The Late Shift

Name: The Late Shift
Genre: Comedy, Drama, TV Movie
Released: 1996-02-24
Duration: 1 h 35 min
Rating: 6.4
Cast: John Michael Higgins, Daniel Roebuck, Kathy Bates, Bob Balaban, Ed Begley Jr.

1996·Movie·R·95 min·★ 6.4(65)

Comedy DramaTV MovieMore English titles

“Two heads fighting for the late night crown - One head's gotta roll.”

David Letterman vies with Jay Leno and his manager to succeed Johnny Carson, retiring from "The Tonight Show."

Where to watch The Late Shift in United States

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Click a service to open The Late Shift there. Availability last verified on June 20, 2026.

Where is The Late Shift streaming around the world?

Country	Streaming on	Rent / Buy
United States	HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, HBO Max	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies
India	JioHotstar, VI movies and tv	—
United Kingdom	HBO Max Amazon Channel	—
Canada	Crave, Crave Amazon Channel	Google Play Movies, YouTube, Apple TV Store
Australia	Foxtel Now, HBO Max, HBO Max Amazon Channel	—
Germany	HBO Max, HBO Max Amazon Channel	—
Spain	Movistar Plus+ Ficción Total , HBO Max, HBO Max Amazon Channel	—
Brazil	HBO Max, HBO Max Amazon Channel	—

About The Late Shift

The Late Shift is a 1996 English-language comedy, drama and tv movie film directed by Betty Thomas. The cast is led by John Michael Higgins, Daniel Roebuck, Kathy Bates. It has a runtime of 1h 35m. Viewers rate it 6.4/10 across 100 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, HBO Max.

The Late Shift was produced by Northern Lights Entertainment and HBO Films and made in United States of America. It was released on February 24, 1996, and carries a R certification.

Director: Betty Thomas
Writers: George Armitage, Bill Carter
Release date: February 24, 1996
Original language: English
Age rating: R
Status: Released
Country: United States of America
Budget: $6 million
Production: Northern Lights Entertainment, HBO Films

#talk show#late night#woman director

The Late Shift cast & crew

The Late Shift was directed by Betty Thomas and written by George Armitage and Bill Carter.

The cast features John Michael Higgins as David Letterman, Daniel Roebuck as Jay Leno, Kathy Bates as Helen Kushnick, Bob Balaban as Warren Littlefield, Ed Begley Jr. as Rod Perth, and Peter Jurasik as Howard Stringer.

Behind the camera, the score was composed by Ira Newborn, cinematography is by Mac Ahlberg, and it was produced by Don Carmody and Ivan Reitman.

Is The Late Shift worth watching?

The Late Shift holds an audience score of 6.4/10 from 65 ratings, a solidly received comedy films.

At 1h 35m, it's an easy, time-light watch.

If you enjoy comedy, drama, and tv movie, The Late Shift is worth a place on your watchlist.

How and where to watch The Late Shift

In United States, you can stream The Late Shift on HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, and HBO Max, or rent and buy it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, and YouTube. Click any service above to open it directly.

Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.