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Jay Leno staying on NBC in prime time

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MacNut

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Original poster
Jan 4, 2002
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NEW YORK (AP) — Jay Leno is staying at NBC, and he's moving to prime time.

The network announced Tuesday that Leno will host a show five nights a week at 10 p.m. Eastern, after he leaves the "Tonight" show next year. The network had announced nearly five years ago that Conan O'Brien would move to "Tonight" and succeed Leno.

The deal not only prevents Leno from moving to another network and competing with O'Brien, it also has the potential to be a big cost savings for NBC. A talk show is considerably cheaper to produce than the dramas that usually air at 10 p.m. Eastern.

Leno could now deliver his nightly monologue and sketches to more viewers. Generally about 50 percent more people are watching TV at 10 p.m. than at 11:30 p.m.

Dramas used to be a mainstay of network schedules, and NBC's own history at the time slot includes "ER," "Hill Street Blues," "Law & Order" and "L.A. Law."

Yet dramas have been fading in recent years. One reason is digital video recorders; more people are watching shows they taped earlier than the live 10 p.m. shows.

Ten years ago, "ER" was the top-rated show in television, with an average of 25.4 million viewers. This season, its last, "ER" is averaging 9.9 million viewers and is ranked No. 33 in prime time.

Besides "ER," NBC this season airs "Law & Order" and its "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" spinoff in the 10 p.m. time slot — both shows that could easily move to an earlier hour. "My Own Worst Enemy" and "Lipstick Jungle," shows in the 10 p.m. hour on Monday and Friday, have already been canceled.

NBC had said last summer that Leno's last "Tonight" show would be on Friday, May 29, and that O'Brien would take over the following Monday, June 1.

Jimmy Fallon is taking over the 12:30 a.m. time slot that O'Brien is vacating.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jW-W2y92RfMXilbBa6TWdMxa0mOgD94VBO8O1
 
Zucker was quoted as saying last week that NBC may cut back the number of hours it programs in an effort to save money. This seems like a perfect solution for him but I bet it ends up hurting their late night shows.
 
iJohnHenry said:
Sorry, but Jimmy's talents seem a little "thin" IMO.

Craig Ferguson will have him for lunch.
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I agree that it will help Ferguson. It will probably help Letterman too.

I am still unsure about Fallon holding a full hour.

It will be interesting to see how Conan's comedy will change to fit the 11:30 slot. Will he still be as edgy an hour earlier. Don't expect to see the masturbating bear as much.
 
Thank God for that.

Stunning that poor bear, when he is just trying to get-off, is animal cruelty.

And what about the dog with the cigar???
 
triumph01.jpg
 
I am sure glad I decided to let the digital TV revolution take place without me. I hate TV. Leno is not funny, Conan can be, with without Andy he has suffered. Don't even get me started with Carson and Jimmy.:rolleyes:
 
synth3tik said:
I am sure glad I decided to let the digital TV revolution take place without me. I hate TV. Leno is not funny, Conan can be, with without Andy he has suffered. Don't even get me started with Carson and Jimmy.:rolleyes:
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Please tell me you are referring to Carson Daly and not Johnny Carson.
 
synth3tik said:
I am sure glad I decided to let the digital TV revolution take place without me. I hate TV. Leno is not funny, Conan can be, with without Andy he has suffered. Don't even get me started with Carson and Jimmy.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Thank god I'm not the only one who thinks so!

I'm glad he is staying on NBC, I never watch that station :)
 
Personally, I mostly like Leno over Letterman because he seems a lot more natural with his monologue and that a lot of Letterman's jokes seem to follow the same boring template: [he/she/it] was so [adjective] today/lately that [blankity blankity blank]. (pause for laughter, reuse template endlessly). For example, "it was so cold in New York today that Trump had to wear two wigs", and then "it was so cold that..." a couple more times until he does it with something else. I do like Great Moments in Presidential Speeches, though.

Oh and btw, Ferguson > all. :D
 
Question: Can NBC fill 3 talk shows back-to-back? I don't think so. I would put Leno on a couple of nights a week to keep value in him and the other talk shows.

Also a bit of a kick in the teeth for O'Brien as Leno will most probably get the best pick of guests. Are they both being made out of the same city?

All things considered, I hope the other networks have some kick-ass programs to counter the talk shows.
 
I like Leno over Letterman too.

I'm kind of biased - I've chauffeured Leno a few times over the years. What's always impressed me is that he never had the entourage. Just him sitting in the back with a newspaper. And if he was running late, he'd call me and let me know. To a peon like me, that's pretty cool.

That said, I like Conan more than either. Triumph cracks me up. :)
 
iAlan said:
Question: Can NBC fill 3 talk shows back-to-back? I don't think so. I would put Leno on a couple of nights a week to keep value in him and the other talk shows.

Also a bit of a kick in the teeth for O'Brien as Leno will most probably get the best pick of guests. Are they both being made out of the same city?

All things considered, I hope the other networks have some kick-ass programs to counter the talk shows.
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O'Brien is getting hosed here with respect to guests. If you have a book/movie/whatever to push, where would you go? Obviously to the show with more viewers, which of course, will be a 10pm show.

Good luck on quality counter programming. I'd bet CBS and ABC follow suit with some kind of inexpensive, stripped programming.

dmr727 said:
I like Leno over Letterman too.

I'm kind of biased - I've chauffeured Leno a few times over the years. What's always impressed me is that he never had the entourage. Just him sitting in the back with a newspaper. And if he was running late, he'd call me and let me know. To a peon like me, that's pretty cool.

That said, I like Conan more than either. Triumph cracks me up. :)
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Leno is a very down-to-earth guy. I first "met" him on a California freeway. He was driving an exotic car and we pulled up next to him and talked. He invited us to come see him on the Tonight Show that night. He was Carson's permanent guest host in those days. Gave us the royal treatment.

He brought his show to NY once and I was able to get tickets. Also got tickets on another trip out to Calif.
 
I am not sure that I understand American television but, could they not just move the Late Show an hour earlier?
 
^^The Late show has been going on for many many years with several hosts, its just tradition to move people around.

Im happy for Jay, he's really good at what he does and NBC would be stupid to get rid of him.
 
So anyone watch Conan last night? He, of course, made a joke of the whole thing.

He also mentioned that he knew about this for awhile and him and Jay had met several times to discuss it.
 
Who cares if it costs less to produce a talk show for the 10 PM crowd. In some countries, it's the talkshow-esque shows that are most interesting to me.

It's a bit like Japanese programming, where you can have a talkshow and game-show at the same time. I have no idea what they're saying, but it's obvious what they're talking about when they have 3 guys trying to play hop-scotch up a 45 degree include......while wearing bug costumes. :p
 
iAlan said:
Also a bit of a kick in the teeth for O'Brien as Leno will most probably get the best pick of guests. Are they both being made out of the same city?
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Good question.

I would leave Conan in NYC, if I had a choice. The NY crowd might help him retain the "edge" that LA might obliterate.
 
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