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'The Late Shift 2': Who Should Play Whom?
by Danny Gallagher, posted Feb 15th 2010 11:06AM
News that New York Times reporter Bill Carter is working on a pseudo-sequel to his groundbreaking book The Late Shift' made a smile creep across my face. I haven't yet read the book, but the buzz it caused and the weird stories that came out of it just by word of mouth gave it an aura of mysterious wonder that made the television industry infinitely more fascinating than it already was. It also spawned a pretty decent made-for-TV HBO movie. Now I don't know what kind of craziness "Round Two" has to offer, but the players involved are definitely going to have all sorts of wild secrets revealed from Carter's work and when it does, HBO is going to want the movie rights. So here's who should play who in this new tragic merry-go-round of television programming hilarity that shall be called 'The Late Shift 2'.
Conan O'Brien: Eric Stoltz
Andy Richter: Patton Oswalt
Andy is the loveable pudgy sidekick with a quick wit, some might say quicker than the man in the host chair and the only man who could fill those shoes are Patton Oswalt and, of course, Andy Richter. Hey, he's an actor and he's got mouths to feed too. Oswalt could give the role an interesting dramatic turn, given his recent work in films like 'Ratatouille' and the indie dark comedy 'Big Fan.' He's also a friend of the show and a seasoned road comic who probably knows more about what goes on behind a talk show than the hosts do.
Jay Leno: Daniel Roebuck
Jeff Gaspin: Jon Hamm
The president of NBC's Entertainment division struck me as a company guy who still wants the best for everyone involved and Hamm could fit that role well. Sure it's a sign that he's been typecast as the square office drone supervisor who tows the company line while trying to keep his private life from ripping at the seams, but given 'Mad Men's' popularity and extreme critical acclaim, that's not a bad place to start. And playing the head of NBC's Entertainment isn't a bad place to go either, as much of a final step to hell as that sounds.
Gavin Palone: Sacha Baron Cohen
Conan's agent might not be the Helen Kushnick type that got Jay his 'Tonight Show' throne by playing hardball with a spiked bat, but the hip super-agent stills has a weird tenacity that makes him a fierce negotiator and a shrewd business dude. The man who turned 'Borat' and 'Bruno' into household names and annoying office impressions could draw on that same wavelength with his ability to push buttons and charm in between eye blinks. Plus, if the actual story behind 'The Late Shift 2' somehow involves references to third-world nations and inappropriate dildos, Cohen's agent should already been on the phone.
Jeff Zucker: Tom Arnold
As much as we might like to see the Zuckster turned into some kind of drooling clown who sits behind a million dollar desk and makes animals out of paper clips while his network burns, it still wouldn't be fair to the story, the people involved and the man. Arnold might not be on Oscar's nominee radar but he's actually gotten a bit better as evidenced by his small role as a sleazy porn producer on last season's 'Sons of Anarchy.' He may even be level-headed enough to bring the character some depth but also just a bit untamed to give the man who brought his network the biggest late night disaster since Jack Paar's "water closet" joke just enough crazy to be believable. As for the "drooling bit," I'll leave that up to the producers.
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