According to AOL, talks between David Letterman's production company Worldwide Pants and the WGA have fallen through. Letterman tried to create an independent deal with the writers not involving the network so his late night talk show could return with a writing staff (unlike other late night shows which will be returning without one).

Without a deal in place, the odds of The Late Show with David Letterman returning to the air by their goal of January 2nd is in doubt. This could be a major problem for Letterman considering that his major competitor, Jay Leno, returns to late night on January 2nd.

I don't see this turn of events as catastrophic for Dave, since he's always been very good at improvisation. This situation could be the true test of those abilities. Improvising when the guest makes a funny remark is one thing. Improvising a whole show is another.Admittedly, I don't know all the details but I was pulling for Dave on this one. Since he represents an independent production company and not a studio, he seemed more like the little guy than the big guy. It is my belief that whether a deal is in place or not, Letterman will return to the air in January.