As a result of the writers' strike, in Season 6, the opening skit, the "New Rules" segment, and the closing monologue were eliminated for five episodes at the beginning of the year. The ice breaker used in the middle of the show (normally a fake products sketch tying into a current event) was also eliminated due to the strike. The announcement that "Real Time" would return without writers indicated that the opening monologue would also be cut, but every episode included a full monologue. The initial season finale of Season Five was to air on November 9, 2007 and was to feature Ben Affleck, George Carlin, and Tom Brokaw as guests, but was canceled due to the strike.