Late Night Shows Are Back, Part IV : Kimmel
By fred | January 3, 2008
The next one of all shows we’ll go over in our reviews of all the returning late night talks is the one on ABC : Jimmy Kimmel Live.
Until then, I thought that Kimmel was handling the whole situation in a way that couldn’t be criticized at all. I mean, he did took his show off the air to support the writers, he did quietly paid his non-writing staff to help them during those hard times (and holidays season) although he’s not getting paid as much as all the main late night hosts, and while coming back it was only to help the non-writing staff to keep their jobs.
So far, so good.
As you can see, Kimmel did not open his show standing up as usually, because he had no monologue, obviously. Like all the others he started by going over the strike situation and reminding everyone that he was supportive of the writers, without whom it’s “a much less fun day“.
He talked about the strike and how it affected his show, how he hoped that a deal could be worked out, and then he went on to mention that writers were picketing in front of studios were Leno or Conan were taping their shows, and how he felt that was “ridiculous“ !
And explained that both Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien did paid their staff while they were out of work, and while he did not say it you know he also thought about how he did the same thing as well, and then he told how he felt this was unappropriated. “I just think at a certain point you back off a little bit.”
Well, not so good anymore there, Jimmy.
He also complained that SAG was recommending not to appear on those shows, and his, because of such picket lines. And I fail to understand why he would not agree with such a thing, because it all A-list celebrities can and do appear on each and every talk shows, and everyone tries to do his best to make the audience forget that there’s a strike, and that writers are still asking to get paid for their work, then how the hell are things supposed to get any better ?
How is it helping and supporting the writers if you play the AMPTP game, and put pressure and the WGA, trying to pass them as the bad guys, while they’re not the ones refusing to sign a fair deal, or to even just sit and talk !!
Really, so far I felt that he handled things very well, but I couldn’t disagree more with him on this one. What a let down that was…
That said, I read that Kimmel introduced a new segment, “Greatest Moments For Which Residual Payments Are Made To Our Unemployed Writers”, which is basically just airing old bits so that his writers gets residuals for them. Now that is a brilliant idea, yes! But don’t ask for celebrities, just air such bits over & over again every time. It’s a little like a repeat, only you show up you say a few words so no one looses their jobs, and everyone is happy.
Well, not everyone no, but if they want things to change they just have to go negotiate again, and let the writers back in to write new material! It’s up to them.
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