cryptique Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 This is insanity. I keep waiting for someone to announce that it was all a joke. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Jay Leno Takes His Act to Prime - Time TV By REUTERS Filed at 1:32 p.m. ET LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Comedian Jay Leno will host a new prime-time talk show five nights a week in 2009 on struggling network NBC after his planned retirement from his popular late-night program "The Tonight Show," NBC said on Tuesday. The new one-hour show will air at 10 p.m., making it the first-ever program of its type to air five nights a week on prime-time U.S. television and marking a shift in the way NBC programs the most lucrative period for TV advertising revenue. Leno's future had been in question since NBC surprised the TV business four years ago by announcing he would step down from "Tonight" in May 2009, to be replaced by Conan O'Brien, who currently hosts NBC's "Late Night" show that follows Leno. His new show will start in the autumn and showcase many of the features that late-night viewers are familiar with, including Leno's opening monologue and well-known comedy segments "Headlines," "Jaywalking" and "Battle of the Jaywalking All-Stars." Leno is America's most popular late-night TV chat show host, regularly beating his CBS rival David Letterman in the ratings and comedians Conan O'Brien, Craig Ferguson and Jimmy Kimmel. NBC, which lags its rivals in fourth place among the major U.S. networks, said the move to prime-time TV would bring Leno a new audience in the earlier time slot. It will also help NBC reduce its prime-time development and production costs in a tough economy. "Clearly, today's viewers have an appetite for live, topical programing, and that's what we're bringing to primetime," said Marc Graboff, co-chairman of NBC Entertainment. (Reporting by Jill Serjeant and Steve Gorman; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jakobnicholas Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 I heard this earlier today. It's really not a bad move, I don't think. It's gonna save NBC millions each week. They'll get 46 weeks of fresh programming in a year. Plus, NBC won't have to worry about Conan competing against Leno....which no doubt would be won by Leno. Like Leno or not, he's proven he knows how to get an audience. It will be ineresting to see if he can maintain it. It may blow-up in NBC's face, but with the economy down, it might turn out to be a gamble based on frugality that ends up working. I don't know if this is good for Conan or not....maybe it won't make any difference. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gogo Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 That's a pretty big chunk of real estate on the prime-time schedule. How is NBC going to manage to squeeze in all the Law & Orders, too? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dondoboy Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Doesn't this end the era of 10 p.m. dramas altogether on NBC. That's pretty risky move. All comedy and reality, America the weird. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cryptique Posted December 9, 2008 Author Share Posted December 9, 2008 I'll freely admit that a large part of the reason that I don't think this is a smart move is because I can't fucking stand Leno, but production cost savings aside, I don't really see how this works for NBC. The people who watch 10 PM shows aren't necessarily the same people who watch 11:30 PM shows. The competition at 10 is vastly different -- not only do you have CBS and ABC's flagship shows (OK, I confess that I don't really know what any of those are), but you have a lot more competition from original programming on cable networks. At 11:30, Jay basically competes against Letterman and only Letterman. Sure, some people watch Nightline, and others watch Colbert, but there's not a whole lot of competition otherwise. I could be totally wrong, and I'm certainly no expert on the television industry or on what's likely to attract viewers, but I see Jay's show either folding before its first anniversary or getting moved to one of NBC's cable affiliates. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
embiggen Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 I'll freely admit that a large part of the reason that I don't think this is a smart move is because I can't fucking stand Leno werd Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ZenLunatic Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Ditto on Leno sucking. So who actually likes him? Dont understand his popularity. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
remphish1 Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Ditto on Leno sucking. So who actually likes him? Dont understand his popularity.Headlines and Jaywalking are funny...rest of his show I don't like. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MrRain422 Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Headlines and Jaywalking are funny...rest of his show I don't like. Right, the funniest parts of his show are other people talking and things sent in by viewers. He is so unfunny he may as well be Carlos Mencia. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
aricandover Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Right, the funniest parts of his show are all the bits his writers swipe from Howard Stern. He is so unfunny he may as well be Carlos Mencia. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Moe_Syzlak Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 NBC's 2010 line-up: Monday8:00 Dateline Monday9:00 Law & Order10:00 Jay Leno Tuesday8:00 Dateline Tuesday9:00 Law & Order: SVU10:00 Jay Leno Wednesday8:00 Dateline Wednesday9:00 Law & Order: Criminal Intent10:00 Jay Leno Thursday8:00 Dateline Thursday9:00 Law & Order: Trial By Jury10:00 Jay Leno Friday8:00 Dateline Friday9:00 Law & Order: Hall Monitor 10:00 Jay Leno Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cryptique Posted December 9, 2008 Author Share Posted December 9, 2008 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
embiggen Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 I like Dateline. shows about scandalous murder always fascinate me way more than Jay Leno. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mfwahl Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 NBC's 2010 line-up: Good work! I won't be watching this show. The guy is just not funny. Looking forward to see what Conan can do. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pnêyu Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 I can't fucking stand LenoThen don't read the comments on that New York Times story. I had no idea that people could be so passionate about him. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jenbobblehead Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 I'll freely admit that a large part of the reason that I don't think this is a smart move is because I can't fucking stand Leno, but production cost savings aside, I don't really see how this works for NBC. The people who watch 10 PM shows aren't necessarily the same people who watch 11:30 PM shows. The competition at 10 is vastly different -- not only do you have CBS and ABC's flagship shows (OK, I confess that I don't really know what any of those are), but you have a lot more competition from original programming on cable networks. At 11:30, Jay basically competes against Letterman and only Letterman. Sure, some people watch Nightline, and others watch Colbert, but there's not a whole lot of competition otherwise. I could be totally wrong, and I'm certainly no expert on the television industry or on what's likely to attract viewers, but I see Jay's show either folding before its first anniversary or getting moved to one of NBC's cable affiliates.I think NBC just gave 10 pm over to the CSI franchise in one easy motion. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TCP Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 I wonder how Conan feels about this. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jakobnicholas Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 I wonder how Conan feels about this. That's what I wonder. I imagine Leno will still have guests....will he get better guests than Conan? Most of what I'm reading is that NBC is using this as a good opportunity to try down-sizing a bit in this era of there being so much competition with all the cable networks. Big networks are finding it hard to fund programming that isn't getting its money back. That's why we've seen more reality and game shows. Paying Leno and the cost to run his show is WAY cheaper than what it would cost to put 5 hours of original programming on. And NBC hasn't been to great lately at finding hit shows. Again....Leno may indeed suck to many people. But he IS the late night ratings leader....and it's not very close. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Speed Racer Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 Five nights a week at a time people actually watch television? The presidential debates were the only reason I used my television this calendar year, and wow. There's a reason not to turn it on again. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 Twisted 'Jay Leno Show' theater ad A friend caught NBC's new ad for "The Jay Leno Show" at a movie theater last weekend. "The theater was in hysterics," he said. "I was in hysterics -- and I don't even like Jay Leno." Intrigued, I obtained a copy from NBC. Check this out, below. It co-stars Fred Armisen and gives a hint at the sort of sketches Leno could be doing on his new 10 p.m. show this fall. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 I didn't like that. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 Looks like Jay is going to work (scary) blue. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nalafej Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 Wanted to laugh at that but didn't think it was that funny. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bobbob1313 Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 When they are driving to the comedy show, I laughed hard. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cryptique Posted August 21, 2009 Author Share Posted August 21, 2009 That was terrible. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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