The Late Shift Page #9

YOU HAD ME LIE TO JOHNNY CARSON.

BIG F***ING DEAL,

SO GO TO F***ING CONFESSION.

I GOT A SHOW TO DO, HELEN.

( Helen )

GOD DAMN IT!

( screaming )

WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

JAY, HONEY,

LET'S GET THIS IRONED OUT.

WE CAN WORK:

SOMETHING OUT WITH N.B.C.

NO, THEY WANT YOU OUT.

SO DO I.

WHAT ABOUT TAKING

CARE OF ME AND MY KID?

YOU SAT THERE ON

JERRY'S DEATHBED.

YOU SAID "I'LL TAKE CARE

OF YOUR WIFE AND DAUGHTER." I HEARD YOU SAY THAT.

I DID SAY THAT, I DID,

AND I MEANT IT THEN.

BUT NOW, HELEN, YOU ALMOS COST ME THIS JOB.

YOU DON'T NEED THIS JOB.

LISTEN,

I'VE BEEN ON THE PHONE.

I GUARANTEE US A JOB,

$25 MILLION.

WE CAN WALK OUT OF HERE.

GOODBYE, HELEN.

DON'T YOU LEAVE ME,

YOU TWO-FACED BASTARD!

WHAT DO YOU... WHAT DO YOU

WANT TO DO?

WHAT DO YOU WANT...

YOU WANT TO BREAK THIS?

YOU WANT TO BREAK THIS!

IT'S BROKEN.

( woman )

Warren Littlefield's office.

YEAH, IT'S JAY,

IS HE IN?

Sure.

( Warren )

Jay?

YEAH, WARREN,

YOU GOT TO HELP ME THROUGH THIS.

Absolutely.

HELP ME.

I'M MOVING FORWARD WITH YOU.

I'M DOING THE SHOW.

Great.

SHE'S NO LONGER

THE EXECUTIVE PRODUCER.

I'M NO LONGER IN BUSINESS

WITH HELEN KUSHNICK.

( car honking )

I HAD A WONDERFUL TIME!

WE GOT A GREAT SHOW TOMORROW NIGHT!

( audience cheering )

( audience applauding )

( chattering )

CAN YOU GUYS COME

IN HERE, PLEASE?

HEY, EVERYBODY,

COME ON IN HERE.

I JUST HAVE A FEW THINGS

I WANT TO SAY.

IT'LL JUST TAKE...

IT'LL JUST TAKE A FEW MINUTES, OK?

GREAT SHOW TONIGHT,

FIRST I SHOULD SAY THAT.

SO I... I JUST, UH, WANTED

TO JUST TAKE A FEW MINUTES

TO APOLOGIZE FOR

ALL THE CRAZINESS

THAT'S BEEN GOING ON

AROUND HERE THE PAST FEW MONTHS.

I... I LISTENED TO HELEN

AND IT WAS A MISTAKE.

AND I SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE IT,

AND I'M SORRY FOR IT.

SO PLEASE STAY WITH ME.

I'LL TRY AND MAKE IT UP

TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU,

AND LET'S JUST KEEP DOING

THE BEST SHOWS THAT WE CAN DO. ALL RIGHT?

( all applauding )

SO TO YOU, I THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU.

( man )

WAY TO GO, JAY.

( woman )

YOU'RE GREAT, JAY.

( woman )

WE'RE BEHIND YOU.

( cars honking )

( whistling )

WHAT A PLACE.

OH, MY GOD,

THERE'S MORE FRUIT IN HERE!

IS IT SCURVY?

CAN YOU SEE I ON MY SKIN?

UH, PETE, HAVE A SEAT,

AND TAKE THAT SILLY RUG OFF, WILL YOU?

MORTY, FOR GOD SAKE,

STRAIGHTEN YOUR TIE, THIS ISN'T A TRACTOR PULL!

( both laughing )

ALL RIGHT, HERE WE GO. LET'S GET THIS THING STARTED.

