How will the late night shows handle today's tragedy?

[searadiofreak]

Kind of hard to be funny on a day when 20 grade school children died in a school shooting. I know sometimes Letterman tapes his Friday show on Thursday. Both Letterman and Leno were set to be new shows tonight. I wonder what the vibe will be, or if they might just throw on a repeat.

 

[sandiegoinexile]

Dave was taped Thursday. Craig apparently was also pre-taped. He sent out a tweet about some rough editing for tonight's show. Jimmy Kimmel is a rerun from mid-November. I haven't watched NBC since Johnny retired, though I suppose Jay and Jimmy taped today.

 

[Robnoxious]

Craig Ferguson will once again keep it classy and will probably give a few words live on tape for the cold open and explain that his show was taped in advance before this news broke. Craig's show tapes on a very weird schedule and when holidays come up they tend to frontload tape as much as 2 weeks in advance and get 'em in the can. That's why Craig's monologue tends to be less daily news topical and often just things rattling around in that Scottish brain of his.

 

[sandiegoinexile]

Terrible news story today. Please forgive edit in tonight's pretaped show because it's not such a great day for America.

Craig's tweet
https://twitter.com/CraigyFerg

 

[searadiofreak]

Leno led off with a quick mention of the story, followed by a "best wishes" statement, then went on to his regular monologue.

Letterman, put an understated graphic during the first few seconds of the monlogue that stated, (recorded 12/13/2012).

Leno came back in the 2nd segment with another couple quick mentions, then on with the show.

Yes, the show must go on.

 

[TheBigA]

Wow..Martha Wainwright, performing on Jimmy Fallon, is wearing a piece of masking tape across her chest with the words "GUN CONTROL" on it. Bet that'll piss some people off.

 

[JeeperOne]

Meanwhile on ABC, Nightline was on for a full hour tonight (I'm assuming JKL was delayed by a half hour - I don't know as I wasn't watching)

Speaking of ABC Late Night, Makes you kinda wonder how they'll handle days like this now that Nightline & JKL are switching timeslots next year, doesn't it?

Cheers & 73

 

[landtuna]

Wow..Martha Wainwright, performing on Jimmy Fallon, is wearing a piece of masking tape across her chest with the words "GUN CONTROL" on it. Bet that'll piss some people off.

If society doesn't figure out a way to keep guns out of the hands of nutballs this type of thing is going to continue. But it won't last forever before it is simpler just to remove guns from the population.

 

[F.M.Hertz]

Way to mail that one in, Letterman.

Also, landtuna, as much as Ibelieve in the 1st Admendment, this isn't the place to bring up views like that.

 

[searadiofreak]

Way to mail that one in, Letterman.

Also, landtuna, as much as Ibelieve in the 1st Admendment, this isn't the place to bring up views like that.

Well, once something is done in network TV, there are few options to change it. David was probably already back at his Montana ranch when this even occured. There was no way to produce a new show. However, the graphics explaining his show was taped the day before were small and quick. I guess I would have made them bigger and longer lasting.

 

[F.M.Hertz]

Well, once something is done in network TV, there are few options to change it. David was probably already back at his Montana ranch when this even occured. There was no way to produce a new show. However, the graphics explaining his show was taped the day before were small and quick. I guess I would have made them bigger and longer lasting.

Really? Few options? David Letterman owns the show and has enough resources to make changes, including the option of flying back to New York to tape his show. So, yes, Dave continues to mail it in, just staying on the air until Jay Leno retires so that he can say that he won the "War for Late Night." If I were Dave, I would have called my crew in for the show. Then again, if I were in his position I would care about the quality of the show I host/produce and put on the air every weeknight.

Craig Ferguson, whose show is produced by Letterman's company, managed to make edits to Friday's show and record a new opening monologue that day even though it was already in the can.

That's one of the many problems with late night television these days. They aren't as timely as they used to be when the Thursday and Friday shows are taped earlier in the week. In Carson's time his shows were always taped the day they aired, unless he was on vacation and they ran a "Best of" show.

 

[nomadcowatbk]

Well, once something is done in network TV, there are few options to change it. David was probably already back at his Montana ranch when this even occured. There was no way to produce a new show. However, the graphics explaining his show was taped the day before were small and quick. I guess I would have made them bigger and longer lasting.

Really? Few options? David Letterman owns the show and has enough resources to make changes, including the option of flying back to New York to tape his show. So, yes, Dave continues to mail it in, just staying on the air until Jay Leno retires so that he can say that he won the "War for Late Night." If I were Dave, I would have called my crew in for the show. Then again, if I were in his position I would care about the quality of the show I host/produce and put on the air every weeknight.

Craig Ferguson, whose show is produced by Letterman's company, managed to make edits to Friday's show and record a new opening monologue that day even though it was already in the can.

That's one of the many problems with late night television these days. They aren't as timely as they used to be when the Thursday and Friday shows are taped earlier in the week. In Carson's time his shows were always taped the day they aired, unless he was on vacation and they ran a "Best of" show.

Carson aired on a few days delay during his early years in Burbank

 

[sandiegoinexile]

Well, once something is done in network TV, there are few options to change it. David was probably already back at his Montana ranch when this even occured. There was no way to produce a new show.....

Really? Few options? David Letterman owns the show and has enough resources to make changes, including the option of flying back to New York to tape his show. So, yes, Dave continues to mail it in, just staying on the air until Jay Leno retires so that he can say that he won the "War for Late Night." If I were Dave, I would have called my crew in for the show.

