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IMDb > The Late Shift (1996) (TV)

The Late Shift (1996) (TV) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
6.9/10   1,180 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 28% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Betty Thomas
Writers (WGA):
Bill Carter (book)
Bill Carter (teleplay) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for The Late Shift on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
24 February 1996 (USA) more
Genre:
Comedy | Drama | Talk-Show more
Tagline:
Two heads fighting for the late night crown - One head's gotta roll. more
Plot:
A dramatization of the rivalry to be the successor of Johnny Carson as the host of "The Tonight Show." full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Won Golden Globe. Another 4 wins & 9 nominations more
NewsDesk:
The Early Shift
 (From Studio Briefing - Film News. 19 May 2005)

User Comments:
A great look behind the scenes more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Kathy Bates ... Helen Kushnick

John Michael Higgins ... David Letterman
Daniel Roebuck ... Jay Leno
Bob Balaban ... Warren Littlefield

Ed Begley Jr. ... Rod Perth

Peter Jurasik ... Howard Stringer
Reni Santoni ... John Agoglia

John Kapelos ... Robert Morton
Steven Gilborn ... Peter Lassally

John Getz ... Brandon Tartikoff
Lawrence Pressman ... Bob Wright

Sandra Bernhard ... Herself

Treat Williams ... Michael Ovitz
David Brisbin ... Alan Levine

Michael Chieffo ... Rick Ludwin
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Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated R for language.
Runtime:
95 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Sound Mix:
Dolby SR
Certification:
Australia:M | UK:15 | USA:R

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
A few days after the film's premiere, John Michael Higgins was booked on "Late Show With David Letterman" to talk about the movie and what it was like to portray Letterman. Higgins then sat in the green room as Letterman spent the next hour padding bits and doing filler, all the while promising Higgins was "coming up". At the end of the show Letterman apologized to Higgins for "running out of time", pointedly saying he hoped the actor could "come back again soon." Higgins was never re-booked. more
Goofs:
Continuity: Between the two times that David is shown at the same CBS press conference, his denials about Amy Fisher are reversed. more
Quotes:
Reporter #3: Are you gonna kick Jay Leno's ass?
David Letterman: I'll kick your ass.
more
Movie Connections:
References "Wings" (1990) more
Soundtrack:
There's No Business Like Show Business more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
10 out of 11 people found the following comment useful:-
A great look behind the scenes, 18 December 2004
10/10
Author: mikey_editor from Paris

as a former TV editor, I can say this is as authentic as it gets. It even led to Letterman's producer (thought to be a source) resigning (eventually) in real life. Letterman was outraged (OK, so one goofy thing is it has him throwing softballs at a tire swing on his estate; total fabrication) but the main information is hilariously true, from the silly bidding war for Letterman once he decided to leave NBC to Leno's problems with an agent who was not ready for big time, but who he let run the show (almost to a disastrous exit) out of his famed loyalty. If any of you kids don't grasp the idea of why Letterman is jealous to this day, see this tape.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Late Shift (1996) (TV)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Even the real Leno isn't that annoying aedt89
The King of Comedy and Sandra Bernhard rogueforte
Treat Williams BEST performance xabat77
My favorite Kathy Bates performance EVER!!! jcouncil-1
Leno publicly whining about retirement deal krisweddin
Talked 19990305
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