NBC confirms 'Jay Leno Show' leaving primetime

[brooklynite]

Source: Entertainment Weekly

Raise your hand if you’re surprised by what you’re about to read. NBC Chairman Jeff Gaspin kicked off his network’s portion of the TCA press tour by confirming the worst kept secret in the TV biz: “I can confirm, starting Feb. 12, The Jay Leno Show will no longer air at 10 p.m.”

Gaspin said that, “While was performing at acceptable levels for the network, it did not meet our affiliates’ needs, and we realized we had to make a change. My goal right now is to keep Jay, Conan , and Jimmy as part of our late-night lineup. I have spoken to all of them and proposed that The Jay Leno Show move to 11:35, The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien to 12:05, and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon would then start at 1:05.

“As much as I’d like to tell you we have a done deal, that’s not true,” he added. “The talks are ongoing. I hope and expect, before the Olymics begin, we will have everything set. I can’t imagine we won’t.”

Though there’s been no official word yet from Jay, Conan, or Jimmy, Gaspin called the trio “gracious,” adding that they “understood the difficult position” NBC is in. And Carson Daly? Gaspin insists he’ll “remain a part of NBC.” Last Call, however, sounds like it’s dead.

Read more: http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2010/01/10/nbc-confirms-jay-leno-show-leaving-primetime/

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Tune in for jokes Monday night...

[stevedeshazer]

1. The problem is, Leno just isn't funny.

It's not the time slot, it's Jay.

[Webster Green]

7. He's an idiot! I've never heard him say anything remotely humorous.

He's just dumb. :shrug:

[sharesunited]

8. Why did Leno beat Letterman all those years? Is Dave even LESS funny?

[lpbk2713]

13. NBC appeared in more late night markets than CBS

Basically, there were more TV's available to NBC than CBS. I don't know but under those circumstances reruns of Capt Kangaroo might have even beaten Letterman.

[sharesunited]

16. Shouldn't that have assured Conan's success? Why doesn't that same winning factor now apply?

[high density]

19. Leno's weak lead-in audience destroyed 11:00pm news lead-in which destroyed Conan's lead-in

It was like a domino effect of viewers turning off their TVs or changing the channel when Leno came on.

[laughingliberal]

41. Or, once people watched Leno they turned off the TV and went to bed

A lot of people just sit through the news waiting on the late night show of their choice. I know a lot of people that had started watching Jay and going to bed at 11.

[sharesunited]

17. Shouldn't that have assured Conan's success? Why doesn't that same winning factor now apply?

[Bitwit1234]

25. He might not have been overly funny BUT

he has Obrien beat by 10000 miles.

[Name removed]

27. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[valerief]

2. But TDS and Stephen Colbert are on from 11pm to midnight. And then I either fall asleep

or watch Letterman and then Ferguson. I mean, why bother with NBC at all? (Of course, KO, Rachel, and Ed on MSNBC are a whole other ball of wax.)

[Moochy]

12. You can fall asleep with Comedy Central On?

Comedy central commercials run 2-3 times louder than the shows. If not for the DVR that network would be unwatchable.

[No Elephants]

3. Conan was losing the ratings battle with Letterman, too. The good news is that

Leno would go from an hour to a half hour.

I guess the contract with Leno had no outs for low ratings.

[peaches2003]

34. Any one really believe that

Leno will stay with just a 30 minute show? He'll be back to the full Tonight Show before you can blink. His ego would never accept just 30 mins. He wanted to be in prime time for his ego, though I think he said at the time he left the Tonight Show that he wanted to RETIRE! I feel sorry for Conan. He waited for this spot and NBC is letting Leno jerk them around. Conan will go to Fox.

[laughingliberal]

42. I was of the impression that Conan told them in 2007 that he would stay til 2009 and leave if they

didn't give him the Tonight Show then. So, they did.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

4. The minute I heard about his show going on, I knew it would be canceled.

So obviously my hand isn't going up.

I wasn't even curious enough about it to tune in to watch it.

[hlthe2b]

26. ditto...

[Cirque du So-What]

5. I haven't followed The Tonight Show since Johnny Carson's early days

and over the years I've grown disenchanted with the entire genre, but I'm glad that they're keeping both Conan O'Brien & Jimmy Fallon instead of giving Leno back an entire hour. If I had my way, I'd cut loose that contemptible prick & let him sink or swim on his own merit (or lack thereof).

As an aside, I have watched Craig Ferguson's monologues via the internet, and I find him the most humorous fellow on late-night TV at this point in time.

[NightWatcher]

6. Conan sux... So they are going to give Leno a monlogue then go to Conan at 12?

that will fail too.

Ditch Conan and let Leno go against Letterman (who's much funnier)

[lpbk2713]

9. Carson wanted Letterman to take over his slot.

NBC essentially told Carson "Get lost. We'll put Leno in as your replacement".

