The Late Shift

Behind-the-scenes network politics embroil television executives at NBC in 1991 as Johnny Carson's retirement sets off a conflict between Jay Leno and David Letterman for his late-night talk show hosting position. The two comedians engage in a high-stakes battle for control, with Leno's manager Helen Kushnick using shrewd but potentially unethical tactics to secure the spot for her client. In the end, Letterman secures an 11:30 p.m. show on CBS, effectively ending his negotiations with NBC, which had previously offered him a weaker deal. The film chronicles the late-night television conflict between Leno and Letterman in the early 1990s, based on Bill Carter's book of the same name.