So the other networks are saying that they're not going to allow cast members from their shows to be guests on NBC's The Jay Leno Show. Leno's response? It's very Leno-ian. First he says that "television is dying," and that the networks should allow guests on his show because if they do, it will benefit and save network television. This is similar to his comments several years ago in an interview, when he said that he liked David Letterman's show and he just wanted everyone to be happy and "there's room for everybody!" This is a fantastic sentiment, though I'm never sure if he's being sincere or if it's just something you say to seem like the casual, nice guy Everyman.
It's probably a moot point anyway. If The Jay Leno Show crashes in flames, a lot of guests from shows won't go on there. But if the show is a big (or even medium) success? Why would rival networks keep their talent off the show when it's great promotion? I don't really see the other networks sticking to their guns because of principle, because Leno is taking away several hours of scripted TV every week. We'll see.
The Jay Leno Show starts this Monday.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
9-10-2009 @ 1:09PM
gwangi said...
I can see the networks reasoning for this. Leno is on in primetime where ad prices are set higher, why would the other networks help NBC.
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9-10-2009 @ 1:25PM
Ryan said...
It's a fair attempt to keep them from getting guests and making the show weaker. It could become the nbc/universal commercial hour.
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9-10-2009 @ 1:42PM
Eileen said...
If Jay didn't want television to die, he would've refused to host this ridiculous show that'll take away five hours of scripted TV. He could've gone on another network and given both Conan and Letterman a run for their money. Instead, he does this. It's lame.
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9-10-2009 @ 2:12PM
am_hollitz said...
Now that Leno's show is airing in primetime, many actors could end up competing with themselves. Do you watch Sally Field live via Leno on NBC or do you watch her on Brothers and Sisters on ABC?
In fact, Many of the TV talent have a contract clause which prevent them from appearing at the same time as they appear on a counter programming schedule (i.e., Meredith Viera cannot appear both during the Today Show and on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in the same time slot.)
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9-10-2009 @ 2:05PM
Mike said...
Why is it lame? What rule book are you reading from that insists that his show can't work and will fail in the slot?
Who is to say that Leno isn't in the process of revitalizing and renewing his network? The show hasn't even premiered...
I'm not really a Leno fan, I far prefer Dave and Conan and especially Craig... But to suggest he's just somehow inherently, or even more silly, morally, wrong for doing this show in this time slot is pretty laughable. He's going to do it. It will succeed or fail based on its own merits. Period. Regardless of what happens, however, TV dying shouldn't be laid at his feet... Who wouldn't try to go into primetime?
Back when Carson retired, many people thought he might segue into primetime specials... he didn't... But would him doing so have been an afront to television itself? Or would we regard those specials, had they been produced, as gems? Check out the YouTube hits on his brief cameos on the Late Show to see the answer.....
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9-10-2009 @ 2:24PM
Wii60 said...
I've never enjoyed Leno's show, and the means by which he got it were pretty terrible. Still, he always seems to try and make amends for it. He's not funny, but his analysis of TV and strategy are always pretty sound. I think he's right about this. The Jay Leno Show is going to happen, let's see where it goes. Sure, it'll probably fail, but I'll at least give it a shot.
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9-10-2009 @ 2:52PM
0megapart!cle said...
I can't believe I am saying this, but I am going to have to defend leno here. I hate the idea of scripted programming being replaced by reality and talk show crap, but this just seems inherently unfair. If the networks really have superior content, it should be able to compete against a Jay Leno Show with decent guests. It doesn't seem like there is any need for this unprecedented childishness.
I wonder if this policy will extend to the movie studios that are affiliated with competing networks.
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9-10-2009 @ 3:04PM
Pingles said...
Some people fear that they will catch the swine flu and die.
Other people worry about dying in a plane crash.
Still others fear asteroids, terrorists or Nuclear War.
I fear that Jay's show will be successful.
It dominates my thoughts and every night I pray that his show will flounder.
It will just say too much about my fellow earth-citizens if this spineless, unfunny, celebrity straight-man wins in the ratings.
If you'll excuse me I have to go pray again.
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9-10-2009 @ 3:13PM
Jay said...
On the surface, the idea of other networks specifically banning their guests from appearing on Leno's show sounds like something very jerkish.
But we're talking about competing during the9/10pm slot, real money is at stake. Why would the other networks risking losing ratings from their scripted shows to a talk show during the 9/10pm hour?
Scripted shows are having so much trouble maintaining their ratings as is.
If Leno's new show becomes a cultural phenomenon, where its very high profile, then maybe their minds will change.
The problem I see here is that Leno seems to believe that every single talk show host is entitled to cherrypicking the highest profile stars of any movie or tv show or music act. He must not have alot of experience outside of the Tonight Show chair.
Conan built his audience from the ground up to get the big stars, so did Letterman on a different network, so did Jon Stewart, and even Stephen Colbert and Craig Ferguson.
They all did it by attracting the audience with their own in-house talent to become popular enough to get higher profile guests.
The only talk show host that had never really done that was Jay Leno.
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9-10-2009 @ 4:03PM
mdk said...
Leno hasn't been "the casual, nice guy everyman since the mid-90's. Also, television is already dead... the networks just haven't noticed the stench from the corpse yet.
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9-10-2009 @ 4:23PM
sweets said...
