Simone's Reviews > The Late Shift

sadly i'm too young to really remember carson doing the tonight show, or even his leaving. my interest in the late night battles was peaked in my history of tv class last year when my professor showed some letterman at nbc clips, and i was shocked at how funny and sort of out there they were in a post-modern way.

i found this book to be completely fast paced and fascinating (except for a few bits) but it's very behind the scenes, and i suppose you would need to be the type of person to find intense entertainment contracts and negotiating edge of the seat stuff. so not for everyone.

my feelings toward the two are further complicated by nbc's recent decision to give away prime-time to leno. something i can no abide by and really wish to fail. i kept thinking if only they had given the tonight show to letterman. in that respect i think i feel similar to carter, who seems to have no qualms saying nbc screwed the pooch on this one.