Time has an interesting article up on the WGA strike and how it’s affecting the late-night comics:

How long can late-night TV addicts live without Jon Stewart’s political gibes and David Letterman’s Top 10 lists? More important, how long can the hosts of these strike-silenced shows hold out against the pressure to go back on the air, with or without their writers? That’s the agonizing question facing the late-night talk shows as the strike by the Writers Guild of America nears the end of its second week. All of the late-night shows — from Letterman and Jay Leno to the twin terrors of Comedy Central, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert — have gone into reruns since the strike began on Nov. 5. But the ethical dilemma confronting the hosts is a keen one. As members of the Writers Guild themselves, do they support their union and refuse to do their shows until the strike is settled? Or go back on the air without their writers — and thus avoid having to lay off dozens of staff members who depend on them for a weekly paycheck and benefits.

And this bit on David Letterman is worth noting:

At CBS, meanwhile, staffers at the Late Show With David Letterman and Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson are breathing a sigh of relief after Letterman assured them this week that they would get paid at least through the end of the year, whether or not the shows resume production. Letterman was able to make that promise because both shows are owned by his production company, Worldwide Pants — unlike Tonight and Late Night With Conan O’Brien, which are owned by NBC.

This good will on Letterman’s part has been noted by his writers:

“we would have no problem” if Letterman were to go back on the air without writers. “We are thrilled that he is standing with us,” says Scheft. “David Letterman on the air without writers, pissed off and talking about the strike, would be the greatest ally the writers could have.”