{movie} the late shift (1996)

Kathy Bates won a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Jay Leno's hard-nosed manager, Helen Kushnick, in this dramatization of the war between David Letterman (John Michael Higgins) and Leno (Daniel Roebuck) to replace "Tonight Show" host Johnny Carson (Rich Little). Hollywood's power players -- including superagent Michael Ovitz (Treat Williams) -- sharpen their spears as negotiations reach the boiling point amid the media frenzy.

ireviewnetflix.com rating: *** This was a great movie about a truly unique time in the history of television. While the two leads are kind of disappointing in their roles as Letterman and Leno, the "behind-the-scenes" story covers up their below average acting. Rich Little is great as the late, great Johnny Carson. I really enjoy Jay Leno, and David Letterman is just all right, but neither of them will ever compare to the greatness of Carson. He made it look so easy. Kathy Bates was phenomenal in her Golden Globe award winning role of the late Helen Kushnick. In retrospect, NBC clearly made the right choice in choosing Leno as the rating have been in his favor for the better part of 15 years.