Bill Carter discusses the state (and future of) late night TV

Some interesting stuff:

http://www.tvsquad.com/2010/12/02/bill-carter-talks-about-the-war-for-late-night/

Says the "Tonight Show" will lose money for the first time ever, predicts that networks will eventually drop 12:30 shows and make the 11:30 shows 90 minutes to save production costs on second show.

 

Might as well complete going full circle by going 105 minutes, like Tonight was in the first year or so of Carson's tenure. Because everybody wants to see Leno suck from 10:30 to 12:15 (Central and Mountain).

 

There was a very good article in last week's New Yorker about late night talk shows, specifically Dick Cavett's.

That's really all I have.

 

I can see NBC convincing Leno why having Jimmy Fallon co-host the Tonight Show will be a great move, and they'll add Carson Daly as an announcer so they don't have to eat another contract.

 

More proof that ABC is doing it right. Nightline and Kimmel take them to 1 a.m. for probably a fraction of what it costs for Leno/Fallon or Letterman/Ferguson.

In Carter's book, I think he said something about Ferguson having something in his contract that says he gets Letterman's job if something happens to Dave. Not sure if that means he gets it when Dave retires, but I'm guessing that will be the case.

What I think is interesting, and surprising, is that the networks don't want Jon Stewart. They think he doesn't appeal to an older demographic. He's been passed over twice, for Kimmel and Ferguson.

 

I assume a successor for Letterman would be largely up to Letterman, since he owns the show and Ferguson's. If Ferguson got that in his contract, he got it from Dave.

 

If CBS is faced with the prospect of having Ferguson on at 11:35, they'll arrange to have him hit by a bus.

 

They're right. He's way too smart for 11:35. He wouldn't make blue hairs feel nice and cozy.

 

I just assumed that after the whole Conan debacle that Stewart would eventually wind up with The Tonight Show after Leno finally retires.

From the sounds of it, and not like this is a bad thing, but Stewart has found his niche and will never move beyond it.

 

Hell, I'm old. I'd like to meet these old folks who stay up to watch late night, because I haven't seen a late night program except the end of a few big games in years. Of course, I still work.
Stewart is already getting ratings competitive with Leno and Letterman (in October, he beat them). It's not demographics. The network news divisions would shit if a guy who makes his living showing how stupid they are got a show on their network. So would the board of directors.