AllMovie

Only one thing elevates this behind-the-scenes drama above the ranks of other made-for-TV movies, and that's the performance of Kathy Bates as Jay Leno's motormouthed agent. Swearing like a truck driver, walking all over people, and generally playing against type, Bates is a hoot. Too bad the same can't be said for Daniel Roebuck and John Michael Higgins, who were presumably cast more for their vague resemblance to, respectively, Leno and David Letterman than for their ability to illuminate the inner lives of the warring late-night contenders. Sandra Bernhard pops up all too briefly as herself to recreate one of her legendary Letterman appearances, while character actors Bob Balaban, Treat Williams, and Ed Begley, Jr. all beef up the supporting cast. It says a lot about this workmanlike effort, though, that amongst all the clashing, titanic egos, the most interesting character isn't Letterman, Leno or Johnny Carson, but Bates' indelible Helen Kushnick.