"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," Stewart and Colbert said in a joint statement.

Stewart, whose Busboy Productions oversees both shows, has been paying the salaries of staffers since the strike began.

At least it will be interesting. Now most of the show will be ad-libbed and improved.