The Late Shift
1996 · 95 min · Director: Betty Thomas
Show plot summary (may contain spoilers)
HBO movie about the behind-the-scenes network politics responsible for the changes in late-night talk-show hosts, after the retirement of Johnny Carson from the Tonight Show on NBC. Jay Leno and David Letterman were both vying for the position, but Leno's tough manager Helen Kushnick got him the spot. In the wake of her 'stepping on the toes' of powerful network executives and 'playing hardball' tactics with guest bookings, she found herself being pushed out of her job as Tonight Show Executive Producer and Jay's manager. Letterman, devastated by his being passed over, brought in superagent Mike Ovitz to negotiate on his behalf, resulting in his move to CBS.
Emotional fingerprint
The Late Shift (1996) — Movie. Top emotional signals: Humor 30%, Tension 25%, Anger 20%. Source: AI estimate. Shares describe emotional signal, not percentages of people. Your experience may differ. How we measure
- Humor30%
- Tension25%
- Anger20%
- Anxiety15%
- Satisfaction10%
AI estimate · no viewer votes yet
How we measure
AI estimate
Share of emotional signal, not the percentage of people or a probability of enjoyment.
Each viewer contributes one response, split equally across their selected emotions. When available, an automated estimate supplies a prior that is blended with those responses. Counts include distinct viewers, not automated estimates or archived anonymous votes. Fewer than 3 viewers is an early estimate; more responses do not guarantee certainty.
Why it feels this way
The strongest emotional signals are Humor, Tension, Anger. Genres: Comedy, Drama. AI estimate.
Is it worth watching?
Consider this title if you are looking for Humor, Tension and Anger. Its IMDb rating of 6.7/10 suggests a generally positive audience reception. For these leading emotions, its Feel Score is 68/100.
How did it make you feel?
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Pick up to three · 0/3
Emotional journey
- Tension
- Curiosity
- Humor
Not enough subtitle evidence
No dominant emotion
Dominant emotion: Humor
Dominant emotion: Tension
Dominant emotion: Sympathy
Dominant emotion: Hope
Dominant emotion: Curiosity
Dominant emotion
| % | Approximate minute | Dominant emotion | Overall intensity | Tension | Curiosity | Humor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 % | ≈ 2′ | Humor | 48 % | 22 % | 37 % | 47 % |
| 7.5 % | ≈ 7′ | Humor | 46 % | 30 % | 39 % | 44 % |
| 12.5 % | ≈ 12′ | Humor | 49 % | 41 % | 40 % | 40 % |
| 17.5 % | ≈ 17′ | Tension | 51 % | 48 % | 38 % | 36 % |
| 22.5 % | ≈ 21′ | Humor | 51 % | 48 % | 39 % | 35 % |
| 27.5 % | ≈ 26′ | Tension | 59 % | 52 % | 44 % | 31 % |
| 32.5 % | ≈ 31′ | Sympathy | 61 % | 53 % | 44 % | 28 % |
| 37.5 % | ≈ 36′ | Hope | 56 % | 46 % | 41 % | 28 % |
| 42.5 % | ≈ 40′ | Tension | 54 % | 45 % | 40 % | 26 % |
| 47.5 % | ≈ 45′ | Curiosity | 50 % | 45 % | 43 % | 26 % |
| 52.5 % | ≈ 50′ | Tension | 50 % | 49 % | 43 % | 25 % |
| 57.5 % | ≈ 55′ | Tension | 59 % | 59 % | 41 % | 20 % |
| 62.5 % | ≈ 59′ | Tension | 71 % | 70 % | 40 % | 15 % |
| 67.5 % | ≈ 64′ | Tension | 71 % | 64 % | 36 % | 14 % |
| 72.5 % | ≈ 69′ | Hope | 59 % | 46 % | 41 % | 18 % |
| 77.5 % | ≈ 74′ | Curiosity | 55 % | 46 % | 51 % | 24 % |
| 82.5 % | ≈ 78′ | Curiosity | 60 % | 55 % | 54 % | 26 % |
| 87.5 % | ≈ 83′ | Sympathy | 61 % | 54 % | 48 % | 24 % |
| 92.5 % | ≈ 88′ | Hope | 58 % | 47 % | 40 % | 27 % |
| 97.5 % | ≈ 93′ | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence |
Man in a hole
Rags to riches: The emotional tone rises from negative to positive.
Riches to rags: The emotional tone falls from positive to negative.
Man in a hole: The tone falls, then recovers.
Icarus: The tone rises, then falls.
Cinderella: The tone rises, falls, then rises again.
Oedipus: The tone falls, rises, then falls again.
AI reading of the film’s English subtitles (dialogue and sound cues) — not viewer votes. How we measure ↗
Kadri — your film companion
AIAsk anything about The Late Shift. From the film’s own dialogue and FeelDB data, at your spoiler level.
Afterward Reveal viewer responses · may contain spoilers
Viewer responses about feelings after the title ended, separate from feelings while watching. No AI estimates.
0 responses so far
Feeling details appear after at least 3 viewers respond, to protect privacy.
Cast
Alan Levine
Reporter #2 Carnegie Hall
Rupert Murdoch
Writer #2
Details
- Directed by
- Betty Thomas
- Written by
- George Armitage, Bill Carter
- Type
- Movies
- Released
- 1996
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Country
- United States
- Ratings
- Feels mostly
- Humor
- Data updated
Where to watch
Rent
Data: JustWatch
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