Jay Leno is coming to primetime TV. NBC is expected to
announce at a news conference on Tuesday that the Tonight Show host, who will
be succeeded by Conan O’Brien next May, has been given a new contract that will
keep him at the network. Though Leno and NBC weren’t commenting tonight, two
separate news reports say the 58-year-old comedian will front a series not unlike
the one he currently headlines, and that it will film in the same Burbank complex
that has long housed the Tonight Show. (O’Brien and his cohorts will beam from
the new NBC/Universal lot in Universal City.) Leno’s new show is expected to air five times weekly sometime before next fall.
The move comes just after Jeff Zucker told a luncheon in New
York City on Monday that the network—which announced staff cuts and a total
reorganization of its structure in recent days—could eventually have to program
fewer hours in its weekly schedule. It also saves NBC the cost of producing hour-long dramas for the 10 p.m. slot, a problem it’s faced in recent months
with now-canceled series like My Own Worst Enemy and Lipstick Jungle. Most important for
NBC, though, it keeps Leno, a proven ratings earner, in its stable at a time when it
needs him; there was heavy speculation that Leno would be courted by ABC (potentially replacing
Nightline and setting up a three-way battle with O’Brien and David Letterman). It also gives NBC a shot at airing that 21st-century variety format that Rosie O’Donnell tried–and failed–to bring back last month.
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Comments (1-30) of 136 Add your comment
You say Jimmy Fallon but you mean Conan O’Brien will be taking over Jay Leno’s spot.
I thought Leno was being replaced by Conan, and Fallon was replacing Conan?
clearly trying to keep him from other networks, especially after other networks became so interested in him. i have to say that i would take letterman and conan over leno any day but i guess the ratings don’t agree with me. also, EW you hace made the same mistake in a couple articles: conan is taking leno’s old timespot and fallon is sliding into conan’s former slot, not fallon going into leno’s spot as has been stated above for example
Jay Leno is being replaced by Conan O’Brien for the Tonight Show time slot. Jimmy Fallon will be taking over Conan’s old post.
Conan O’Brien is succeednig Leno. Fallon is taking over Conan’s spot at 12:30.
Won’t Jimmy Falon be excited to hear he’s gotten a promotion before he even goes on the air! Conan = the next host of the tonight show
Yeah! I will still be able to watch Leno and tuning out Conan is a no brainer, he is soooo annoying!
Could be the tipping point. I know talk shows already have low standards for guests, but I’m figuring if the formats are consistent, LA network talk shows will have to book 45 guests and 20 musical guests/comedians a week. Even if the rest of NBC’s scripted line up goes 4-actors deep, they’ll still run out of guests in three weeks.
Kinda makes Conan’s Tonight Show transition feel kind of moot.
I love Jay and all but with an hour to kill, how is this not going to end up featuring celebrity interviews?
and its not like nobody watches 10 p.m. shows the CSIs Miami and New York are always in the top 15. People just don’t watch NBCs 10 p.m. shows.
This is wrong on so many levels. First of all, it screws Conan over in a very public way and is basically a repeat of the Letterman debacle. AND they’re asking the public to assist them in screwing Conan over. What was going to be a huge prize has been batted away as an after-thought. Conan will still be following Jay so he stays stagnant and Jimmy Fallon becomes the new Carson Daly. Shame on NBC. Also, it screws over the actors, writers, crews, and producers who would normally provide 10pm programming. Shame, shame, shame on NBC. This positively appalling behavior. I hope that the guests who Leno hopes to book will decline in solidarity with all the people who will no longer have those five hours of programming to put them to work (and I’m talking about the below-the-line people who need that work to pay their insurance). Even if God Almighty comes back to be interviewed on this show, I will not watch. SHAME on them.
Planning to dump 5 hours of network programming in what I assume is a belt tightening measure and inflecting Leno on the primetime public is wrong. After what Leno and his buddies did to Carson to push him off his own show so many years ago, he should bow out gracefully like Johnny did since that is what he wanted originally when the date for Conan’s arrival was set. Sorry he has cold feet now but he needs to leave and do his Vegas act. There is no way this will succeed and garner enough ratings to sustain the flailing net. Remember Rosie who was going to bring variety shows back to tv? NBC is shooting themselves in both feet now.
