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''The Late Shift'' is a 1996 American television film produced by HBO. It was directed by Betty Thomas and based on the book of the same name by ''The New York Times'' media reporter Bill Carter. ==Plot synopsis== Behind-the-scenes network politics embroil television executives responsible for late-night programming after 1991's retirement announcement of Johnny Carson (played by Rich Little) from ''The Tonight Show'' on NBC. Carson's permanent guest host Jay Leno (Daniel Roebuck) and the host of the show that follows Carson's each night, David Letterman (John Michael Higgins), both vie for the position. It is widely assumed that Letterman is the hand-picked heir apparent Carson favors, but privately NBC executives speculate that Leno could be more popular with 11:30 p.m. audiences, as well as easier for the network to deal with and control. Leno's tough manager Helen Kushnick (Kathy Bates) secures the spot for Leno with negotiating tactics that could be construed as either shrewd or unethical. Leno is concerned that her methods might alienate Carson, but he made promises to Kushnick after his career took off and does not wish to be disloyal. She harshly instructs the comic to just keep telling jokes and leave the business end to her. Surely enough, she lands Leno the coveted job as ''Tonight Show'' host and the producer's position for herself, on the condition that no public announcement will be made. Letterman continues to believe he is still in contention for the position. Another reason NBC's executives prefer Leno is that they will own the show, whereas Letterman stipulates that he will maintain ownership rights to his. Kushnick's bullying manner angers Leno's bosses, colleagues, potential guests, and others to the point of interfering with network airtime and relationships. The top NBC executives warn the mild-mannered Leno that they are going to fire Kushnick and, if he sides with her, he would be let go as well. Kushnick is dismissed by NBC and barred from the studio lot. She keeps pleading with Leno to keep his promise to her, like taking care of her and her daughter, but he is angry because she nearly cost him a dream job. Leno eavesdrops on a private executive meeting in which they discuss the possibility of having Letterman step in as host. The final say falls to the chairman of NBC's then-parent company General Electric, Jack Welch, who advises the NBC executives that they should remain loyal to Leno. Letterman, devastated at being passed over, hires Hollywood superagent Michael Ovitz (Treat Williams) to negotiate on his behalf, resulting in Letterman's courtship by a number of major networks and syndicates. He continues to hold on to his lifelong dream of hosting ''The Tonight Show'', but when ''Tonight Show''/''Late Show'' producer Peter Lassally (Steven Gilborn) makes it clear that the ''Tonight'' job is now "damaged goods," and that he would be working with the very people who passed him by (and after a call to Carson), Letterman accepts a lucrative offer to host his own 11:30 show on CBS. Letterman and Leno ultimately go head to head at 11:30, with Letterman winning in the TV ratings in the beginning, then Leno firmly re-establishing his show's lead in the ratings. Their personal relationship, once cordial, is never quite the same. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「The Late Shift (film)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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