The Late Shift, Bill Carter
The Late Shift, Bill Carter
List: $24.99 | Sale: $17.50
Club: $12.49

The Late Shift
Letterman, Leno, & the Network Battle for the Night

Author: Bill Carter

Narrator: Michael Butler Murray

Unabridged: 13 hr 43 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 06/23/2020


Synopsis

New York Times bestseller: A "gripping" true story of late-night comedy and behind-the-scenes drama (Los Angeles Times).

When beloved host Johnny Carson announced his retirement after thirty years on The Tonight Show, millions of Americans mourned. But inside the television industry, the news ignited a battle between two amazing talents—Jay Leno and David Letterman—who both yearned to occupy the departing legend's chair. For NBC, it would be a decision with millions of dollars at stake. Soon these two comedians with strikingly different styles, who had once shared a friendship as they worked the clubs together, would be engaged in a fierce competition for the prize.

Based on in-depth reporting and interviews with those involved, and updated with a new introduction by the author, The Late Shift is a "vivid, behind-the-scenes, blow-by-blow account" of the fight that ensued, as stars, agents, and executives maneuvered for control of the most profitable program in TV history (Chicago Tribune).

About Bill Carter

Bill Carter joined the New York Times as a national media reporter in 1989. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Late Shift and two other books on the television industry-Monday Night Mayhem and Desperate Networks-and has written numerous articles for the New York Times Magazine and other publications. Carter has been a guest on Nightline, Today, CNN, Charlie Rose, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, and many other shows. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, he lives in New Jersey with his wife. They have two children.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Brandon on September 12, 2017

The Late Shift is the story of David Letterman, Jay Leno and the insanity surrounding The Tonight Show following Johnny Carson’s exit in 1992. Before I picked this up, I had read the author’s follow-up book, “The War for Late Night” which discussed at length the controversy surrounding Conan O’Brien’......more

Goodreads review by Allegra on July 19, 2014

I mean, reading about whiny rich old dudes is only interesting for so long.......more

Goodreads review by Kim on April 18, 2012

I started reading this author's Leno/Conan book first, and then I realized that I would get more out of it if I read the Leno/Letterman book first. It was really interesting to see how much flying by the seat of one's pants television executives do in real life. That said, the author's attention to......more

Goodreads review by Chip'sBookBinge on June 08, 2011

Shocking, but this is the first time I've ever read this. This was another one of those books where the majority of the stuff within it's pages I had already heard about from different sources over the years: Online forums, Magazines, Entertainment News Shows, etc... So, for me there really was no d......more

Goodreads review by Max on March 07, 2019

This is one of my absolute favorites and a must-read for any fan of stand up, late night, and the maddening inner-workings of the entertainment industry. Riveting journalism through terrific storytelling, the story of the (first) battle for The Tonight Show plays out in almost Shakespearean fashion......more