The Late Night Wars Resume

Here's a brief recap.

Jay Leno:

First of all, Jay explains away his choice to come back to the airwaves by crassly stating that, because WGA talks had broken down, "19 people were putting 160 people out of work." Jay also took a backhanded stab at Letterman by saying "Dave had his own company [Worldwide Pants, Inc.] and was able to negotiate a deal for his writers, and God bless him," suggesting that the Tonight Show doesn't have that kind of leverage [I guess Big Dog, Inc. is merely an imprint. I always thought it was Jay's company, didn't you?]. Mike Huckabee was his first guest. Perhaps it wasn't the wisest choice of program for someone so desperate to be perceived as pro-working man on which to appear. Mike foolishly crossed the picket line anyway, showing off his bass playing skills (which aren't half bad, but he has next to no sense of rhythm) and the amount of weight he's lost since his previous appearance on Leno. 110 pounds! I mean, I gotta admit, that's pretty impressive. Jay's second guest was Emeril Lagasse, who would basically do anything to save his career at this point, so crossing a picket line hardly seemed to matter, I'm sure.


Conan O'Brien:

Conan came out in far more genuine support of the writers strike, not only by sporting a full beard, but by saying upfront that what the writers are asking for is fair and they should get it. Somehow, this came off as a far more sincere gesture than Jay's. Conan continued by showing a hilarious video of what he and the production staff have been doing since the strike began. Conan's first guest, Bob Saget, pretty much bombed. Dwayne Perkins was both clever and funny, though the audience weren't too kind. Robert Gordon and Chris Spedding were the musical guests. They performed a song from their recent album of Elvis covers, It's Now Or Never. I love Robert Gordon, but I'd not seen him for a while. With his hair slicked back, he kinda looks likes a lot like Emeril Lagasse, ironically enough. They sounded great, nonetheless.


David Letterman:

After an pre-recorded introduction by Hillary Clinton, Dave came out with an even more shocking beard than Conan's. It made him look a little like Buddy Ebsen. He took the stage with a group of would-be Rockettes with "WGA On Strike" signs. Ten still-striking writers delivered the Top Ten list. Robin Williams, predictably, was insufferable. I mean I'm one to talk, but if this guy could finish ONE SENTENCE in the same dialect, I'd be satisfied. Next Dave interviewed his Associate Producer, Nancy Agostini. Overall, a strong show that gave more than its share of shout-outs to the striking writers.

I didn't Jimmy Kimmel or Craig Ferguson. Sorry.

Of the three I saw, I'd give the nod to Conan for doing the best show overall, especially given the fact that he had no writers. Naturally, Leno beat Letterman in the ratings. I have no idea why people keep watching The Tonight Show, other than a total lack of taste.