Episode
606: Staying Up For The Late Shift
- Published
- Mar 18, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 5369
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://audioboom.com/posts/8874134
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Summary
This is an un-vaulting of EEHG 376. For this year's special This Week In TV History episode, we're journeying back to 1996 for February sweeps -- specifically, the week of February 21-27 -- and investigating all the starry stunts the networks AND premium cable channels were busting out to capture audiences. Leading (with its chin) is The Late Shift , HBO's TV movie take on Bill Carter's nonfiction book about Jay Leno and David Letterman's battle to replace Johnny Carson as host of The Tonight Show . Did these stupid human tricks enthrall us? Adam Sternbergh returns to talk about it. Around The Dial takes us to an all-CBS-Monday-sitcoms event featuring Elizabeth Taylor, a string of black pearls, and her new Black Pearls fragrance; the many non- Friends and Seinfeld sitcoms NBC tried to launch on Thursday nights in the 90s; ER 's Season 2 episode "The Healers"; and the sci-fi drama Nowhere Man . Dave pitches "Homer The Smithers" from The Simpsons for induction into The Canon. Then, after naming the week of February 21-27's biggest Winner and Loser, it's on to a VERY questionable game time. Listen in -- you don't have to do it crouched next to a phone playing it in the next room, but you might be surprised by what you get out of it if you do! GUESTS 👤 Adam Sternbergh TOPICS Lead Topic: 🌙 The Late Shift Around The Dial: 💎 CBS's Elizabeth Taylor Night Around The Dial: 🪦 NBC's Must-See TV Graveyard Around The Dial: 🏥 ER S02.E16: The Healers Around The Dial: 🗺️ Nowhere Man The Canon: 🥣 The Simpsons S07.E17: Homer The Smithers Winner & Loser: 💯 Almost Perfect Winner & Loser: 🖖 Over-invested Star Trek Fans Game Time: 🤔 19 Questions: 1995-96 TV Season Edition SUPPORT THE SHOW 🔥 Join the EHG Club for bonus episodes, no ads, community Discord and more! 🎧 Subscribe to EHG o…