Tuned In+News Media | April 4, 2012

Crystal Persuasion: Keith Olbermann, on Letterman, Likens Self to Expensive Chandelier

By James Poniewozik

It made perfect sense for Keith Olbermann to go on Late Show with David Letterman to post-mortem his departure from Current TV. Two talented broadcasters, two very strong-willed guys, two guys who have a history of, shall we say, friction with their employers. So whatever Letterman thinks of how things went down with Olbermann and his latest ex-network, it was a place where the anchor could at least get a sympathetic hearing.

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Tuned In+Television | November 11, 2011

Rick Perry Excuses Himself on David Letterman

By James Poniewozik

Fresh off his freeze-tastic performance in the GOP Presidential debate Wednesday night, Rick Perry showed up on Late Show with David Letterman to try to turn embarrassment into embarrassment-ade, reading a list of top 10 excuses for his onstage forgetfulness. Did Perry help himself out? The minimum standard for an appearance like this is that [...]

+Uncategorized | February 4, 2011

The Night Shift: Howard Stern Revives the Late Night Wars, Guns For Leno

By Steven James Snyder

Now that Conan O’Brien is back on television, one might be forgiven for thinking the late night wars were behind us. But in recent weeks, Howard Stern has made a return to the talk show circuit, and has come out swinging, reviving the vitriolic Letterman-Leno-Conan dustup. And he’s held no punches about what he thinks [...]

+Uncategorized | January 20, 2011

The Night Shift: Gervais Talks Globes, and We Wonder — Has the Fallout Said More About Celebs Than the Comedian?

By Steven James Snyder

Ricky Gervais certainly pulled no punches Sunday night, as the host of the Golden Globes. He mocked the organizing awards body for nominating a film that was widely dismissed by film critics. He touched upon the bribery scandal that has left many wondering if Burlesque was nominated for a best picture award only because voters [...]

+January 11, 2011

The Night Shift: Jon Stewart Confronts the Arizona Shootings, Makes a Passionate Appeal For Sanity and Hope

By Steven James Snyder

  Talk about a hard night to be a late night comedian. Given the very public violence of the weekend, and the attempted assassination of a sitting United States congresswoman, more than a few media observers wondered aloud as to how the nation’s funny men would return to the air Monday night. In the case [...]

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Tuned In+Uncategorized | January 5, 2011

The Winner of the Leno-Letterman War Is… Nightline?

By James Poniewozik

We’re coming up on the first anniversary of the Jaypocalypse, which I know brings up a lot of fond memories for all of us. So The Live Feed has checked in to see where the late-night ratings have settled in after the dust cleared, and it turns out that the leader in the fourth quarter [...]

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Tuned In+News Media | December 8, 2010

WikiLeaks Cables: Desperate Housewives Vs. Terrorism

By James Poniewozik

Last week, we learned via WikiLeaks that the U.S. State Deparment had produced a cable analyzing trends of anti-Americanism in Canadian TV. But it now appears that the U.S. has an offensive as well as defensive posture on televisual warfare—and not just in Canada, which we’ve been bombing into submission with our sitcoms and dramas [...]

+Uncategorized | November 18, 2010

The Night Shift: Conan Gives Fans A Mission – And Reminds Us How Late Night Has Become an All-Day Affair

By Steven James Snyder

Something notable is changing about the relationship between late night television programs and the fans who watch them. Once upon a time, the back and forth was based around consistency and  familiarity. People would kick back in the recliner, lay back in bed, and tune in to see their old friend Johnny, Dave and Jay. [...]

+TV Networks | November 11, 2010

The Night Shift: Now A Serious Word or Two From Russell Crowe (Video)

By Steven James Snyder

Wednesday night’s Late Show With David Letterman started predictably enough: A couple jokes about Conan, about George W. Bush’s new book, about the cruise ship stranded out at sea. Then Russell Crowe came on to talk about his new (and pretty good) movie The Next Three Days. In the past, Crowe’s been a provocative headline [...]

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Tuned In+TV Ratings | November 9, 2010

Conan Night One Beats Networks, By Stealing Their Young

By James Poniewozik

The ratings are in for the first night of Conan on TBS, and Conan O’Brien has plenty to be happy about. The big headline everywhere will probably be “Conan Beats Jay”—and yeah, I could not resist a variation on that here—but that’s probably not a big deal in the long run. Yes, Conan got 4.2 [...]

