Late-night shows to return without writers

New York – “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and “The Colbert Report” will resume production on Jan. 7 without their striking writers, the Comedy Central network announced Thursday.

Both late-night shows were shuttered after the Hollywood writers strike began seven weeks ago. The comedy duo are the latest late-night hosts to announce their return to the air while the ongoing strike continues to devastate much television and film production. Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien and Jimmy Kimmel have all recently said that they will resume their programs on Jan. 2 with or without their writing staffs.

Today, leaders of striking television writers plan to meet with David Letterman’s production company in an attempt to reach a separate deal that could return the “Late Show” to the air with its writing staff.

In a joint statement, Stewart and Colbert said: “We would like to return to work with our writers. If we cannot, we would like to express our ambivalence, but without our writers we are unable to express something as nuanced as ambivalence.”

Report: Policy violated in Mel Gibson arrest

Los Angeles – A sheriff’s supervisor considered withholding details about Mel Gibson’s anti-Semitic rant from an arrest report but was eventually overrruled by a captain, a department watchdog said Thursday.

Gibson was arrested July 28, 2006, for misdemeanor drunken driving on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. The actor-director’s remarks, detailed in a report leaked to celebrity Web site TMZ.com, provoked outrage and he later apologized.

The report also says three Los Angeles County sheriff’s employees violated policy in Gibson’s arrest.

Sheriff’s personnel neglected to take Gibson’s palm print upon his release, follow proper procedures before driving him to a tow yard to retrieve his car and sign a certain department form, the report said.

The employees have since been disciplined for the violations.

Judge admonishes R. Kelly for lateness

Chicago – R. Kelly avoided arrest Thursday by showing up in court, but the judge presiding over his child pornography case said he’ll consider revoking the singer’s bond despite his excuse: that police made him late.

Judge Vincent Gaughan said he was “very disappointed” that Kelly failed to show up for a scheduled Wednesday appearance.

Kelly attorney Ed Genson explained his client was tardy because police who pulled over his bus in Utah discovered the log book didn’t document enough rest for the driver and ordered it stopped for eight hours.

Gaughan admonished the R&B superstar in court anyway, saying he’ll decide today whether he should revoke Kelly’s bond.

Kelly is in the midst of a prolonged legal fight after prosecutors say he allegedly videotaped sex acts with a teenage girl. He has pleaded not guilty.