Jay Leno’s pending retirement is less than two years away and it sounds like he may already be trying to get out of that contract clause. Leaving The Tonight Show in 2009 would put Leno’s duration at just 17 years, 13 less than his predecessor Johnny Carson. Leno would be retiring from his highest profile gig at age 57, ten years younger than Carson. 57 does seem pretty young, so what’s NBC’s plan? The vacancy would pave the way for the much funnier Conan O’Brien to move up from his current spot on Late Night.
The Associated Press is reporting on an earlier article from the Los Angeles Times:
If “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno is having second thoughts about surrendering his job as planned, NBC doesn’t share them — at least not publicly.
“Conan O’Brien will take over `The Tonight Show’ in 2009,” NBC Universal President and CEO Jeff Zucker said Monday in New York at an event arranged by Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.
Leno has said he’s comfortable with his planned departure but, according to a report earlier this month in the Los Angeles Times, the comedian has grown reluctant to retire as host of the fabled, top-rated late-night program.
Leno declined comment on the Times report when it was published. He had no comment Monday on Zucker’s remarks, an NBC spokeswoman said.
I don’t blame him on not wanting to leave the show behind. It’s the top late night show (though I watch Letterman over Leno) and other than this I’m not sure what he’d do. More voiceovers for cartoon movies? He could always go back to stand-up where he started. I really don’t care though as NBC has the right idea. They’re pushing out Leno so they can keep Conan O’Brien from jumping ship and getting a lead spot on another network. What do you think? Will you miss Leno or are you excited to see Conan finally get the spotlight he deserves?
Posted on: Tuesday, October 30, 2007
October 30th, 2007 at 1:32 pm
Jay will wind up at another network…probably Fox (or maybe ABC)…..He will remain #1 because frankly, CONAN won’t be able to play in the early timeslot (Conan’s already been told that a lot of his late night characters are not acceptable for the earlier slot)
October 30th, 2007 at 5:12 pm
I don’t think Leno will end up at Fox. He wouldn’t reduce himself to that. ABC, maybe, but I would still be surprised.
I’m looking forward to Conan. I have always enjoyed his show, and it’s not so offensive that he can’t clean it up for the earlier timeslot. Long live Triumph!
If I had a choice I would get rid of Letterman (who is not funny and just plain boring) replace him with Conan and keep Leno on NBC. Then I could flip between Leno and Conan and still go to sleep on time.
October 30th, 2007 at 7:53 pm
NBC will work very hard to keep Leno, just in some other facet.
October 31st, 2007 at 7:06 pm
Here is my opinion. Jay Leno will retire as expected and ride off on his motorcycle. After a hiatus, he may return to the same network in a different capacity. Conan seems to be rather stiff or constipated. Sometimes he appears to be an intellectual attempting to communicate with us plain folks. He was better when he had the chubby sidekick. The best thing about his show is the drummer. So let him remain where he is. I recommend that Craig Ferguson take Leno’s place. He is both an effective standup comedian and a fine actor. Yes, this might be risky. Give him just a one year contract with contingencies. In my view, he is already better than Leno and far better than Letterman. If it weren’t for the gap in his teeth Letterman would be demoted to the second echelon. And on the big stage, with a proper budget, I think Craig will rise to the occasion. It will be a relief to get rid of Leno’s Democratic biases. But we will still be saddled with those of Letterman.
April 28th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
I think Jay Leno is MUCH MUCH funnier than O’Brien, actually O’Brien is not all that funny at all! Leno shouldnt retire just yet, if NBC makes him go in 2009, then I hope he gets on with another network, I will definatly watch him if he does, think he is very funny and he is the “king” of late night TV!
May 12th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
I don’t think Conan is a funny as Jay…but I think it’s an age thing…Conan appeals to a younger demographic and the older Jay gets the more likely his older audience will go to sleep earlier. Jay has been a wonderful replacement for Johnny, the master. Conan is not in the same league because of his weird zaniness. He’s also very dependent on vulgar characters such as that awful bear. What will he do without grossness? I do like the idea of Jimmy Fallon replacing him, however. Jay will do something else once released from NBC and he will continue to be funny. I love Jay and will miss him terribly. NBC aren’t fools, however, and they will reinvent Conan to make him relevant to the timeslot.
May 28th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Craig Ferguson!! Wow.
June 1st, 2008 at 9:44 pm
I’m a mid-forties dry humor junkie and sorry, but I find Conan completely humorless. His schtick is one-sidedly physical, and will grow old quickly with that time slot’s audience, which prefers zany headlines, wild animals and Jay-walking antics over random finger pointing and faux rowing and elevator movements in and out of the camera’s eye. I do think Leno will walk, and agree Ferguson may be a pleasant surprise. I understand NBC’s reluctance to avoid another ‘92 fiasco, but promoting whoever happens to be in the Late Night slot as a remedy for that is simply shortsighted.
June 21st, 2008 at 1:44 am
I believe Jay is much funnier then both Conan or David Letterman. I hope Jay either stays with NBC’s Tonight show or gets another gig on a different network. I am not ready for him to leave the air.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:45 am
TV is all about the next, hippest thing.
Conan is good.
For those who state that his later night characters won’t play earlier, this same type of comment was forwarded when Jay Leno took the reigns from Johnny Carson.
Leno is edgier and hipper than Carson.
But Leno’s time has come because TV is based on “new and improved” familiarity.
Those who used to watch Conan late night in college and early career years are moving into watching the Leno time slot.
Conan will play well to his “aging” audience.
This up and coming generation is ready for Jimmy Fallon; he’ll be their man.
Each generation clings to its own and the next generation rejects it.
It is the nature of things.
Carson got 30 years. Leno got 17. Conan may only get 10.