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Tuned In+Uncategorized | November 5, 2010

Letterman Defeats Leno! Stewart Defeats Both!

By James Poniewozik

Conan O’Brien‘s new talk show debuts on TBS next Monday, which is sure to raise memories of the whole ugly scene last January when NBC threw over O’Brien at 11:35 p.m. for Jay Leno. (As will the timely publication the same day of Bill Carter’s Jaypocalypse dirt-disher, The War for Late Night.) But whatever you [...]

+TV Networks | August 25, 2010

While We Weren't Looking: Watch Letterman Kick The Leno Feud Back Into High Gear

By Steven James Snyder

Back in January, when the whole Jay Leno Show-Tonight Show controvery was blowing up, David Letterman made something of a short-term fortune in bashing Jay Leno and the suits over at NBC. Well, I missed this yesterday, but Letterman came back from vacation on Monday night, and seems to have rekindled the anger at his [...]

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Tuned In+Remembrance | July 12, 2010

Harvey Pekar, RIP

By James Poniewozik

Another loss for Cleveland: Harvey Pekar, the storyteller and jazz critic whose rants and tales of daily life were realized in the American Splendor series of comic books, has died at age 70. TV fans of a certain age—and maybe even under a certain age—will remember him as one of David Letterman’s most notorious regular [...]

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Tuned In+Uncategorized | March 17, 2010

Jay On Top; Dave & Jimmy Still Sniping; Conan and Fox Getting Closer?

By James Poniewozik

In your late-night update for the week: * Two weeks into his restoration, Jay Leno is still leading David Letterman in the ratings, albeit with fewer viewers than when he left the Tonight Show. * Dave, meanwhile, had fellow Leno-basher Jimmy Kimmel on his own show (above) to fondly reminisce about the Jaypocalypse. * And [...]

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Tuned In+Uncategorized | March 9, 2010

Letterman Blackmailer Pleads Guilty; Plus, Jay Fades and Andy Talks

By James Poniewozik

Word is just in that Robert Halderman, the TV producer whose extortion attempt led to David Letterman‘s confessing a longtime affair with a staffer, has pleaded guilty. That there will be no drawn-out trial means Letterman potentially dodged a bullet, insofar as any further embarrassing details might have come out. I suppose this is good [...]

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Tuned In+January 20, 2010

The Jaypocalypse Explained At Last

By James Poniewozik

Taiwanese Animated Hulk-Conan smash! [h/t The Awl.]

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Tuned In+Uncategorized | January 14, 2010

Jaypocalypse: Your Morning NBC-Bashing, 1/14/10

By James Poniewozik

This morning, courtesy of the home office in Wahoo, Nebraska: Two thoughts: 1. It must feel good for Dave to vent nearly two decades’ worth of pent-up Jay bashing. See also his monologue last night. (“Jimmy Kimmel was so convincing as Leno that today NBC canceled him.”) 2. Jeff Zucker’s taking a lot of heat, [...]

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Tuned In+Uncategorized | January 12, 2010

Law and Order: Leno Victims Unit

By James Poniewozik

The guy who’s having the best time with the Jaypocalypse and NBC’s Conanundrum? David Letterman. For now, anyway. Here’s a preview of his hit tonight (since I’m sure you’ll be watching to see what Conan has to say). The title gives away the punch line, but it’s funny anyway:

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Tuned In+Uncategorized | January 12, 2010

Late-Night on Late-Night

By James Poniewozik

I kind of don’t want to do a “Ooooh, look at the late-night hosts  ripping on NBC!” post. I mean, late-night comedians making jokes about their own (or other) networks stopped being daring, what, 25 years ago? Was it even daring then? That said: Ooooh, look at Conan ripping on NBC!

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Tuned In+Uncategorized | December 8, 2009

"How Will Dave Ever Make Fun of Sex Scandals Again?"

By James Poniewozik

Like this. I don’t know how the legal investigation into the Letterman extortion/affair case will go. Maybe other shoes will drop. The future is uncertain! But with David Letterman’s ratings having maintained a steady level, and with the host delivering a pretty solid Tiger Woods monologue his first night back since Thanksgiving, I think we [...]