The TV Zone

This is a fascinating development and possibly very good one as well: Carson Daly is taping new episodes of "Last Call" this week.

Why fascinating and "good"? Here's why: Because this could well mean that a strike resolution is in the offing as we speak, and that Daly has been told to get new shows in the can for next week when the strike - conceivably - is over.

Of course, this is a glass-half-full read, as opposed to a glass-half-empty one. For all I know, Daly could care less about his striking brethren, but a lot more about his support staff, which is facing the ax.

Shows like "Tonight" or "Daily" obviously don't have the luxury (or disadvantage, if you will) of "Last Call." They're live to tape, for day-in-date air. No way Jay can jump forward - he HAS to wait until the strike is officially over (unless, as widely reported, NBC decides to insert guest hosts.) "Last Call" tapes well in advance of airdate, however. (Taping's in L.A.)

Keep this in mind as well: Yesterday, NBC gave full-season orders to "Chuck" and "Life." Why would a network give a full-season order to a strike-crippled show unless it expected a resolution?

But I'm also hearing that Daly's going back to work for one very simple reason: To save his staff. Shows like this face a huge hurdle in the coming weeks: Hold on to valuable support staff or let them go, only to hire them back when the strike is over. David Letterman's paying for his support staff through the rest of this year. After that? Who knows.

Also, the huge crowd at Washington Square today didn't seem to think a resolution was at hand. The so-called Labor Community Solidarity rally drew - per WGA/East - this list of speakers/attendees, besides John Edwards: "Tim Robbins, Evan Handler, Aasif Mandvi, Gilbert Gottfried were among the celebrities that spoke at the podium. Other celebrities attending today's Rally included: Danny Glover, David Chase, Tony Goldwyn, Edie Falco, Michael Emerson, Kristen Davis, Joe Pantoliano, B.J. Novak, Michael Nouri; Julianna Margulies, Anthony Edwards, Eric Begosian, Nancy Giles, John Slattery, Richard Belzer, David Proval, and David Cross."

Here are some outtakes from the recent Associated Press story: "Daly is not the first talk-show host to go back into production. Ellen DeGeneres, who is a member of the union, has continued taping her daytime syndicated talk show after shutting down the first day of the strike. But 'Last Call' becomes the first to break ranks
among the late-night shows, which all had chosen to air repeat rather than tape new shows without their striking writers.