"Late Show": The Dean of Late-Night Comedy Returns (Looking the part more than ever)

Under a thick gray beard that by his own admission made him resemble “a missing hiker,” the host of CBS’ Late Show returned to the Ed Sullivan Theater and the airwaves Wednesday night for his first new show in eight weeks. Senator Hillary Clinton served up the first quip in a cold open—“Dave’s back…well, all good things must come to an end”—followed by a chorus line of picket-sign-waving dancers Letterman dubbed “the Eugene V. Debs.”

 

The last time he was off work that long, he mused, he was undergoing quintuple bypass surgery.

 

He seemed relieved to be back on what he hailed as “the only show on the air now that has jokes written by union writers.”

 

That was a gentle jab at Leno, who returned to NBC’s The Tonight Show Wednesday sans writing staff and with guest stars, including Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, who crossed picket lines to get into Tonight’s Burbank studio. Late Night with Conan O’Brien also returned without scribes.

 

Letterman offered effusive thanks to the Writers Guild of America for sanctioning the independent deal with his writers that allowed him and them to get back to work.

 

The Screen Actors Guild has encouraged its members to appear on Late Show and on Late, Late Show with host Craig Ferguson (also produced by Letterman’s World Wide Pants company).

 

Comedy Central’s The Daily Show and The Colbert Report are due back on cable with new installments Monday—but without their writing staffs.

 

The WGA presence became a running gag on Wednesday’s Late Show. “Even though the Late Show writers are back at work, thousands of writers are still on strike,” said a “strike captain” interrupting one of Letterman’s bits. He begged the “arrogant media moguls…[to] stop spending all your money on cufflinks, cocktails and whores!”

 

The Top Ten List featured 10 striking writers from The Daily Show, Colbert Report, daytime TV and Law & Order, detailing their “demands.” No. 5: “I’d like a date with a woman!” Striking screenwriter Nora Ephron (…When Harry Met Sally) stepped forward for No. 4: “Hazard pay for breaking up fights on The View.” And the No. 1 demand, delivered by Emmy winning comedy writer Alan Zweibel: “Producers must immediately remove their heads from their asses.”

 

At least before the situation gets any hairier.