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cleheny's review against another edition
3.0
This is well-written and engaging, but it has a very weird ending. First written in 1995, it was re-released and updated in 2019. It begins, therefore, in 2015, as David Letterman retires from the Late Show with David Letterman, and then goes back in time to 1991, as Helen Kushnick and Jay Leno maneuver to get Leno named as Johnny Carson's successor. Carter does his best to be fair to both Leno and Letterman, and, if there's a villain in this book, it's the sole major female character, Helen Kushnick. She sounds like a terror, but it's hard to know if she really was as bad as is portrayed, or was she judged more harshly because she was a powerful woman in a male-dominated industry. It's no coincidence that the other people who figure most prominently in this book are white men.
It's clear that Letterman was often his own worst enemy and Leno was far more loyal (and savvy about showing that loyalty) to NBC and its affiliates. So I can understand why NBC went forward with Leno, even if I do think Letterman had greater talent.
But I seriously question Carter's depiction of Leno as a decent, emotionally-restrained guy who had no idea of the machinations of his manager. This is a guy who admittedly snuck into NBC Burbank headquarters one night and hid in a closet so that he could surreptitiously listen in on a conference call in which the leaders of NBC discussed whether to continue with him as host or replace him with Letterman. He then used direct quotes from the meeting to unnerve some of those leaders (who were also his fiercest defenders), and he created a perception that one of the legitimate meeting participants was leaking sensitive information. That isn't the behavior of a fundamentally decent guy who doesn't have a killer instinct.
This is also the guy who signed a contract to replace Carson before anyone knew that Carson would retire. I don't fault Leno for wanting what he got, but I am deeply skeptical that he was the innocent portrayed by Carter. It's more likely that he knew exactly what Helen Kushnick would do and was fine with her being the one to do the dirty work. He also had no hesitation on turning his back on Kushnick when NBC wanted to fire her. After months of refusing to listen or get involved when anyone came to him with a complaint about Kushnick, he turned on her in a matter of days. He did nothing to protect her position, and he clearly told NBC leadership that he wouldn't raise a stink if she was fired. Then he released a statement saying that he didn't think NBC was treating her fairly. For the woman who worked hard for him, promoted him, and engineered his rise to host of the Tonight Show, this was a two-faced attempt to make it seem that he was standing by her when, in fact, he was abandoning her. All things considered, Leno comes off as someone who looks out primarily for himself and shouldn't be trusted--someone who is perfectly happy to let someone else do the dirty work and take any resulting blame.
The really weird thing about the updated version is the epilogue. The main narrative closes with Letterman having opened on CBS and leading Leno in the ratings. The epilogue skips ahead about a year, when Leno appeared about to close the gap. It details the November sweeps period when Letterman once again opened up a sizable ratings lead and was then asked to host the Oscars. And then it just stops--no discussion of Letterman's Oscar performance or Leno overtaking him in the ratings later that year. Given the introduction's reference to Letterman's 2015 retirement, it's weird and abrupt that the Nov. 1994 sweeps period is discussed in great detail, and then Carter spends some time talking about the stress hosting the Oscars put on the Late Show's staff, and then the epilogue just stops.
It's clear that Letterman was often his own worst enemy and Leno was far more loyal (and savvy about showing that loyalty) to NBC and its affiliates. So I can understand why NBC went forward with Leno, even if I do think Letterman had greater talent.
But I seriously question Carter's depiction of Leno as a decent, emotionally-restrained guy who had no idea of the machinations of his manager. This is a guy who admittedly snuck into NBC Burbank headquarters one night and hid in a closet so that he could surreptitiously listen in on a conference call in which the leaders of NBC discussed whether to continue with him as host or replace him with Letterman. He then used direct quotes from the meeting to unnerve some of those leaders (who were also his fiercest defenders), and he created a perception that one of the legitimate meeting participants was leaking sensitive information. That isn't the behavior of a fundamentally decent guy who doesn't have a killer instinct.