Sorry, but this is silly. Why in the world would anyone want/expect Dave to discuss/mention/cite the brutal Connecticut massacre? Why would folks tune in to hear his likely-thoughtful, maybe emotional reaction, other than for the vicarous titillation. His opinion doesn't matter much. It doesn't change anything. It doesn't add anything. Sure, it will be interesting when he addresses it on Monday. After all, he has a 9-year-old son, so he likely will match his post-9/11 reaction.

The "taped on 12-13-12" notice appeared regularly enough so that viewers who didn't know were advised. There are plenty of folks who have rabid irrational anti-Dave sentiments, but that's hardly a reason to expect a show to be assembled, produced, taped, edited, and aired with only a few hours notice.

More than 28 innocent people are murdered every day in this nation. While horribly tragic and sad, the hysterical reaction by everyone is a tad overdone. If his mother hadn't been such a whacked out gun nut, fearing that "bad guys" were coming after her, none of this would have even happened.

 

[F.M.Hertz]

Carson aired on a few days delay during his early years in Burbank

That was an experiment that didn't go well at all. The bulk of his time in Burbank was live to tape the same day.

 

[searadiofreak]

Well, once something is done in network TV, there are few options to change it. David was probably already back at his Montana ranch when this even occured. There was no way to produce a new show.....

Really? Few options? David Letterman owns the show and has enough resources to make changes, including the option of flying back to New York to tape his show. So, yes, Dave continues to mail it in, just staying on the air until Jay Leno retires so that he can say that he won the "War for Late Night." If I were Dave, I would have called my crew in for the show.

Sorry, but this is silly. Why in the world would anyone want/expect Dave to discuss/mention/cite the brutal Connecticut massacre? Why would folks tune in to hear his likely-thoughtful, maybe emotional reaction, other than for the vicarous titillation. His opinion doesn't matter much. It doesn't change anything. It doesn't add anything. Sure, it will be interesting when he addresses it on Monday. After all, he has a 9-year-old son, so he likely will match his post-9/11 reaction.

The "taped on 12-13-12" notice appeared regularly enough so that viewers who didn't know were advised. There are plenty of folks who have rabid irrational anti-Dave sentiments, but that's hardly a reason to expect a show to be assembled, produced, taped, edited, and aired with only a few hours notice.

More than 28 innocent people are murdered every day in this nation. While horribly tragic and sad, the hysterical reaction by everyone is a tad overdone. If his mother hadn't been such a whacked out gun nut, fearing that "bad guys" were coming after her, none of this would have even happened.

Letterman is a "brand". Viewers expect commentary from him, especially after his 9/11 thoughts, and he did address this on Monday night.

My only point is that by the time this episode happened on Friday 12/14, he was most likely in Montana. When the news broke, (can't remember the exact time, but it must have been 2pm eastern, there was really no way to return to NY to do a show.) It would have been total chaos, and frankly as bad as this was, not worth the risk. They did the right thing until waiting for Monday.

Perhaps the bigger problem is if these shows are to be live or appearing to be live, (which most are), then don't take Friday's off. But then again, how often do these things hapen? Probably not enough to change Lettermans schedule. That is the reality.

 

[nomadcowatbk]

Carson aired on a few days delay during his early years in Burbank

That was an experiment that didn't go well at all. The bulk of his time in Burbank was live to tape the same day.

and uncensored monologues were available to the few who had BUDs

 

[DToTheJ]

...the bigger problem is if these shows are to be live or appearing to be live, (which most are), then don't take Friday's off. But then again, how often do these things happen? Probably not enough to change Lettermans schedule. That is the reality.

The last mass murdering in the U.S. (Aurora, CO) also took place on a Friday. :-\

 

[LKellerIII]

I don't think you can expect these late night hosts to tape a special show at the last minute. I'm sure these shows don't turn on a dime - guests are scheduled well in advance, for one thing. And how do you get a studio audience at the last minute, outside the regular taping schedule?

Of course, the networks should (and probably do) check all pre-recorded shows (including dramas and sit-coms) in the wake of any great national tragedy - then either edit out objectionable parts, or substitute a re-run.

 

[fybush]

I don't think you can expect these late night hosts to tape a special show at the last minute. I'm sure these shows don't turn on a dime - guests are scheduled well in advance, for one thing. And how do you get a studio audience at the last minute, outside the regular taping schedule?

The studio audience is the easy part, especially for Letterman. You're in Times Freakin' Square, after all. Put a couple of interns out on the sidewalk to get people inside and you'll have a full house in minutes. Probably more of a challenge for a show like Leno, where you don't have crowds of pedestrian tourists roaming the streets of Burbank.

What's being somewhat ignored here is the size of the production team needed for a show like this. You need audience wranglers. You need lighting people. You need a control room crew, including audio people and TDs and so on. You need camera operators. You need stage managers. In Manhattan, those are all union crews, and as Lkeller correctly says, they don't "turn on a dime." Just getting them all in to work is a challenge - a lot of "those guys" live pretty far out from the city, and even if you could reach all of them quickly and persuade them to come back in to work (presumably at hefty overtime), it could take four or five hours just to bring everyone in from wherever they might live upstate or in deepest Jersey or out on the island. Same deal in LA, where it's not uncommon for the production guys to live way up in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Getting the host back, even from Montana, is perhaps the least of the logistical challenges here.

 

[LKellerIII]

Good points, Scott F. I spent a couple of weeks near Times Square in the summer of '11. I was hit up a number of times, and offerred "free tickets" for some show or comedy club that wanted to fill seats, and it occurred to me that it was probably because whatever-it-was were being videotaped. Usually whatever-it-was happening within the next hour or so, and I always had plans. I noticed that most pedestrians walked by the guys handing out the tickets - so perhaps it's not as easy as you'd think.

Of course, Letterman is something else entirely, but I think if somebody offerred me Leterman tickets for the same night, I'd be suspicious that it was some kind of scam.