Personally, I'm glad to see Leno fail. And it would be true to form for NBC
to screw O'Brien in an attempt to bring Leno back to late night. Pissonem.

[mucifer]

20. and Carson wrote some jokes for Letterman.

Clearly different NBC execs hired Rachel than hired leno.

[jmowreader]

10. The market for Clinton's Penis jokes ended, eh?

[high density]

18. No, they've decided they want those 1990s-era jokes back at 11:35 instead

So that Conan's Tonight Show can continue to get no lead-in and lag behind everybody else.

[Moochy]

11. Bill Hicks: Jay Leno Company Man Till The Bitter Fucking End

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWB-kd09GXY

:rofl:

[rcrush]

31. +1+1+1

Jay Leno is a tool.

[Stinky The Clown]

14. Fuck Jay Leno. Retire his unfunny ass.

[KittyWampus]

28. just curious, do you like Jimmy Fallon?

I like his persona. It rings true.

Someone up-thread noted Leno changed his act aping Letterman's snark and that is my take as well. Leno used to be okay when he was a stand up guy.

[Stinky The Clown]

35. I liked Fallon when he was on SNL. I have never watched him on NBC

I never watched Conan all that much, either, because Leno was his lead-in.

Leno lost me when he screwed Letterman out of Carson's seat. Carson wanted Letterman in there. Leno was a fucking snake and got the seat. I stuck with Letterman. Letterman's sensibilities are also closer to mine than are Leno's.

[earth mom]

15. Leno is a snake! He stole the Tonight Show from Letterman and now he's stealing it from Conan.

I hope Conan's lawyers kick Leno where the sun don't shine.

Go Conan! :loveya:

[UTUSN]

21. I've been thinking this since the brouhaha started (LENO = snake).

He did it to LETTERMAN, and now to CONAN. Back then they blamed it on LENO's snake-manager and dumped her, letting him stand as the good guy.

[rcrush]

32. You think Leno was hiding in a closet again listening in on the execs phone conversation?

So he can blackmail them into letting him keep his job again?

[UTUSN]

38. Huh?!1 No, did I say that?!1 ?!1?!1?!1

I said what I said, all the time. What I SAID was that he and his snake manager screwed LETTERMAN back then, and, (to spell out ALL the post agains) that "they" blamed it on his snake manager and fired her and he was the "good" guy, and NOW is doing the same thing to Conan.


Now. How much do I need to REPEAT?!1

[rcrush]

39. I was actually being serious.

Leno did that in 93 when NBC wanted to push Leno out and keep Letterman. For some reason Leno decided to hide in a closet and listen in on a phone call from New York to LA by some NBC execs and he listened to them talk about their plans.

He might have done something similar this time.

[alp227]

22. I never really watched Jay Leno's new show anyway.

The latest I did watch though was on Friday night when Brian Williams was on. Otherwise I don't care for the majority of guests on Jay's new show. This is so messed up. Jay Leno should just retire already and let Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Fallon prosper. Or, Leno should get the 1:30 slot held by that terrible Carson Daly. :)

[Pisces]

23. I am team Conan. Boycotting the Leno show. They should not have uprooted Conan if

he wasn't going to get a fair shot.

[TexasObserver]

24. 10:35 to 11:05 pm is OK, if he's really off then.

One hour of Leno is one hour too much, but putting off Conan for 30 minutes doesn't matter to me. I can live with that. Hate Leno, but he has his Lawrence Welk audience who follow him.

[KittyWampus]

29. "lawrence welk audience". LOL! that's about right.

[rcrush]

30. I dont understand NBC

Leno is killing their late night lineup. He kills the local news lead in which kills Conan. Leno took up 5 hours a week that NBC could have used for original programming. Something which they NEED badly but knowing NBC they will just put up more reality shows. And I'm convinced NBC neutered Conan's writing staff when they moved him to 1130. The best thing for Conan to do is leave just like Letterman did.

[Kingofalldems]

33. But what about Stuttering John?

Is he out of a job?

[FightingBobsghost]

36. Hey Leno! 1997 called and they want their jokes back!

Leno has never been funny. He's a scab and a hack. I find him unwatchable because he's so damn swarmy and a dick to his guests.
He is on my lists of people who should be kicked in the junk until they bleed from the ears.

[Toasterlad]

37. Our Long, National Nightmare Is Over.

[laughingliberal]

40. ROFL!! nt

[laughingliberal]

43. I've always preferred Letterman to either of them. As long as none of them take his job, I'm good! n

[winstars]

44. Not Sure!!!!

I grew up falling asleep to Carson. Saw that movie on HBO years ago on how the 'late nite wars' went down. Jay not looking so cool in it.... I also have good friends in both Letterman's band and particularly in Conan's band... Wish both sets of cats all the best of course!!!!!
However, I kind of dig Jay's mono thingy alot more compared to Conan's.... So for me, having Jay and maybe one guest and then CO's show might work for me!!!! Let's see what's what...