THESE ARE SUMMARIES OF

ALL THE OFFERS DAVID HAS ON THE TABLE.

THEY'RE ALL IN

THE SAME RANGE, $12 TO $14 MILLION A YEAR

DEPENDING ON HOW WELL YOU DO.

WE ALSO HAVE A COUPLE

OF THOSE OVERSIZED SYNDICATION OFFERS

LIKE THE $50 MILLION

FROM VIACOM.

AH, LISTEN, SYNDICATION

GIVES ME THE, UH, WILLIES.

I'M NOT, UH,...

HE WANTS A NETWORK.

NOW, A.B.C. PASSED

BECAUSE WE WOULDN' ACCEPT MIDNIGH AFTER NIGHTLINE.

FOX IS...

WELL, FOX IS FOX.

THEY'VE ABOUT THREE-QUARTERS OF A NETWORK AT BEST.

SO THAT LEAVES US WITH C.B.S.

SUDDENLY OUR OPTIONS

ARE NARROWED.

LISTEN,

THE GOOD NEWS IS, DAVID,

THAT C.B.S. HAS

REALLY STEPPED UP.

THEY'RE OFFERING YOU $12.5,

BUT THAT WILL ESCALATE AS

YOUR DEMOGRAPHICS IMPROVE.

BUT WHAT DID THEY SAY

ABOUT THE CLEARANCE ISSUE? I MEAN, LOOK,

N.B.C. IS PUTTING

THE TONIGHT SHOW,

ON WHAT, 99% OF

THEIR AFFILIATES...

WE'LL ONLY GET ABOUT 65%

OF THE AFFILIATES IN YEAR ONE.

HOWARD STRINGER:

PROMISES THEY'LL GET IT UP TO 90% BY THE END OF YEAR 3,

AT THE VERY, VERY LATEST.

NOW, IN SPITE OF

THESE LIMITATIONS, DAVE,

I THINK THAT STRINGER

IS AN EXTREMELY COMPETENT EXECUTIVE.

IF YOU GO TO C.B.S.,

THERE IS NO DOUB THAT YOU WILL BECOME

THEIR NUMBER ONE SIGNATURE STAR.

AND I CAN'T PU A PRICE TAG ON THAT.

THERE IS ONE PROBLEM

THAT WE NOW HAVE TO DEAL WITH.

AND THAT IS, THAT N.B.C.

STILL HAS THE RIGH TO MATCH THIS OFFER WITHIN 30 DAYS.

SO N.B.C. MATCHES THE OFFER,

AND I'M... I'M STUCK AT N.B.C.

AT 12:
30 FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.

NOT NECESSARILY.

WE'VE COME UP

WITH SOMETHING EXTRA.

THE C.B.S. DEAL HAS

A PENALTY CLAUSE.

C.B.S. AGREES TO

GIVE YOU A SHOW:

THAT AIRS BEFORE

MIDNIGHT EASTERN TIME, OR THEY OWE YOU $50 MILLION.

$50 MILLION.

( Morty )

THAT'S NO PENALTY, THAT'S CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.

IT WILL NOT EVEN FAZE C.B.S.,

BECAUSE THEY'RE GIVING YOU 11.30 ANYWAY.

BUT IT'S GOING

TO MAKE N.B.C. CHOKE.

( chuckling )

COOL.

IT IS C.A.A.'S

FORMAL RECOMMENDATION

THAT YOU ACCEP THE C.B.S. OFFER, AND SO INFORM N.B.C.

CONGRATULATIONS, DAVE.

( snickering )

TAXI!

WHERE ARE YOU GOING?

I GOT A DATE DOWNTOWN.

REALLY, ANOTHER ONE,

WHO'S LEFT?

DAVID.

YOU KNOW,

THERE'S STILL ONE PROMISE THAT OVITZ HASN'T KEPT.

WELL, MAYBE N.B.C. IS HAPPY

WITH WHAT THEY GOT.

