When Conan O'Brien takes over The Tonight Show in 2009 (sounds like a bad decision to me), what will happen to Jay Leno? I have to admit that I didn't even think of what Leno would do next. I guess I just assumed he would enjoy his cars and do standup again full time.
NBC entertainment president Kevin Reilly says that NBC wants to keep Leno beyond 2009, and negotiations are currently ongoing. And because of his contract, Leno is prohibited from talking to anyone else for the next two years. It's interesting because, has anyone really investigated why Leno is having the show taken away from him in 3 years? Is he upset about it? He has consistently beaten Letterman in the ratings for many years, so I'm curious as to what is exactly happening behind the scenes (some of it is covered in Bill Carter's book Desperate Networks).
So what should NBC do with Leno when he leaves the show? Give him another talk show? (No, not the 12:30 slot! Besides, I think Jon Stewart might be offered that). Some sort of production deal? I'm sure NBC will need janitors in 2009, so maybe he should check into that.















Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-24-2006 @ 3:17PM
B said...
I think Leno ought to retire in 2009. He's made enough money, and he hasn't ben funny in about 15 years now.
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7-24-2006 @ 3:17PM
Alison said...
"When Conan O'Brien takes over The Tonight Show in 2009 (sounds like a bad decision to me)"
Really? A bad decision? That's the first time I've heard anyone say that. Everyone I talk to cannot wait.
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7-24-2006 @ 3:25PM
Anthony said...
I wish he'd retire now, then at least I wouldn't have to stay up as late as I do to watch Conan!
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7-24-2006 @ 3:27PM
Bob Sassone said...
It's not that I dislike Conan, it's that I think he's a so-so talk show host at best (even after all these years), and a bad fit for The Tonight Show.
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7-24-2006 @ 3:35PM
Steve said...
I like Conan and look forward to him replacing Leno, but I agree he may not be the best fit for the ontight show, I don't think everyone enjoys conan's waky and frequently childish sense of humour (I personally enjoy that sense of humour alot)
I hope Stewart doesn't leave comedy central the Daily show/Colbert hour of tv is my favourite hour of TV
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7-24-2006 @ 3:36PM
James said...
I guess if anyone is going to take up Tonight Show it should be Conan, but I don't think it'll be as good as Late Night is... I love how Conan says "no one cares, it's 12:30" or something about no-one watching. With Tonight (from an outside observer) it seems like a little more pressure - would that same costume be used four times, or even be there in the first place? Would there be the same relationship with the band leader which works so well?
Every day I try and watch Daily Show, Late Night and the Late Show. They all fall in line in the UK, so you can avoid any clashes - but I can never get on with the Tonight Show and normally wonder off to the news.
I think Leno will either retire (as mentioned, and he must be ready to) or do a weekly show of some sort. If he did retire I can still see him doing specials, like the Friends one.
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7-24-2006 @ 3:40PM
Daniel Solis said...
Some people say that Conan was ready to jump ship and leave NBC for an 11:35 show on another network. In Desperate Networks Bill Carter says they didn't want to lose Conan so they pushed Leno out. And yes Leno is mad about this because that's why he makes fun of NBC's low ratings now.
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7-24-2006 @ 4:02PM
Jyoti said...
All the comedians on NBC make fun of NBC's ratings. Jay, Conan and Carson all make fun. So that's not why he does that.
There's been no indication whatsoever that Jay's mad about leaving the show. Maybe he is personally, but he's never given that impression on the show or otherwise.
I happen to be a fan of both Jay and Conan and I love both their humor. Jay has everyman humor, where he connects with the audience, regardless of age, while Conan definitely caters mostly to college students and a specific demographic.
Whatever Jay does in 2009, I'm sure he'll enjoy himself. He still does his regular comedy club acts and he has a huge fanbase, so he'll never lack for anything to do.
And I think that janitor comment is rather mean spirited.
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7-24-2006 @ 4:05PM
TedSez said...
Has anyone considered that being bland and unfunny at 11:30 is actually a ratings plus?
Jay Leno has been so dull for so long -- despite the fact that he used to be funny -- that I actually suspect he does it on purpose. Maybe people would rather be lulled to sleep in this time period than be made to laugh or think. (Johnny Carson was so easygoing and familiar that he could get away with being funnier than Jay.)
If this is true, that's why Jay always gets higher ratings than Letterman, who is certainly more edgy and thoughtful. (Though not as funny as he used to be.)
This might also be a problem for Conan, who does well with the younger, hipper audiences that come in for the 12:30 shows but might not be appreciated by the "Tonight Show" audiences looking for a sleeping pill.
