But it STILL seems like a great idea to me!ĭo you think the rise of streaming services makes it unlikely that we’ll ever have another television host as beloved as Johnny Carson? I thought it would have made for a really exciting kick to such a movie. I mentioned this to the HBO guy, and he seemed to think it was a joke. (He showed a photo of her where she DID look a lot like him.) The remarkable thing was Tilda saw this and said she would LOVE to play the part in a movie. And Conan himself had some fun with it on the air, suggesting at one point that Tilda Swinton would be the perfect casting. I happened to mention that the notion there might be a second film had generated some fun speculation in the media about who might play Conan O'Brien, for example. Everyone from Sarah Palin, to Clarence Thomas, to Liberace and dozens more real people have appeared in HBO movies. I admit this surprised me because it seemed like that was a SPECIALTY of HBO. One of the reasons the HBO executive I spoke to said he was reluctant was because casting real people was not something HBO found easy or liked to do. I was all for it, of course, and in some ways I felt like the drama might be even heightened. Right after the publication of my second book on the late-night saga, The War for Late Night, I did have some brief discussions with HBO about making a second movie after their production of The Late Shift.

Do you think The Story of Late Night will spark more serious interest in making that sequel? The Late Shift was first adapted into an HBO film in 1996, and there has since been (mostly joking) talk about adapting The War for Late Night (covering the shift from Jay Leno to Conan O'Brien and back again) as well. A psychological closeness is probably inevitable. The host also is playing himself-herself, not some character, and they often reveal aspects of their personal lives during the shows, which enhances the 'relationship' and stokes the fascination.

And you can spend a LOT of time each week with the host you are drawn to, as much as five hours a week, all in that intimate setting. And in not a few instances, when the viewer is already in bed. The meetings also take place very late in someone's day, often right before they go to sleep. It involves developing a relationship with a 'host,' and everyone knows that repeated visits to a host's place deepens a relationship. It surprised me a bit that so many people were fascinated by the behind-the-scenes machinations of late night TV until I got down deep into it and realized the special nature of this genre of entertainment: It has an intimacy and personal connection few other forms of art can claim. Why do you think people are so fascinated by the behind-the-scenes drama that goes into making late night television?

Bill carter the war for late night