‹ All movies

The Rewatchables ·

Night Shift

year 1982decade 80sdirector Ron Howardgenre Comedy
host Bill Simmonshost Chris Ryanproducer Craig Horlbeck
All 36 categories

The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award · 48:46

Modern movies need stronger sex-worker characters

Bill Simmons: Billy's chalkboard pitch is proposed as an inspiration for Alec Baldwin's sales speech in Glengarry Glen Ross.

Bill Simmons: Vivian Ward, Lana, Ophelia, and Alabama are selected for a Mount Rushmore of film sex-worker characters.

The Coach Finstock Award for Best Life Lesson · 1:09:29

No bad ideas in a brainstorm

Bill Simmons: Do not start a prostitution business in a morgue is proposed, then inverted into a lesson about recognizing opportunities.

The film

Night Shift (1982)

Directed by Ron Howard · Comedy

105 minutes

IMDb Find on JustWatch Find on Rotten Tomatoes
Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

Henry Winkler Chuck Lumley
Michael Keaton Bill Blazejowski
Shelley Long Belinda Keaton
Gina Hecht Charlotte Koogle
Pat Corley Edward Koogle
Bobby Di Cicco Leonard Carbone
Nita Talbot Vivian Lumley
Basil Hoffman Drollhauser
Clint Howard Jefferey
Joe Spinell Manetti
Grand L. Bush Mustafa
Dawn Dunlap Maxine
Kevin Costner frat boy #1
Shannen Doherty Bluebird
Floyd Levine "Uncle" Sal Corbone

Everything from the episode

In the order the hosts got to it. Open a row for the discussion.

50:43

Casting What-Ifs

Kurt Russell or Mickey Rourke as Billy Blaze

Kurt Russell or Mickey Rourke as Billy Blaze

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:50:43Read transcript
Share this discussion More Casting What-Ifs answers
54:42

Recasting Couch

Jamie Lee Curtis, Ellen Barkin, Linda Fiorentino, Demi Moore, or Emma Stone as Belinda

Jamie Lee Curtis, Ellen Barkin, Linda Fiorentino, Demi Moore, or Emma Stone as Belinda

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:54:42Read transcript
Share this discussion More Recasting Couch answers
56:08

What Would Tony Romo’s Director’s Commentary for This Movie Sound Like?

D. B. or a football announcer

D. B. or a football announcer

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:56:08Read transcript
  • A D. B.-style commentary praises Billy becoming a love broker after his earlier ideas. — Bill Simmons
  • A football-announcer commentary repeatedly warns that the morgue business is too risky. — Bill Simmons
Share this discussion More What Would Tony Romo’s Director’s Commentary for This Movie Sound Like? answers
57:08

Half-Assed Internet Research

Keaton preparation, cast friction, and the Stutz

Keaton preparation, cast friction, and the Stutz

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:57:08Read transcript
Share this discussion More Half-Assed Internet Research answers
1:00:12

Picking Nits

Morgue inactivity, consequences, finances, and careers

Morgue inactivity, consequences, finances, and careers

In the discussion (15)
Approx. transcript time · 01:00:12Read transcript
  • The women’s lack of depicted substance abuse or other crises is questioned within the movie’s stereotype. — Bill Simmons
  • Billy's behavior is interpreted as an unmentioned cocaine addiction. — Bill Simmons
  • The Times Square morgue is implausibly quiet on the night shift. — Chris Ryan
  • Chuck and Billy getting their jobs back after arrest is considered convoluted. — Bill Simmons
  • Charlotte disappears in the second half, making her setup scenes feel expendable. — Bill Simmons
  • Charlotte’s Thanksgiving scene and near-heart-attack reaction in court are defended as funny despite her later disappearance. — Chris Ryan
  • The Christmas party is considered too brief. — Bill Simmons
  • The ten-percent share and transportation costs are questioned as insufficient to fund Billy’s expensive purchases. — Chris Ryan
  • A fifteen-to-twenty-percent commission or higher customer rates are proposed to make the business finances plausible. — Chris Ryan
  • The business is estimated to operate for roughly one month, from around Thanksgiving until the day after Christmas. — Chris Ryan
  • The short operating period is still judged insufficient to fund Billy’s car and watches. — Bill Simmons
  • The business operating without any security is questioned. — Bill Simmons
  • The group reacts too slowly after Franklin’s murder and the women’s reassignment. — Bill Simmons
  • Billy falling from successful broker to towel attendant and his unexplained qualification as a mortician are questioned. — Bill Simmons
  • The claim that there were no phones is made explicitly as a joke while discussing that slow reaction. — Bill Simmons
Share this discussion More Picking Nits answers
1:05:41

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Billy’s drugs, prison terms, business revival, dog, and pornography

Billy’s drugs, prison terms, business revival, dog, and pornography

In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 01:05:41Read transcript
  • Whether Billy is using large quantities of cocaine is asked and treated as historically plausible. — Bill Simmons
  • Franklin’s killers are estimated to face roughly fifteen to twenty years in prison. — Bill Simmons
  • The panel asks whether Chuck and Billy could quietly restart the business after those competitors are jailed. — Bill Simmons
  • Belinda is proposed as a capable third partner who could run the revived business. — Chris Ryan
  • The unexplained attack dog and silent neighbor in the apartment hallway are questioned. — Bill Simmons
  • Whether Belinda or Lupe appeared in contemporary pornography is asked. — Bill Simmons
  • The business is imagined moving into direct-to-video pornography or cocaine distribution. — Bill Simmons
  • Chuck is alternatively imagined working for Gordon Gekko after the film. — Bill Simmons
Share this discussion More Probably Unanswerable Questions answers
1:08:12

Best Double Feature

Risky Business

Risky Business

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:08:12Read transcript
  • Risky Business is the unanimous double-feature choice. — Bill Simmons
Share this discussion More Best Double Feature answers
1:09:56

Producer review

Positive

Positive

In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 01:09:56Read transcript
  • The producer calls the film charming, funny, heartfelt, and consistently watchable. — Chris Ryan
  • Michael Keaton's performance balances awkwardness, irritation, lovability, and pathos without exhausting the audience. — Chris Ryan
  • Keaton is proposed as a plausible Michael Scott because of that balance. — Bill Simmons
  • Shelley Long is praised, with a wish that the movie gave her more comedy. — Chris Ryan
  • Belinda's morgue dialogue is singled out as funny before Keaton takes over the movie. — Chris Ryan
  • Charlotte's rigid parents are praised as comic supporting characters. — Chris Ryan
  • The discussion closes by considering Keaton in several Tom Hanks and Robin Williams roles. — Chris Ryan
Share this discussion More Producer review answers

Mentions across The Rewatchables

Recorded movie reference

Apollo 13

The Rewatchables · aired August 25, 2026

Night Shift is listed in the sourced research for this episode. The precise discussion has not been linked yet.

Transcript time unavailableRead transcript
Source 1Source 2