Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers. NBC / Getty Randy / Holmes / Disney General entertainment content via Getty Images / Lloyd Bishop / NBC via Getty Images
- The late-night talk shows are back after a five-month hiatus due to the writers’ strike.
- The hosts of the four major talk shows all tried to summarize the biggest news of the summer.
- Jimmy Fallon did not address allegations of a toxic workplace on “The Tonight Show.”
Finally the night is back.
In May, the big five late-night talk shows, hosted by Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers and John Oliver, were among several productions that shut down after the Writers Guild of America (WGA) called for a strike .
On Monday, Fallon, Colbert, Kimmel and Meyers all returned to the air after an agreement was reached between the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
Kimmel and Colbert began their shows with humorous cold starts to celebrate their respective returns.
On “The Late Show,” Colbert, donning a fake beard and captain’s hat, acted as if he had been at sea for most of the summer before a dolphin told him the strike was over and he was back to work have to go.
On “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” the eponymous comedian enlisted his guest for the night, Arnold Schwarzenegger, as his therapist to give him the courage to return after so long.
The “Terminator” actor, of course, recited his famous lines “I’ll be back” and “Get to the helicopter.”
While all of the hosts took time to thank and praise their editors and crew in their monologues, another common theme was their attempt to cover the biggest news of the summer.
Topics covered included the viral story about a Delta plane returning to its original airport due to a diarrhea incident, the dating rumors surrounding Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce, and the headline-grabbing pop culture moment Barbenheimer.
“The rumors that Tay-Tay might be at last night’s game alone caused ticket prices to rise by more than 40%. Back in the day, you couldn’t afford to watch Taylor Swift. Now you can’t afford to watch Taylor Swift,” Colbert cracked, referring to Swift’s performance at the Chiefs’ game against the New York Jets on Sunday.
Colbert, Kimmel and Meyers devoted the majority of their recaps to political news, particularly the numerous indictments against former President Donald Trump over the summer, his arrest in August and jokes about the trials he is facing.
Kimmel joked in his monologue: “Donald Trump was arrested four times during our strike. Once because of the secret documents, once because of election interference, once because of January 6th and once because of the alleged shooting of Tupac.”
Fallon’s return to the screen was notable for making no mention of the allegations of toxic working conditions that plagued “The Tonight Show” last month.
In a Rolling Stone investigation published in September, two current and 14 former employees alleged a toxic work environment over the years and said bosses, including Fallon, belittled and intimidated employees to the point of tears.
Host Jimmy Fallon during the monologue on Friday, April 28, 2023. Rosalind O’Connor/NBC via Getty Images
In a statement to Insider at the time, an NBC spokesperson said: “We are incredibly proud of ‘The Tonight Show’ and providing a respectful work environment is a top priority. As in any workplace, we had employees who raised issues; These were investigated and, if necessary, action was taken. As always, we encourage employees who feel they have experienced or observed behavior inconsistent with our policies to report their concerns so we can address them appropriately.”
According to Rolling Stone, Fallon apologized to employees in a Zoom meeting the night the report was released.
HBO’s John Oliver was the only late-night host to return to his show on Sunday instead of Monday.
In his opening monologue on “Last Week Tonight,” Oliver criticized studio executives for letting the writers’ strike last so long.
“And while I’m glad they finally got a fair deal and very proud of what our union accomplished, I’m also angry that it took the studios 148 days to reach a deal that they did on the first Day could have offered,” Oliver said, as reported by the Guardian.
“But hopefully this will encourage others, from auto workers to Starbucks baristas to health care providers, regardless of whether they are in a union or would like to be, to find power in one another,” he added.
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