With Conan O’Brien taking over for Jay Leno in 2009, Jimmy Fallon has been named to replace Conan. Although I wish Jimmy a lot of luck, because he’s really going to need it, I get the feeling this is going to have the same short airing as The Chevy Chase Show back in 1993, which aired for something like a month. A perfect fit for late night is just so rare. There will never be another Johnny Carson.

Last night David Letterman, Jay Leno, Conan O’ Brian, and Craig Ferguson were back on the air, but Letterman and Conan had beards. Dave said, "I grew it out of solidarity for my writers, and to prove that I have some testosterone." Dave just looks like he was too lazy to shave during his time off. Conan has a strange resemblence to the one and only Kris Kringle.

David Letterman owns his own show through his company Worldwide Pants, and he has been a member of the Writers Guild Of America for more than 30 years. Letterman has made an "interim agreement" with the WGA so he can bring his show back on the air possibly as soon as next week. CBS was not happy with Letterman’s deal. Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien are both hired talent by NBC, and NBC doesn’t want to make a fair deal with the writers that make them so much money, but they still plan to also bring their shows back on the air January 7 without WGA writers.

Jay Leno was embarrassed when news broke that he did not offer to pay staffers during the strike. David Letterman and Conan O’Brien did offer to pay staffers. Jay was caught off guard, and on camera, with questions about the pay controversy. Jay kept covering up the camera, and finally said he would pay staffers out of his own pocket, but would reevaluate the situation on a weekly basis. Jay is as stubborn as a Donkey.

Ellen DeGeneres isn’t just pushing the boundaries of accepted behavior in society, but she’s also raging against writers who want their fair share of profits. Ellen is pictured here crossing the striking writer’s picket line so she could do her show, even though some of her writers are picketing. Ellen told her audience:

"I want to say I love my writers. I love them. In honor of them today, I’m not going to do a monologue. I support them and hope that they get everything they’re asking for. And I hope it works out soon. In the meantime, people have traveled across the country. They’ve made plans. They’re here. I want to do everything I can to make your trip enjoyable and give you a show."

David Letterman, Jay Leno, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and Conan O’Brien, who himself was an SNL writer, all shut down their show to support the writers, but not Ellen. Governor Arnold is trying to negotiate an agreement because he says everyone involved, including the writers, have money and won’t be hurt by the strike, but the camera men, carpenters, studio crews, etc., will be hurt by the strike. Had Ellen mentioned any of those people I might have given her a pass, but crossing the picket line makes her a bad guy, er butch lesbian, or whatever.