As for Jay, I bet he'll do some specials where he introduces young comics -- the best thing about him is the way he appreciates new talent. But given that he's a huge workaholic, I bet he'll regret giving up "The Tonight Show." Maybe we'll even see a sequel to the book "The Late Shift" in which he schemes to get the show back from Conan!
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7-24-2006 @ 4:10PM
Erik said...
I just don't see John Stewart jumping off of the Daily Show (with John Stewart). It would almost be a step backwards for him, unless he could take what he has done with the Daily Show with him...which Comedy Central won't let happen, at least not totally.
I could care less about Leno. Conan is great, but not for everyone...and The Daily Show (and The Colbert Report) has over the past year become my substitute for any of those talk shows. It's still all comedy, but at least has some commentary on Politics, giving it substance.
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7-24-2006 @ 4:41PM
Jaymez said...
Conan sucks. He's worse than Leno and Letterman. I can't stomach any of their shows. Axe 'em all and air L&O reruns.
Conan was rumored to give a speech at my High School Graduation. I told my advisors, if he did, I wouldn't be attending. Thankfully, those rumors never panned out.
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7-24-2006 @ 4:49PM
Bev St.George said...
I think that replacing Leno with Conan would be a horrific mistake!!! I used to watch Conan and have come to a conclusion that he needs to tone down the idiotic antics of his show. I think it would be the demise of the tonight show as we know it and would be for the betterment for the network to make a deal with Leno that he would reconsider.
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7-24-2006 @ 5:05PM
Lacey said...
I prefer Craig Ferguson to Conan, but if Ferguson is in repeats I gladly watch Conan.
The ONLY problem I have with Conan taking over the earlier time slot, is he's going to have to clean up his show. He can get away with a lot being on at 12:30, Whereas the 11:30 timeslot has quite a few more viewers.
So, for those of you who can't wait for Conan to be on earlier, I'd get a TiVo, so you can enjoy conan at his finest.
(and if Jon Stewart leaves the daily show, I will be SUPER dissapointed. He's such a great host for that show, and even though he wasn't the original host of the show, I can't imagine him without it.)
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7-24-2006 @ 5:21PM
B said...
Does John Stewart really want to follow in the career path of Craig Kilbourn?
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7-24-2006 @ 6:34PM
Jim said...
You know Leno announced his 2009 retirement in 2004, don't you? I wouldn't qualify it as him "having the show taken away from him."
Besides, who knows what will happen between now and then? Ever read "The Late Shift?"
---
"If Jay Leno makes you laugh, chances are I don't care for you as a person."
- Peter Griffin
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7-24-2006 @ 9:36PM
T said...
I LOVE CONAN!! I can't wait until I don't have to stay up super late to watch him (plus I never liked Leno).
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7-24-2006 @ 11:00PM
RIchard said...
Janitorial work is what he should have been doing for the last 15 years while Letterman hosted the Tonight Show. Truth be told, neither show is anywhere near the cutting edge and the glory days of King Johnny are long gone with the ascension of cable television.
Sad to say but RIP late-night talk shows. I'll be watching a Frasier or MASH reruns.
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7-25-2006 @ 12:14AM
Jake said...
I think it is such a huge mistake that they are letting conan take over the tonight show in 2009. NBC just does not want a repeat of the Letterman/Leno/Carson fiasco which is probably why Leno agreed to be forced out. I'm sick of all of you Leno haters -- the tonight show has the highest ratings of all late night talk shows and Leno is actually funny. Maybe Leno can do a daily monologue for the today show? If I were him, I would just start over at Fox since they are getting into the late night wars.
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7-25-2006 @ 1:30PM
SamMalone said...
He'll pick up hosting some car show. I've seen him on almost every car makeover show there is on TV right now.
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7-28-2006 @ 1:47PM
Bob Jones said...
I am scared for Conan, either he will be watered down and I will leave or he will be the same and he'll be fired. His humor isn't as generic as Leno, he isn't as simple as Leno, and he annoys people.
I like Conan and don't want to see him move, its a bad bad move.
Leno is simple entertaining fun, like a Disney Movie - ofcourse its less funny than the independent comedy or less real than the indie drama, but its easy-going and fun.
Leno didn't choose to leave, NBC was trying to keep Conan. Leno has since ramped up the anti-NBC jokes and has kept quite, I hope he gets something.
I do hope that Jon Stewart doesn't take over, he is plain annoying - he pulls dumb faces and screams, a lot like Conan but Conan can do it - Stewart comes off as a pompous twit. I would hope Stephen Colbert would take it, he is funny - but without the O'Reilly schtick, I don't know.
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