Late Night Without a Net (Or a Clue)

The Writers Guild of America has been walking the picket lines for six weeks now in their stalemate with TV networks and movie studios over how much they want to get paid in that new media world of the future. In the here and now, those in the rank and file who work in late night TV are starting to chafe.

Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Kimmel are all returning to the air January 2 minus their writing staffs, citing the need to get all of those poor people who would have been on the unemployment lines if the talk show hosts hadn't been supporting them out of their own pockets back to work.

David Letterman wants to go back to work too, so he's negotiating with the WGA as an independent producer to secure the use of his writing staff for "Late Show" and the Craig Ferguson program that follows on CBS. If the WGA agrees to this, are they shooting themselves in the foot?

When the talk shows do go back on the air, what Hollywood stars plugging their latest project would dare cross the picket lines? Will the networks have their collective hands on the button when the hosts take shots at them in support of the writers?

Elsewhere, Entertainment Weekly's website reports that the WGA has declined a request by Dick Clark Productions and the people responsible for the Golden Globes for a waiver to use writers for the awards telecast. So anyone tuning in NBC that night can expect to see not only empty chairs and lame, improvised banter, but also presenters forced to tell viewers that "So and so could not be here tonight, so we'll accept this award on their behalf".

It's also possible that, the longer the strike goes, the same thing might happen to the Academy Awards. And unless Jon Stewart likes to improvise, he might not be hosting the Oscars.

As we prepare for a TV schedule made up of American Idol, Big Brother 9, The Biggest Loser and Supernanny, we have a question for you: Have you done your holiday shopping yet? Now might be a good time to stock up on DVDs of TV shows and movies you may have missed. Do we really need to tell you why?