HBO movie about the behind-the-scenes network politics responsible for the changes in late-night talk-show hosts, after the retirement of Johnny Carson from the Tonight Show on NBC. Jay Leno and David Letterman were both vying for the position, but Leno's tough manager Helen Kushnick got him the spot. In the wake of her 'stepping on the toes' of powerful network executives and 'playing hardball' tactics with guest bookings, she found herself being pushed out of her job as Tonight Show Executive Producer and Jay's manager. Letterman, devastated by his being passed over, brought in superagent Mike Ovitz to negotiate on his behalf, resulting in his move to CBS.
| Release Date: | Feb 1996 |
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| Genre: | Comedy / Drama / Talk-Show |
| Awards: | Won Golden Globe. Another 4 wins & 9 nominations |
| Cast: | Kathy Bates (Helen Kushnick), John Michael Higgins (David Letterman), Daniel Roebuck (Jay Leno), Bob Balaban (Warren Littlefield), Ed Begley Jr. (Rod Perth), Peter Jurasik (Howard Stringer), Reni Santoni (John Agoglia), John Kapelos (Robert Morton), Steven Gilborn (Peter Lassally), John Getz (Brandon Tartikoff), Lawrence Pressman (Bob Wright), Sandra Bernhard (Herself), Treat Williams (Michael Ovitz), David Brisbin (Alan Levine), Michael Chieffo (Rick Ludwin), Wendy Cutler (Reporter #2 Letterman Press Conference), Nancy Cheryll Davis (Reporter #2 Carnegie Hall), Paul Elder (Rupert Murdoch), Michael Fairman (Michael Gartner), John R. Fors (Writer #2), Nicholas Guest (Robert Iger), Lucinda Jenney (Debbie Vickers), Ivan Kane (Reporter #1), Ken Kragen (Himself), Susan Krebs (Airport atendant), James Kiriyama-Lem (Reporter #1 Letterman Press Conference), Dan Lipe (Writer #1), Aaron Lustig (Paul Shaffer), Cynthia Lynch (Laurie Diamond), Michael C. McCarthy (Jim Brogan), Kerry Noonan (Letterman's girlfriend), Penny Peyser (Susan Binford), Little Richard (Himself), Ann Ryerson (Betty Hudson), Kevin Scannell (Dick Ebersol), Edmund L. Shaff (Jack Welsh), Joanne Takahashi (Thai waitress), Arthur Taxier (Lee Gabler), Arnold F. Turner (Reporter #3 Letterman Press Conference), Cathy Worthington (Kragen's asst.), Rich Little (Johnny Carson), David S. Kaufman (Staff worker (uncredited)) |