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Leno, O’Brien Return after the New Year

As expected, NBC announced last night that both The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with Conan O’Brien will return to the air with new episodes on Jan. 2.

The shows have been in repeats due to the writers strike.

Both hosts say they are supporters of the Writers Guild of America and its cause, writes the San Jose Mercury News. However, they expressed concern for the non-writing staff of the shows. The hosts had been paying staff salaries for weeks but continuing that indefinitely would have been impossible. The choice came down to either going back to work and “keep[ing] my staff employed or stay dark and allow 80 people, many of whom have worked for me for 14 years, to lose their jobs,” said O’Brien.

Without its writers, The Tonight Show will not be as good, admits O’Brien. “In fact, in moments it may very well be terrible.”

David Letterman and his Worldwide Pants production company have made it clear that they are interested in working out an independent deal with the WGA, which would allow the show to return to the air with its writers.