Product Details

• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: PAL

Amazon.com
Loyalties ran deep. People were polarized. And, for a while, folks followed it in the news with bated breath. No, it wasn't an election year; it was the battle for late-night television, bitterly fought by Jay Leno and David Letterman.

Even before Johnny Carson retired, Letterman and Leno were jockeying for The Tonight Show. Letterman had a proven record, but at a later time slot, with an edgier crowd. Leno had the guest-host position and the support of the network. HBO dramatizes the struggle for the 11 p.m. slot in The Late Shift, a made-for-cable movie that reveals the seedier side of talk television. Kathy Bates gives a hysterical--both in the funny and the manic sense--performance as Leno's manager. John Michael Higgens is a convincing Letterman and Daniel Roebuck (with mounds of latex on his chin) gets the Leno voice right. And while the studio execs and agents (played humorously by Bob Balaban, Ed Begley Jr., Treat Williams, among others) appear as sharks, both Leno and Letterman come off sympathetically. Even though the outcome is well known, The Late Shift is an entertaining look at the craziness that is late-night TV. --Jenny Brown

Customer Reviews

Letterman Deserved the Tonight Show
This is a terrific video with Kathy Bates absolutely hateful as Leno's manager. The actors portraying Leno and Letterman are good but try too hard to mimic rather than portray each.

The video is great at showing the behind the scenes maneuvering that allowed Leno to steal The Tonight Show from David Letterman. That may be harsh but I don't think there is any other way to describe what happened. The rightful heir to Carson was Letterman. Leno was (and still is) a poor pretender to the throne.

That being said, the intrigue and lies used to move the transfer of the Tonight Show to Leno is great. CBS's decision to enter the late night market and lure Letterman is played out realistically. It's interesting to note that if Letterman got the Tonight Show, CBS was ready to go after Leno.

The video is a good companion to the book. The book provides much more detail and inside information but the video hits the highlights. If interested, you may want to read the book before viewing the video.

Look forward to seeing this on DVD hopefully with some extras.

Wonderful behind-the-scenes account!
This is a fascinating movie. It attempts to accurately depict the battle over the coveted position which was opening up after Johnny Carson announced his retirement from the Tonight Show. The actors all give good performances, but the true standout is Kathy Bates. She is absolutely one of the best actresses fo her generation, and gives a brilliant performance as Jay Leno's wild manager Helen Kushnick. She transforms this movie from a really good one to a great one. HBO has done it again with The Late Shift.

Pleasent surprise for a Telemovie...
I had this movie originally on a rare LaserDisc, & was delighted when it appeared as a DVD release - in it's original aspect ratio & 16x9 enhanced to boot! The role of David Letterman is surprisingly accurate and after a while you forget this isn't the REAL Letterman. If you didn't know the story of how Letterman & Leno came to be where they are now in their career, it's a facinating incite into the harsh workings of corporate television. Worth the purchase price as you'll revisit this story often...