The War for Late Night
When Leno Went Early and Television Went Crazy
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4.4 • 262 Ratings
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
Bill Carter, executive producer of CNN’s docuseries The Story of Late Night and host of the Behind the Desk: Story of Late Night podcast, details the chaotic transition of The Tonight Show from host Jay Leno to Conan O’Brien—and back again.
In 2010, NBC’s CEO Jeff Zucker, had it all worked out when he moved Jay Leno from behind the desk at The Tonight Show, and handed the reins over to Conan O'Brien. But his decision was a spectacular failure. Ratings plummeted, affiliates were enraged—and when Zucker tried to put everything back the way it was, that plan backfired as well.
No one is more uniquely suited to document the story of a late-night travesty than veteran media reporter and bestselling author, Bill Carter. In candid detail, he charts the vortex that sucked in not just Leno and O'Brien—but also Letterman, Stewart, Fallon, Kimmel, and Ferguson—as frantic agents and network executives tried to manage a tectonic shift in television’s most beloved institution.
Customer Reviews
Good Read
Very interesting look at why late-night TV is the way it is. Love how in-depth the author is able to get into what really happened. Not as fluid of a read as I'd like. Would have enjoyed more of a novel like experience.
Why?
The fact that this turned into such an obsessed cultural phenomenon is ridiculous to begin with - because in simple terms it was about who got to be on a tv show...nothing more - the fact that the author would attempt to dramatize it to the point of calling it 'the war' is laughable.
The writing isn't great and it was an event that happened a year ago and is now over - everyone has moved on. Except, obviously the writer and the mysteriously attached people (who are probably 'still with coco' on facebook) who cant let it go.
balloon boy is more entertaining.
Reaches its target audience, albeit a small audience
This is a real "inside baseball" type of book about late night TV. It gives real voice to the people involved, whether they're the hosts or the executives. If you were loyal to one particular host going in, you will still back your guy; you just won't have as much bile for the other party as you did before.
It's not really a book you pick up just so you have something different to read. The target reader for this book is seeking specific information on late night TV, and this book fills its lanes quite well.