Should the Late-Night Shows Bring In Guest Hosts?

November 13, 2007

Boy, I wouldn't want to solve this dilemma for Jay Leno: If he continues supporting the Hollywood writers' strike by staying away from The Tonight Show, his whole crew will be laid off. But if he comes back to work, he has to cross picket lines. Other late-night hosts are in similar jams this week, as their shows enter a second week of repeats and the networks start to get antsy.

There may be a third option: NBC is pondering having guest hosts come in, saving the jobs of the crew. But it would put the substitute hosts in the awkward position of crossing picket lines. What do you think should happen?

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23 Comments

BuTtERCuPP21 5 years 27 weeks

these people are so full of themselves!! i'm not sure how much they make, nor do i care, but honestly how selfish do you have to be to stike bc you want more money when you have an awesome dream job and do what millions of people would love to do, while having tons of others laid off bc you keep yelling and acting like idiots bc you aren't paid enough. i understand wanting to be paid more for your job but i don't think you need to bring others down too.

tagen22 5 years 27 weeks

I hate this!!! Seriously, the jerky networks need to not be so greedy. What can the general american public do to help? Wonder if enough americans openly and actively sided with the writers if it would end faster.

vikingprin 5 years 27 weeks

I generally don't support strikes - remember the supermarket strike? what a joke! The striking workers all ended up finding other jobs and the supermarkets did alright without them. But the writer's guild represents something a bit different than most unions. It negotiates a standard contract so the producers can't just find younger, hungrier writers by the time the people they hired figure out the business. And their strike is effective: they are seriously hurting the industry. That's the point! Pay your people or they will turn on you! Too bad there aren't similar contracts for young bands. I see them getting exploited around all the time. A top label exec once told me "The younger and dumber the better. Contract negotiations cost money." And the sad part is that it actually increased my respect for the guy b/c he was being honest.

JessNess 5 years 27 weeks

BTW SoCal economy is already shit between the high cost of living and extreme drop in real estate

JessNess 5 years 27 weeks

Im so conflicted on this. I support the writers because the studios should not be making millions off the writers while they are paid nothing (in terms of the internet). The writers are just trying to update their contract with the times. At the same time I feel incredibly bad for the crew members who are paid crap to start with and now are being laid off. I understand why the late night hosts do not want to cross the pickets specially since a lot of them are writers themselves. Also guest hosts while saving the jobs of crew members will more than likely be blacklisted by writers afterwards for being scabs I just wish that the studios would dig into their deep pockets and fork over what rightfully belongs to the writers and end the strike. They really are not asking for that much more

karisaamy 5 years 27 weeks

I say yes, just because I know the ecomomy of SoCal is going to go to shit soon if this strike really lasts as long as they say it is. Anything will help.

KACIEJPC 5 years 27 weeks

Just like the writers have to do what they have to do, the producers and shows should do the same.

mrspiven 5 years 27 weeks

i think that its unfair that crews of tv shows are the most negatively affected by this: they are losing their jobs by no choice of their own. i wish the producers and writers and everyone else would hurry and come to a conclusion for the sake of those people, who are really the ones hurting from this.

leeluvfashion 5 years 27 weeks

I understand why hosts have to go back to work, they have contracts to fill! It doesn't mean they support the writers any less; all they are doing is going to work and are just living up to their contract. I'm all for guest hosts if it makes it easier for the regular host.

PJ PJ PJ 5 years 27 weeks

I was thinking the same thing, candace 117. I'm sure that there were some out there who did, we just didn't see it covered.

candace117 5 years 27 weeks

I wonder if any of these people on strike took the time to thank a veteran for their service on Sunday, guaranteeing them the right to choose their vocation and to have the freedom to complain about their pay and benefits? My guess is not. That is a dang shame.

tralalala 5 years 27 weeks

As much as I think saving jobs is important, all NBC will end up doing is hurting the guest host, and pissing off the writers. It's a bad situation no matter what they do.

mamaseacat 5 years 27 weeks

I don't know. What if the guest is better than the host? Having a guest host would totally negate Jay Leno's boycott of the show. But then the poor unemployed people. Why did this all have to happen before the holidays? :-(

PinkUnicorn 5 years 27 weeks

I'm so with you lickety split!!!!! I hate these types of strikes. I have worked in a union and know all about how you start to feel entitled to things for no real reason. It is such a poisonous culture that one person complains and soon you have a full-blown strike. These writers are not thinking about anyone else on the show, and I don't really support them. Reading the letter from the man who worked as a grip (I think) on the Office who lost his job over this was heartbreaking. Both the writers and the studio execs need to come to the table and work this out. Both sides are being ridiculously selfish and greedy and lots of innocent people are losing their jobs and livelihood as a result.

Phasekitty 5 years 27 weeks

It's a bad situation no matter what way you slice it. I hate to see the crews getting laid off, but I know that those like Leno could never cross the line. JenBrett- what show did you just wrap? Are you actively looking for work and unable to find it? I'm on a show until February and I'm worried about being able to find a job afterwards.

lickety split 5 years 27 weeks

we don't even have tv, so this doesn't affect me. but i generally don't support strikes. if they don't want their job i'm sure there are other people willing to do it. if they feel they need to make more money get another job. i hate when people go into a profession and then complain that they are under paid. hello, it's a free country so you are free to go do something else where you can be compensated differently. and so what if the writers never came back? no more csi or leno; guess what the world just keeps spinning.

Linda McP 5 years 27 weeks

Honestly, I couldn't support any host or substitute host who crossed a picket line.

JenBrett 5 years 27 weeks

As a member of the crew who is currently unemployed (due to the show wrapping not the strike, yet) I have to say No. The film/TV community needs to stick together. For now it's just the writer's, but this summer it will be the DGA and SAG. We all need to stick together.

gab6784 5 years 27 weeks

I am all for saving the jobs of the crew workers but at the same time having a sub host cross the picket lines is like saying they don't care about the writers cause and I think that would make put the host in a pickle.

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