The kings of chat are back on TV

In the nick of time, with the presidential race beginning tomorrow in Iowa, America's late-night TV hosts are back in business after a two-month lay-off caused by the writers' strike. In the case of Jay Leno, host of NBC's Tonight show, he's back on screen without any writers - which means few if any jokes. But in the case of CBS Late Show presenter David Letterman, the production company Worldwide Pants (owned 100 per cent by Letterman himself) has struck an individual deal with the striking writers' union.

Oddly, Letterman has booked as his first guest on his return the stream-of-consciousness rapid-fire talker Robin Williams, one of the few men in showbiz who has no need of a writer to help with his lines. Leno, meanwhile, has scheduled as his top guest the former Baptist minister and Republican presidential hopeful, Mike Huckabee. He should be in good spirits: latest polls put him ahead of rivals Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani on the eve of the Iowa caucus.

Just as long as Huckabee doesn't bring his guitar: after a rather stiff performance on bass with a local band in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, earlier this week, some campaign watchers were suggesting he stick to politics. ·