self-respecting gossip column would this be without a scurrilous allegation over the size of someone’s—in this case, Jon Gosselin’s—penis? Actually, screw that self-respecting part… [Us] • The New York Times’s Bill Carter, author of 1992’s The Late Shift, about the crisis...
- 2/12/2010
- Vanity Fair
Bill Carter, the New York Times reporter who famously penned The Late Shift in 1994, about the battle between David Letterman and Jay Leno for the Tonight Show crown, has confirmed that he is working on a sequel for Viking. As expected, the sequel will focus on the recent Tonight Show rumblings at NBC involving Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno. Carter is currently researching ConanGate in Los Angeles. In case HBO decides to adapt the sequel into a movie, Movieline has a casting lead for Conan. [Gawker]...
- 2/11/2010
- Movieline - TVline
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