This is also the guy who signed a contract to replace Carson before anyone knew that Carson would retire. I don't fault Leno for wanting what he got, but I am deeply skeptical that he was the innocent portrayed by Carter. It's more likely that he knew exactly what Helen Kushnick would do and was fine with her being the one to do the dirty work. He also had no hesitation on turning his back on Kushnick when NBC wanted to fire her. After months of refusing to listen or get involved when anyone came to him with a complaint about Kushnick, he turned on her in a matter of days. He did nothing to protect her position, and he clearly told NBC leadership that he wouldn't raise a stink if she was fired. Then he released a statement saying that he didn't think NBC was treating her fairly. For the woman who worked hard for him, promoted him, and engineered his rise to host of the Tonight Show, this was a two-faced attempt to make it seem that he was standing by her when, in fact, he was abandoning her. All things considered, Leno comes off as someone who looks out primarily for himself and shouldn't be trusted--someone who is perfectly happy to let someone else do the dirty work and take any resulting blame.
The really weird thing about the updated version is the epilogue. The main narrative closes with Letterman having opened on CBS and leading Leno in the ratings. The epilogue skips ahead about a year, when Leno appeared about to close the gap. It details the November sweeps period when Letterman once again opened up a sizable ratings lead and was then asked to host the Oscars. And then it just stops--no discussion of Letterman's Oscar performance or Leno overtaking him in the ratings later that year. Given the introduction's reference to Letterman's 2015 retirement, it's weird and abrupt that the Nov. 1994 sweeps period is discussed in great detail, and then Carter spends some time talking about the stress hosting the Oscars put on the Late Show's staff, and then the epilogue just stops.
starklinqs's review against another edition
3.5
I don’t think I was as into this as other readers who are more familiar with the Carson, Letterman and Leno eras - I honestly read this because I thought I should before I start The War for Late Night. There were a lot of names thrown around that were difficult for me to keep track of, but I found the actual nitty gritty of it with contract negotiations and the events that led up to it really interesting!
leialocks's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this one. But I'm a gigantic TV nerd that finds ratings and contracts interesting. How one phrase here or there at this point in time changed the TV landscape forever. If you don't care for the business moves behind the battle for Late Night in 1992, you may want to pass. It's very heavy on the executives' moves and thoughts. You do get a great sense of the atmosphere in TV in 1992. It's crazy to think there was no battle in late-night until this period. The book is well researched and the sources and quotes are top-notch. I HAVE to read his follow-up about Conan and Leno now.
grahamiscool's review against another edition
5.0
Despite never having watched a single American late night talk show, I enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look at the early '90s battle for 'The Tonight Show'.
alexlanz's review against another edition
Really scratched the showbiz journalism itch.
sarahjsnider's review against another edition
4.0
This book covers the Leno/Letterman late-night kerfuffle in great detail, yet still manages to stay fast-paced and fascinating (for the most part), with lots of first-person testimony.
Jay Leno is even more of an enigma to me now than before I read it. Is the nice guy act truly an act? How can a nice guy employ someone as aggressive and confrontational as Helen Kushnick? How can a grown man think SPYING IN A CLOSET is anything but weird? The sequel is going to be off the chain.
Jay Leno is even more of an enigma to me now than before I read it. Is the nice guy act truly an act? How can a nice guy employ someone as aggressive and confrontational as Helen Kushnick? How can a grown man think SPYING IN A CLOSET is anything but weird? The sequel is going to be off the chain.
sdbecque's review against another edition
4.0
sadly i'm too young to really remember carson doing the tonight show, or even his leaving. my interest in the late night battles was peaked in my history of tv class last year when my professor showed some letterman at nbc clips, and i was shocked at how funny and sort of out there they were in a post-modern way.
i found this book to be completely fast paced and fascinating (except for a few bits) but it's very behind the scenes, and i suppose you would need to be the type of person to find intense entertainment contracts and negotiating edge of the seat stuff. so not for everyone.
my feelings toward the two are further complicated by nbc's recent decision to give away prime-time to leno. something i can no abide by and really wish to fail. i kept thinking if only they had given the tonight show to letterman. in that respect i think i feel similar to carter, who seems to have no qualms saying nbc screwed the pooch on this one.
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