Carson, must of seen something in Leno to have handed the "The Tonight Show" baton to him, talent. Leno has integrity. He doesn't and didn't want this new show. NBC did. Leno was looking forward to going back on the road and doing his own thing that he loves to do, preforming in Vegas and other cities nationwide. Leno is entertainingly funny and writes most of his own material. His friendship with Kevin is genuine. With this being said, I have to admit, the only time I won't be watching Leno is when I'll be watching one of my favorite shows on another network . It's a shame that NBC has to use a good man like Leno as a pawn to try and gain ratings.
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9-11-2009 @ 7:59AM
Vito said...
Carson didn't HAND the baton over! Carson wanted Letterman to take over! Jay Leno snaked the show from both of them. Why do you think Carson made an appearance on Letterman (even sent him jokes) and never went on Leno once?
It's fine if you like Leno, but he is a ruthless guy that stabbed Johnny Carson in the back. Don't fool yourself.
9-17-2009 @ 2:38AM
Danno1234 said...
Carson was furious about Leno getting the Tonight show. Carson Productions produced Late Night with David Letterman. NBC thought that they could have Jay AND Dave, but Dave fooled them and walked. That is why Johnny ONLY appeared on Dave and NEVER on Jay.
9-10-2009 @ 4:32PM
Bob Sassone said...
sweets: Carson didn't have anything to do with giving Leno the show, it was NBC. Carson wanted Letterman.
Also, I believe that if Leno had his choice he would have stayed at Tonight and not changed anything. Again, this was NBC's call.
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9-11-2009 @ 8:02AM
Vito said...
It wasn't really NBC, though, was it? Leno could have said no. He changed his mind a couple of years before it was going to happen but decided to act like it was never his call.
9-10-2009 @ 7:23PM
John Hewitt said...
Television is not dying. Television isn't even wounded. The networks may not be so strong right now, but television as a whole is doing just fine. They networks just need to stop thinking they can put any old crap on the air and dominate television. There are too many other good choices out there on cable. More importantly, I don't worry about cable shows getting canceled in the middle of a season. I'm afraid to even start watching a show on ABC or Fox because the odds are so high that it will get canceled after a few weeks.
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9-10-2009 @ 8:56PM
RobynM said...
You pretty much took the words out of my mouth.
Television isn't in trouble, the old school Networks are. As far as I can tell, there are two primary reasons for this, one of which is the Nets' fault and the other isn't.
Their fault: They keep acting like they're the only game in town and refuse to get with the program. We're in the second generation of people who've never known a time without cable/satellite. Not only that, but the current generation has already also accepted DVDs, DVRs, Online Streaming (legal or otherwise) and On Demand as valid methods of entertainment access. To continue to expect the same numbers they got when their only competition was cable/satellite and VCRs is madness.
Not their fault: The old school Nets have much more restrictive content regulations than cable/satellite, and they've only gotten more so since the Super Bowl Incident. Just as a for-instance, most of FX's lineup wouldn't pass content muster on the old Nets. They should at least have the chance to live or die on an equal footing with basic cable, if nothing else.
9-10-2009 @ 9:56PM
Joyce N. said...
I love Jay Leno and will be watching his new show as often as I can. He IS a talented man. Letterman just doesn't make me laugh and Conan did on his old show. Love Craig too. Jay is bringing his best skits with him and I can't wait to watch it.
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9-11-2009 @ 1:35AM
Cray said...
If anything is dying it's advertising. DVR are making advertising and time-slots irrelevant.
These days it doesn't matter to the average watcher when a particular show is coming on. They simply DVR it or buy the season DVDs.
As time progresses and DVRs become a more affordable as well as more capable of recording more programs, it's going create more competition than ever before. So Leno's show won't be just competing with it's time-slot. He'll still be competing with Letterman and the others.
The Internet is only going force DVRs to be more competitive. The whole process is going to snowball in 5 years. I figure thats when stops recording their shows via VHS. Frankly I don't know a person who still uses VHS to record TV shows.
So TV isn't dying, it's merely changing with the times.
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9-11-2009 @ 5:09AM
Maleea said...
I think Jay will do good on his show. All those millions that watched him all these years will be waiting for next Monday night. He is a good guy, a practical one as well. He earns a pretty penny doing Stand UP in Vegas, he says he has never touched his TV salary yet, it is all in the bank. So we know he isn't hurting for money and IF NBC stabs him in the back, or any other network keeps their stars off too bad for them. The stars should make up their own mind. Jay is a regular anyones man, not up town snooty like some of those others who acheived his kind of success. No one can take the King of Late Night title away until they earn it....nobody.
Good Luck Jay...keeping Kevin and the band is wonderful....just hold on for a few weeks and Conan will be an after thought. They should kick his ass to the curb and put you back to your rightful place in late night. Or perhaps you will like Primetime slot. More free time....I ask this question....hasn't anyone heard of a DVR or Tivo? I have 3 Tivos plus one DVR on DirecTV so let them grumble all they want. Perhaps they will cut out some of those dumb reality shows.
Hey IF I want to watch another Law and Order I will just turn over to TNT or TBS. My hubby is one of your greatest fans, so he will be there to be sure and since he sit through Craig with me then I sit through your show with him. I love you too but Craig is one hot, talented comedian.
We can watch you, move over to Dave and then on to Craig Ferguson.
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