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San Francisco Herald In 1982, comedian David Letterman, CBS offered Leno his own program that who had filled in for Carson a few times, would go head to head with Tonight. July 2019 was given a show immediately following When NBC got wind of this they Tonight on NBC titled Late Night. secretly signed him as Carson’s SanFranciscoHerald.Net replacement, apparently to not enrage NBC ruled late night television. ABC Letterman (or Carson). “Serving Nob Hill and Beyond” had some limited success competing against Tonight with Nightline, a news You could make a valid case that David XXXXXXXXXX show. CBS, however, never could offer Letterman’s act resembled Steve Allen’s more than low-rated reruns of cop more than Johnny Carson’s, but Carson The Society Page shows. was Letterman’s idol. His boyhood dream had been to replace Johnny as By Gene Mahoney host of The Tonight Show. Though Russian Hill Upholstery & Décor is still whenever asked about it in interviews, located in Nob Hill, not Russian Hill. he would always say Carson was a much better comedian than him and he never XXXXXXXXXX thought of taking over Tonight, so as not to give the impression he was trying to I finally got around to reading The Late push Carson out the door. Shift, a book by Bill Carter which detailed what happened when Johnny In 1991, Carson announced he was Carson announced he was leaving The retiring in a year. When Leno was Tonight Show. introduced as the new host of The Tonight Show, Letterman fumed. The Tonight Show began in 1954 on Negotiations and legal wrangling NBC as a late night, weeknight talk ensued. Basically, the NBC Los Angeles show with comedy and music, hosted by executives wanted Leno and the NBC Steve Allen. It was such a success that New York executives wanted Letterman. two years later Allen was plucked off the show and given his own program in Letterman had always been difficult – prime time. Johnny Carson in 1957 insulting NBC executives on his show, disinviting them from a Christmas party, Allen was replaced on Tonight by Jack In 1989, CBS began a talk show with berating staff members – so the pro-Leno Paar, who had a more combative style – another quick-witted game show host, executives eventually won out. promoting various political causes, Pat Sajak, star of Wheel of Fortune. battling censors, arguing with guests, They never expected the show to beat CBS offered Letterman his own show quitting the show then coming back – Carson. The plan was to appeal to a that would go up against Tonight with until he left for good in 1962. younger audience than Johnny’s aging Leno, for more money than he would one. Then when Johnny retired, Pat’s have gotten at NBC. But he cared more Johnny Carson, a quick-witted game show would become the new leader in about being the host of Tonight than he show host who had filled in for Paar a late night. However, it never caught on did about making more money. few times, was chosen as the new and was eventually canceled. Tonight host. However, his agent and staff were more CBS concluded there was only one concerned with making more money Unlike Paar, Carson shied away from person who could compete with Carson than fulfilling Letterman’s lifelong controversy, and he went on to become – Carson’s permanent guest host on dream, so they urged him to defect. the most successful host in the show’s Tonight, Jay Leno. (Leno got that prized Finally, Letterman called his hero, history. gig by appearing regularly on Johnny Carson, who said that if he had Letterman’s show.) been treated the way Letterman had, he blowhard talk show host, who comes by the homeless. Though there are an would leave. across as a mean spirited partisan hack. estimated 55,000 homeless in Los Angeles County and over 130,000 in Enough said. Letterman decided to move On Late Show he’s just the real Stephen California, Ring claims the homeless to CBS. His replacement on Late Night Colbert. And the real Stephen Colbert is problem could be completely solved was an unknown writer for Saturday an arrogant, liberal blowhard talk show within a few months. Night Live and The Simpsons named host, who comes across as a mean Conan O’Brien. spirited partisan hack. Ring suggests the national guard, along with law enforcement, could sort the David Letterman’s Late Show debuted I haven’t watched television in years, but homeless into groups: criminals, on CBS in 1993, and went on to defeat from what I hear Colbert pretty much substance abusers, the mentally ill, Jay Leno’s Tonight Show in the ratings spends each show bashing President illegal aliens, and others. Each group