The Late Shift: Letterman, Leno, and the Network Battle for the Night

Rating:
Summary: a good read
Review: Bill Carter has written an extraordinary book.Structurally-given the mass of information,biographical detail and anecdotes involved-this could have ended up as a mess,but in fact it is clear,coherent and quite exceptionally well-balanced.Carter has to tell a fairly complicated (certainly very convoluted)story,and he does so brilliantly.He also has to find space to acknowledge and evaluate a broad range of opinions,and,again,he does so with remarkable discipline and even-handedness.Even if one knows little about the magnificent Letterman and the super-professional Leno,this book is still too interesting,too insightful and too fair-minded to miss.

Rating:
Summary: NBC SCREWS LETTERMAN
Review: I am a huge Letterman fan and thought Bill Carter spent too much time in this book focusing on Jay Leno.Ive re-read it a couple of times and came up with the same conclusion.The book was far better than that rediculous movie.

Rating:
Summary: Politicking wins over talent every time nowadays.
Review: It was a heck of a battle, and some folks didn't exactly play fair. Letterman, by far the more deserving of the "King of Late Night" crown following Carson's unceremonious ousting, tried to win by being the best at what he does. Leno's camp won by using strongarm tactics, bullying, and underhandedness. Even Leno's show "borrows" rather heavily from Dave's old show, partly because his people lured Letterman's chief writers to their side. Leno may be a decent guy (I hear), but his management quite literally stole The Tonight Show for him. Dave was hoping to be let in through the front door, but Leno's camp broke in through a window. The companion HBO movie treatment of this book is also a very entertaining and enlightening dramatization of the basics of this ordeal.

Rating:
Summary: Politicking wins over talent every time nowadays.
Review: It was a heck of a battle, and some folks didn't exactly play fair. Letterman, by far the more deserving of the "King of Late Night" crown following Carson's unceremonious ousting, tried to win by being the best at what he does. Leno's camp won by using strongarm tactics, bullying, and underhandedness. Even Leno's show "borrows" rather heavily from Dave's old show, partly because his people lured Letterman's chief writers to their side. Leno may be a decent guy (I hear), but his management quite literally stole The Tonight Show for him. Dave was hoping to be let in through the front door, but Leno's camp broke in through a window. The companion HBO movie treatment of this book is also a very entertaining and enlightening dramatization of the basics of this ordeal.

Rating:
Summary: "Fast and Dramatic; When Carson left LATE NIGHT exploded !!
Review: Johnny Carson will forever be KING OF LATE NIGHT, for 30 years his wit and charm set a standard in after evening programming. In this excellent book Bill Carter analyzes who will get the late night institution; "Nice Guy" Jay Leno or "Razor Sharp" Dave Letterman. It also explores how when Johnny left he not only set NBC on fire he put ALL of late night programming up in flames. GREAT BOOK! Must Read!

Rating:
Summary: Read it "Tonight"!
Review: This is a must-read for any Leno and Letterman fan who wants the inside scoop on exactly what went on behind the screens during the fight over "The Tonight Show". It is easy to follow and it mentions all the key players.As I'm in the UK, and we only got the Letterman and Leno shows in 1994, it details everything that happened that we didn't already know.The only distracting thing about the book is that it swings Letterman's way. As it is a couple of years old now, the last chapter (Carter's own feelings on the matter) doesn't ring entirely true. It is, however, an entertaining and insightful book giving a great view of network politics and contracts.