| The Late Shift | |
|---|---|
&sq=Google&lang=en&file=File:The_Late_Shift.jpg) DVD cover | |
| Based on | The Late Shift by Bill Carter |
| Written by | Bill Carter George Armitage |
| Directed by | Betty Thomas |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Ira Newborn |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | |
| Producer | Don Carmody |
| Cinematography | Mac Ahlberg |
| Editor | Peter Teschner |
| Running time | 95 minutes |
| Production companies | HBO Pictures Northern Lights Entertainment |
| Original release | |
| Network | HBO |
| Release | February 24, 1996 |
| Infobox instructions (only shown in preview) | |
The Late Shift is a 1996 American made-for-television biographical film directed by Betty Thomas, and written by New York Times media reporter Bill Carter and George Armitage. Released by HBO Pictures and produced in conjunction with Northern Lights Entertainment, the film premiered on HBO on February 24, 1996.
Based on Carter's 1994 book of the same name, the film chronicles the late-night television conflict between Jay Leno and David Letterman in the early 1990s, surrounding NBC's appointment of Leno to succeed Johnny Carson as host of The Tonight Show, and Late Night host Letterman's resulting efforts to negotiate out of his contract with the network to host his own competing talk show for CBS.