IF N.B.C. WERE TO OFFER

YOU THE TONIGHT SHOW, WOULD YOU STILL ACCEPT IT?

WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION.

OF COURSE I WOULD.

I W-W-WANT THAT SHOW.

I JUST WANTED TO

HEAR YOU SAY IT AGAIN.

ALL RIGHT.

LET'S GO.

WHERE ARE YOU GOING? PETE?

DAVID.

BOB WRIGHT IS:

HERE TO SEE YOU.

HERE?

MMM-HMM.

HELLO, DAVID.

HEY, BOB,

HOW ARE YOU?

GOOD TO SEE YOU.

THANKS FOR COMING.

UH, PETE,

WHY DON'T YOU COME IN?

I'M SORRY, I HAVE THINGS

TO DO DOWN THE HALL.

THANKS, PETER.

YOU BET, BOB.

HEY, BOB, UH,

THANKS FOR COMING ON DOWN.

OH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME.

YOU LIKE THAT?

YOU WANT ONE? THERE YOU GO.

OH, THANK YOU.

YOU OWN IT.

DAVID.

I REALLY DON'T WANT YOU

TO LEAVE YOUR FAMILY HERE AT N.B.C.

I'M HERE BECAUSE

I WANT DESPERATELY TO PREVENT THAT.

I WANT TO OFFER:

ANYTHING I CAN.

IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN OFFER

TO GET YOU TO STAY?

WELL, THOSE ARE

WARM SENTIMENTS, BOB.

THANK YOU.

WELL, OF COURSE YOU KNOW

I WOULD STAY,

BUT YOU'VE ALREADY

FILLED YOUR 11:
30 SLOT.

I CAN OFFER:

ALMOST ANYTHING ELSE.

PRIME-TIME, SPECIALS...

I KNOW, BOB, LISTEN.

IT'S JUST, PRIME-TIME AND...

I'M A CREATURE

OF LATE NIGHT.

YOU KNOW I ALWAYS HAVE BEEN,

THAT'S WHO MY AUDIENCE IS.

YOU KNOW, THE GUYS ON

THE WEST COAST SAY THA YOU MAY HAVE TROUBLE

ADJUSTING TO 11:
30.

ALL RIGHT, LISTEN, I...

THOSE GUYS ARE:

ENTITLED TO THEIR OPINION,

BUT I'M TELLING YOU

I THINK THAT THEY ARE WRONG.

AND I THINK THAT I AM READY.

I'VE GIVEN A LOT OF THOUGH TO WHAT IT WOULD TAKE

TO SHIFT TO... TO AN 11:30 POSITION.

I KNOW:

IT'S A DIFFERENT AUDIENCE.

AND IF THAT MEANS, UH,

BOOKING DIFFERENT TYPES OF GUESTS

OR COUNTRY MUSIC

MIXED IN WITH THE ROCK OR WHATEVER IT TAKES.

UH, AND I CAN ALSO

TEMPER MY OWN ACT.

BOB, I'M A PROFESSIONAL,

I KNOW HOW TO DO THAT.

I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT YOU CAN.

AND I SEE THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN

THIS A LOT OF THOUGHT.

WELL, I HAVE,

UH, BUT, UH, GOOD.

ALL THE SAME,

I JUST HAVE TO TELL YOU

THAT IT'S TIME.

I MEAN,

I GOT TO MOVE UP.

AND IF I DON'T DO IT NOW,

I'M NOT EVER GOING TO DO IT.

IT'S TIME TO MOVE.

( all chattering )

JOHN.

BETTY.

HAVE YOU HEARD:

ANYTHING NEW FROM OVITZ?

NOTHIN' NEW, NOTHIN' OLD.

LOTS OF NOTHIN'.

GREAT.

WARREN.

SO, UH, WHAT'S WRIGHT SAYING?

HE SAYS HE'S WAITING

TO HEAR FROM OVITZ.

HE'S LEANING

TOWARDS LETTERMAN.

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