night after night, week after week, month Donald Trump. Which is ironic, because could have separate facilities built on after month. before Trump got elected, Colbert vacant or government land away from regularly finished behind Jimmy Fallon downtowns and residential areas. The And that’s where The Late Shift, and Jimmy Kimmel in the ratings. He facilities could be tents, porta-potties, published in 1994, ends. owes his success to the man he lambasts and mobile modules distributing food nightly. Then, in 1995, something strange and medical aid. happened. Apparently Leno regularly appears on Ring points out that every major city in Tonight as a guest. Letterman grew a British thespian Hugh Grant was arrested California is spending at least tens of long beard after he retired, claimed he in Los Angeles for procuring the services millions of dollars on homeless stayed on Late Show ten years longer of a prostitute. While the story was still programs, but most of the money is than he should have, and now hosts his in the news, he appeared on Tonight as a being wasted due to what he calls the own show on Netflix. Conan O’Brien, guest. Not surprisingly, that episode homeless industrial complex. bitter about being fired from Tonight garnered huge ratings, defeating (and having to accept a $45 million Ring explains how the homeless Letterman’s program for the night. buyout – poor baby) got his own talk industrial complex works: Developers Surprisingly, however, Leno’s Tonight show on TBS, a cable channel. He accept public money to build housing for Show kept defeating Letterman’s Late banned Jay Leno from ever appearing as the homeless. Cities and counties collect Show in the ratings night after night, a guest on it. building fees and hire bureaucrats to week after week, month after month. oversee it. Nonprofit organizations are Today’s late night talk shows have much In 2009, Leno stepped down from chosen to run it. smaller audiences than Leno and Tonight and was replaced by Conan Letterman had – and a lot, lot less than However, the developers build way O’Brien. Leno was given his own show Carson had. Maybe it’s all the overpriced, overbuilt housing projects. in prime time. Both Leno’s new show competition nowadays. Maybe it’s the Cities and counties collect very and Tonight with O’Brien were ratings internet. Maybe it’s the political expensive building fees while creating a disasters. Eight months later, NBC fired grandstanding instead of being funny. massive bureaucracy. The nonprofits O’Brien and rehired Leno for Tonight. Maybe it’s all of that, or something else. become large bureaucracies with (Bill Carter wrote a book about this, expensive overhead and salaries that do Or maybe some things just aren’t worth too.) nothing to help the homeless. staying up for. In 2014, Jimmy Fallon, a former Ring cites a homeless shelter being built XXXXXXXXXX Saturday Night Live cast member, on Venice Beach, where over 1,000 homeless people have taken over every replaced Leno as host of Tonight. Recommended: “The Homeless public venue, including the beach. Their Apparently he’s still there. Leno isn’t Industrial Complex” by Edward Ring in tents are protected by law as private hosting the show again. Yet. California Globe (online). Published in space – so in addition to housing, the May, it begins with a doctor’s prediction Though presently Fallon and ABC talk tents have become drug dens and of a major infectious disease epidemic in show host Jimmy Kimmel are losing the brothels. A 154 bed shelter is being built Los Angeles this summer. ratings war to Letterman’s successor on as a “wet” shelter, meaning drug addicts Late Show, Stephen Colbert. L.A., along with other cities in and alcoholics will be able to check in California, already has outbreaks of and check out as they please. The Stephen Colbert got his start hosting a tuberculosis, typhus, hepatitis, and other estimated cost of this shelter (so far) is show on Comedy Central, where he diseases. And the primary reasons for $8 million, which works out to over played an arrogant, conservative this are the unsanitary conditions caused $50,000 per bed. All that money for tents, bathroom plumbing, and a Part of the fascination I guess is that a lot guy was just a born loser. For some kitchen? To have freeloading party of this life is about winning and losing. reason, no matter what he did, no matter animals live alongside the truly needy? That’s why sports are so popular, for we how hard he tried, he always ended up see these symbolic dramas acted out for losing. Like his life was preordained like Ring points out that not only is the our vicarious amusement.