The Late Shift is a 1996 American made-for-television biographical film directed by Betty Thomas, and written by George Armitage and New York Times media reporter Bill Carter. Released by HBO Pictures and produced in conjunction with Northern Lights Entertainment, the film premiered on HBO on February 24, 1996.

Plot

In 1991, behind-the-scenes network politics embroil television executives responsible for NBC's late-night programming. Johnny Carson has hosted The Tonight Show since 1962, but he and his audience are both growing older, leaving NBC to anticipate the day when a new host will be needed. Carson's then-permanent guest host, Jay Leno, and the host of the show that follows Carson's each night, David Letterman, both vie for Carson's job. It is widely assumed that Letterman is the hand-picked heir apparent whom Carson favors, but NBC executives privately speculate that Leno could be more popular with audiences in the 11:30p.m. (ET/PT)/10:30p.m. (CT/MT) slot, as well as easier for the network to control. They also would not have to deal with Letterman's stipulation for ownership rights to the show (which applied to his Late Night program).