Late-Night Shows Set Returns

Late-night TV shows were among the first major programs to leave the air when the Writers Guild launched its strike on May 2, and they're going to be among the first to return, starting this weekend. Bill Maher tweeted that Real Time With Bill Maher will be back on HBO on Friday, and the network's Last Week Tonight, which stars John Oliver, will air a new episode on Sunday. The Big 3 networks shows hosted by Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, and Jimmy Kimmel plan to return Monday, Variety reports. Those hosts had launched a podcast, "Strike Force Five," during the strike, and they announced Wednesday that they'll make no more episodes, per USA Today.

The strike officially is over, and writers were permitted by their guild to be back on the job on Wednesday. Saturday Night Live expects to be live again in October but hasn't announced a date. Comedy Central plans new Daily Show episodes starting Oct. 16, again with guest hosts, per Variety. This break for the late-night shows is longer than ones during the early part of the pandemic or the 2007 writers strike. Ratings in those time slots has been steadily declining, per the Times, and an analyst notes it's no sure thing that audiences will rush back. (More Hollywood writers' strike stories.)