Carson Daly is Leaving ‘Last Call’ for ‘Today’Yesterday’s speculation about the future of Last Call with Carson Daly has been settled, as Daly announced this morning that he’ll be joining […]
Blown AwayAs the first arctic blast of January weather whipped through town last week, the city was chilled by news that Iowans had frozen out New York’s candidates for the White House. Hillary Clinton’s last-minute plea on the first post-hibernation Letterman show —starring Dave’s new reindeer-wrangler beard—failed to help her, and she finished behind Barack Obama and John Edwards. Rudy Giuliani finished sixth behind Mike Huckabee but had left Iowa five days before the caucus anyway. Dark horse Michael Bloomberg denied that there was any significance in his attendance at a caucus of potential third-party candidates, though he took pokes at the front-runners’ lack of ideas. Fourth-place finisher Fred Thompson, who’s probably wishing he’d never quit as New York’s fictional D.A., lost his old Law & Order job to Sam Waterston.
Carson Daly: Writers’-Strike Hero?So might Carson Daly’s brave decision to return to the air this week actually be hurting the networks — and therefore helping the picketing writers? Sure looks like it!
strike zone
Carson Daly Returns!In a move that certainly hasn’t won him many friends, Carson Daly returned to air last night, his Last Call the first late-night talk show to come back after writers’ strike began on November 5.
Howard Stern Thinks Imus Will Make You HurlMEDIA
• Carson Daly is going scab! Good thing he doesn’t have any viewers, and unlike Ellen isn’t actually a member of the Writers Guild. [NYT]
• Howard Stern gets all collegiate about Don Imus’s return: “At this point, I don’t think he’s very relevant. People will tune out within a week. I defy you to listen. See how long you can keep listening. Time it. You’ll throw up. You’ll get sick. You’ll die.” [AP via Mixed Media/Portfolio]
• Knicks reporters — even bigger whiners than regular reporters. Daily News vet Frank Isola: “It used to be fun here. Now, there are some nights when you’re trying to talk your boss out of sending you here and maybe lie and tell him you’re sick or something.” [NYO]
strike zone
Give Carson Daly a Break!Yesterday, it was announced that strapping television personality Carson Daly will defy the ongoing writers’ strike and resume production this week on his late-night talk show Last Call, currently one of NBC’s highest-rated programs among viewers who frequently forget to turn off the TV before going to bed.