After two months of no writers on their staff, Conan O’Brien and Jay Leno (both of NBC blood) will return to their shows, officially crossing the picket lines. Both of the late night hosts supported, both emotionally and financially, their writers during the last two months. Reluctantly, the comedians will go back to their shows, without writers, in order to help hundreds of other employees who are suffering from the strike.

Both shows will return without their writers, The Associated Press reported, leading to conjecture over what form the programs will take. In recent years, late-night talk shows have been as much about scripted comedy routines as talk, unlike the raconteur-driven versions of the form hosted by people such as Jack Paar.

In a statement, O’Brien acknowledged that “[a]n unwritten version of ‘Late Night,’ though not desirable, is possible — and no one has to be fired. So, it is only after a great deal of thought that I have decided to go back on the air on January 2nd,” he said.

“I will make clear, on the program, my support for the writers,” he continued. “Of course, my show will not be as good. In fact, in moments it may very well be terrible. My sincerest hope is that all of my writers are back soon, working under a contract that provides them everything they deserve.”

Leno said in a statement that he was hoping for a quick solution to the strike. But “now that the talks have broken down and there are no further negotiations scheduled I feel it’s my responsibility to get my 100 non-writing staff, which were laid off, back to work,” he said.

“We fully support our writers and I think they understand my decision,” Leno said.

Both Leno and O’Brien have been paying staffers’ salaries since early December, following in the footsteps of David Letterman, who has paid the employees of his “Late Show with David Letterman” and “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” since the strike began November 5. Letterman’s production company owns both his and Ferguson’s shows, which air on CBS.

Leno, O’Brien and Letterman are all guild members.

I think its nice that both Conan and Jay paid their peeps for that long. They are both probably millionaires, at leastfive times over! I think Conan will be okay without writers because he’s a naturally funny and charismatic guy. Leno, on the other hand, has always annoyed me and has never really made me laugh. I can’t see his show being that entertaining without writers. What do you think?

Good luck to the writers who are going jobless during the holiday season. I hope that they get their shit together so their families don’t suffer too much!

(Source)