Just another reason not to watch NBC. Leno is a no-talent, unfunny hack.
Mary, Leno did not ask to step down. NBC prez Jeff Zucker basically made the decision for him. In addition, Jay revered Carson and did not push him out the door. Carson had already made his own decision to leave The Tonight Show.
Hmm…I’m not really sure how I feel about this. It is odd that NBC won’t have scripted programming at 10 anymore, unlike the other major networks. And I do feel kind of bad for Conan because he was supposed to become the lead-in for late night on NBC. Now he’ll just be following up Jay again. But I really do love Jay Leno and I was never ready for him to go in the first place. Only problem is there are a few shows on other channels that I watch at 10, so I may not always be able to catch Leno. What they probably should have done is left everyone on their respective show and time, and gotten Jimmy Fallon to replace Carson Daly, who I think is boring. Then in a few years, when Leno is really ready to give it up, they could move both Conan and Jimmy up. But instead NBC decides to go with 4 late night talk shows in a row (minus the half hour for the local news). A little much.
this screws conan HARD. that is like telling a back up quarterback he is the starter but the old one will only play the first quarter.
leno is not funny. he is unfunny.
Just one more reason not to watch NBC.
I wish Jay would go away. He is not funny….at all.
Stupidest idea EVER!Jeff Zucker has just killed an already dying NBC. Whose ever bright idea this was should be shot. I don’t watch Leno now, why would I want to watch him earlier? And what happens to shows like SVU?
Bad idea. So *all* of NBC’s 10:00 shows are going away? That’s a sad thought. Two have been cancelled and another is ending its run, but what about the Law and Orders? Which 9:00 shows are they cancelling to make room for them? Too much of tv is going unscripted. Is Leno really that beloved to go to these lengths to keep him? No one I know likes him. NBC used to be such a great network with a lot of entertaining shows. Oh well. At least that eliminates more shows to follow–maybe I can catch up on my Netflix queue.
puke.
Leno hasn’t been funny in about a decade. If NBC cans good shows to make way for him and save a few buck I think I’m going to send them a box of cheap Leno masks in protest.
Actually, this is a brilliant move for NBC. Their 10pm shows are either getting cancelled or “retiring”, so there’s a big block of time to fill – and this is the most cost-efficent way for a company that just cut 500 jobs from their workforce.
As well, the “baby boomers” – who make up the core of Leno’s audience – are getting into their golden years – and staying up till 11:30 is getting harder and harder ( as compared to 10pm ).
That being said, Conan is being screwed. I hope his contract allows him to walk away.
Wait, so NBC will have ZERO hour-long dramas? And doesn’t this screw over Conan by basically giving Leno the same show he has now but in a better time slot?
Connan O’brien has a will of steel!
He eats lighting and craps thunder!
But really this whole situation is great material for Mr. O’brien.
oh c’mon be kind people, jay leno IS funny… whats going on?is it just me? or does it have to be sleeeeezy for YOU to enjoy?????
Great. No dramas that require you to think at all. Just more of brainless celebs coming on to plug their latest crap.
Wow!!! Pay this guy to stay around? Dave has always, and will always be funnier. NBC has lost it. Late night starts after the news. Wonder what Carson would have thought of this???
This seems like a stupid idea to me. If anything, they should only have Leno on one night a week and that should be Thursday at 10 so the whole evening is comedy as opposed to mostly comedies and one drama. And I also have to ask the question, what other earlier shows will they be canceling to keep some of their better 10pm shows on schedule? I don’t see this benefiting NBC or their ratings at all.
I love Leno but the 10 pm slot is really for medical and cop/lawyer dramas. I fear that his show is going to wind up like the prime time verison of Who Wants to be a Millionare. Leno’s show should only be one night a week.