NBC: Leno, O'Brien returning to air

(CNN) - The new year will see new shows from Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien, despite the ongoing writers' strike, NBC announced Monday.

"The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" will return with all-new episodes on January 2, according to a statement from NBC. The shows had been in reruns for two months because of the Writers Guild of America strike.

"During the 1988 writers strike, Johnny Carson reluctantly returned to 'The Tonight Show' without his writers after two months," said NBC's Executive Vice President for Late Night & Primetime Series, Rick Ludwin, in the statement. "Both Jay and Conan have supported their writers during the first two months of this WGA strike and will continue to support them. However, there are hundreds of people who will be able to return to work as a result of Jay's and Conan's decision."