The BBC News website reports “the strike is said to have cost Los Angeles’ film and TV industry around $733m (£374m), with the wider economy losing around $1.3bn (£663m)” and that we can expect new programmes in “about two months”. The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, Late Night With Conan O’Brien, The Daily Show With Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report all have their writing teams back and new shows are already being made. The Late Show With David Letterman and the Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson have had their writing team since January, when David Letterman’s production company Worldwide Pants Inc agreed an interim deal.

The Oscars (which are being hosted by The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart this year) can now go ahead as planned, with writers for the ceremony needing to produce immense numbers of scripts in a short timespan before the show airs on the 24th February. Speaking to the BBC, the boss of CBS Les Moonves said “At the end of the day, everybody won”. Media website Digital Spy report “The result – with nearly 3,500 for and 283 against the agreement – was announced yesterday evening Pacific Time, during the early hours of today GMT”.

BBC News – “Hollywood writers to end strike”
Digital Spy – “US writers’ strike officially ends”
BBC News – “Writers prepare to return to work”

Update: Media website Digital Spy also have some news on the deal – “There will now be ballots to approve the agreement in Los Angeles and New York on Tuesday. Members will be notified of the result as late as midnight PST. If, as is strongly expected, it is positive they will be able to work the next day” but they also say “after Tuesday’s ballots there will be a postal vote by members which could take 10 to 12 days to complete”. Watch this space.

BBC News – “Writers’ leaders back strike deal”
Digital Spy – “Writers could return on Wednesday”

Underwire (Wired Blog Network) – “WGA Strike Vote Pending by Monday”
The Associated Press – “AP Top News at 4:29 a.m. EST”

This deal will end the strike, meaning all shows will get their writing team back. The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, Late Night With Conan O’Brien, The Daily Show With Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report have all been making shows without their original writers when they returned to the air in January. David Letterman’s production company Worldwide Pants Inc reached an interim deal previously, meaning the Late Show With David Letterman and the Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson have both had its writing team back since the show returned in January. The deal that’s been reached will now mean the Oscars awards ceremony can now go ahead as planned. Update: You can read the WGA statement here – which also gives full details of the terms & conditions of this new deal.

Reuters – “Striking writers reach tentative deal with studios”
Digital Spy – “WGA: “We have a tentative deal”"
Telegraph – “Oscars saved as Hollywood writers’ strike ends”
The Movie Blog – “The WGA Strike is Over”

^ Videos are from TheDailyShow.com

The Associated Press reports “Though both Comedy Cental late-night series have always largely been scripted, that would now violate strike rules of the Writers Guild of America. Even Stewart and Colbert, as guild members, are apparently barred from writing anything”. You can see last night’s new episode of The Daily Show With Jon Stewart on More 4 in the UK tonight at 8.30pm. The Colbert Report doesn’t currently air on UK TV.

^ Videos are from TheDailyShow.com

The Associated Press – “Viewers Await Return of Stewart, Colbert”

Both The Daily Show and The Colbert Report have been airing reruns since the strike began about eight weeks ago (the last new show aired at the beginning of November). A Comedy Central spokesman told The Canadian Press “Stephen and Jon are still figuring out what they’re going to do on Monday night’s show”. It will be interesting to see how both shows cope without the writers – most of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report rely heavily on scripted segments and news pieces. It is thought they will try to use more time with guest interviews instead, although The Canadian Press does say “performers who do not belong to the guild will be free to write material for themselves”.

The Canadian Press – “Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert resume Comedy Central talk shows Monday”

More 4 listings at Channel4.com

Perez Hilton – “Leno Scolded By Writers Guild”

The first new episode in about 2 months last night in the US – the Late Show is back. Reports of the show (I have not seen it yet) reveal Letterman came out onto the stage “through a chorus line of dancers holding signs that read, “Writers Guild of America on Strike”, and sporting a full beard he grew during his eight-week break”. Dave looks very different with a beard – as far as I can tell, Dave (and Conan too) has grown a beard as a sign of unity for the WGA strike.

See a picture of Dave with the beard here (KansasCity.com)
A video of Conan sporting his new beard is available at Late Night Underground

Letterman joked about being glad to get out of rehab and “show or no show I really enjoy drinking in the morning”. Dave told everyone he’s the only show to be back with union-backed writers. Before the show titles, Hillary Clinton popped up to welcome us back to the Late Show. Donald Trump wasn’t on the first show back, as was previously thought – Robin Williams was instead. Watch Dave’s monologue here, check out the Top Ten list and see Bill Scheft’s message to the Late Show audience.

BBC News have a report on the return of the chat shows, including some clips from Letterman, Leno and Craig Ferguson. Head on over to the BBC News article to read more and the news report video is available here.

Jay Leno returned with new episodes of The Tonight Show last night – but without his writers. The Kansas City website (TV Barn) said “Leno’s monologue was remarkably ordinary” and that Leno “was trying to pretend like it was business as usual”. Late Night With Conan O’Brien was back – but without his writers. Conan – sporting a new beard – returned last night. The Kansas City website says “O’Brien is better positioned than Leno to stick out a long strike, thanks to stronger interviewing skills”. Craig Ferguson was also back with new episodes of the Late Late Show. Craig had his writing staff with him – as this was covered in the Letterman deal – and started off the first show back with “As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted”. The Daily Show With Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report remain off air, will be returning with new shows starting from the 7th January.

Late Show UK – “Return of the Late Night shows” (By James)
ABC News – “Bearded Letterman back after two months”
KansasCity.com (TV Barn) – “Who won late night? It’s a close shave”
Late Night Underground – “An Important Message From Conan O’Brien”
Late Show UK – Guest Listings
BBC News – “US TV’s talk show titans return”

USA Today: Conan Comes Back

All the shows and hosts have shown their own way of returning to air. Jay Leno explained that “the strike is especially hard on NBC. Do you know there are actually more people picketing NBC now than watching NBC?”

USA Today (contains spoilers!): Late-night shows return fully bearded — with and without writers

Taking a break from campaigning with Chuck Norris for the Iowa caucuses, Mike Huckabee appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and jammed with the band.

NY Times: Huckabee Opts for Leno on Caucus Eve

A detailed and interesting peice about Craig Ferguson returning to air and the writers strike.

KansasCity.com: Craig Ferguson live

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report return on Monday (UK: TDS on Tuesday, 8.30pm, More 4).