Media is evolving at such a pace now.
July 23rd, 2008 at 11:04 pm
I’m in my mid-twenties and am not at all impressed with Conan, if Leno leaves late night and NBC replaces him with Conan, I’ll turn off my Tv at night and read a book…
July 23rd, 2008 at 11:11 pm
There’s no question about it. NBC is definitely doing this in May 2009. It’s set in stone at this point.
August 7th, 2008 at 9:55 pm
My wife and I stay up every night to watch Leno. We don’t really care for Letterman and can’t stand O’brien. So, if Jay does retire I’ll enjoy more sleep. My wife says to any network and any time slot, so will I.
August 17th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
…much funnier Conan O’ Brien??? O’Brien is DULL to the point where he becomes more annoying than funny. Leno’s jokes a funnier, sharper, with a better punchline. Don’t look for NBC’s rating to rise too much if or when this “minor league comidien” takes over the Tonight Show.
August 29th, 2008 at 1:52 am
Conan is arguably the unfunniest guy on late-night TV, while Leno is relevant, fresh, quick and naturally funny. Jay’s departure from NBC’s Tonight Show will coincide with my own. I won’t stay up to watch a wobbly-haired Howdy Doody’s menagerie.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:58 am
I turn the set off, or turn the channel, at the mere sight of Conan. Reminds me of a three year old who would do anything for attention, without the least concern about appropriateness or humor. I will now have a much easier time of choosing between NBC or CBS for my late-night hour–actually, no choice at all…Letterman by default!
September 15th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
Conan is by far the best of Leno, Letterman and Conan. Leno is corny, sophomoric, corny and corny. While I was once a fan of Letterman way back when he had his edgy daytime show, I can no longer stand the prompted audience applause that has replaced genuine laughter from Letterman’s studio audience. Have you ever noticed? They don’t laugh. They applaud on cue.
October 2nd, 2008 at 8:57 pm
How Conan has managed to survive at all as a talk show host is beyond me. He may at one time have been one of SNL’s best writers (though I don’t believe it was in their heyday), but watching him, for me at least, is akin to watching someone gratify himself - he’s just not funny. And his damn goofy appearance doesn’t help.
Letterman is much better than Conan, but his show suffers from too much ‘inside baseball’ banter between him and Paul. And it’s too New York -centric for those of us out in the rest of the country.
Sure, Jay has his asides with Eubanks that often miss their mark. But, over the years, he’s tinkered with the format and built a pretty solid show (thank goodness he’s dropped Iron Jay, Mr. Brain, and Beyondo features, and Ross the Intern has seemingly moved on) with Headlines, and Jaywalking. Gilbert Gottfried’s ’sonofab****’ outbursts grate on me, though some of his character appearances have some merit. Steve Schirripa’s bits are acceptable, at times.
To me, it’s interesting that a guy from Boston (Leno) is better able to channel the mores and mid-America sensibilities than the midwesterner (Letterman, Indiana). He’s not Johnny, but his show is head and shoulders the best in its timeslot.
I’d gladly tune in elsewhere if Jay moves.
October 7th, 2008 at 11:39 pm
I do not care much for Conan O’Brien’s humor and I really don’t like Letterman, so I’m not looking forward to Leno’s retirement…he’s the only one of the three that’s FUNNY!
October 23rd, 2008 at 12:48 pm
I am a 32 year old Canadian, advertising professional who has grown up with watching Conan through my University years until now. Conan is revered as a late night god amongst most people my age, in Canada. Personally, I am a fan of Leno as well, and my father just loves the guy but I welcome Conan as his replacement. Sad to hear the edginess of Conan may be compromised if he moves into an earlier time slot.
October 26th, 2008 at 1:57 am
I will really hate to see Jay leave. The only good thing about Conan is his red hair, the negative personality or maybe lack of. His funniest thing is his hair style he looks like a rooster.
And David Letterman has gotten very weird with his red head announcer downgrading him, what with that!
I love Craig Ferguson and his cheeky monkeys. And all his personalities. Maybe the will give Letterman slot to Craig and Conan can have NBC, maybe Jay will do a show on cars he really loves them.
November 24th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Jay is SUPER cheesy first of all. Don’t get me wrong, he is mildly entertaining. But I often find myself embarassed for him after he tells a joke that no one laughs at in the studio. Thank goodness for applause signs. If you are under 45 and think Jay is funnier than Conan, you probably are a boring person (and republican - but that goes hand in hand and has no age restrictions). Conan’s skits are hands down more funny than Jay and Letterman combined. How many times can you watch Jaywalk Allstars??? That shit is undeniably staged. If not by NBC, definately by the participants. They must think: The dumber I answer questions, the more TV time I will get. Anyways, I could go on but I was just researching info and wound up typing a paragraph.
March 4th, 2009 at 3:23 am
I’m always so surprised to hear how much people worship these late night show hosts. They’ll take vacations just to be in the audience, and mainly have grown up cheering on live tv show hosts. I just came from watching Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, over on Hulu. Now that was a great beginning, and I enjoyed the show’s band. I don’t consider myself part of the Donald Trump fan club, so I won’t be missing any turn overs in live tv show hosts. I think the real story behind Jay’s retirement is that the pc world is doing to television what it’s been doing to newspapers. Both Jay and David have practical been car salesmen, choosing to hype their interests in cars at will. Which would make good sense if NBC and CBS were part of the big 3, but they’re not. I sort of thought they were explaining to regular TV watchers that there are now two distinct TV crowds, just like professional MLB and NFL crowds are seperated by another sports crowd in NASCAR. Only the internet offers more jobs for everyday common people as in computer scientist, IT, and in offices that are computer capable. Using a computer to watch tv is just smarter.