For Better or Werts : TV Worth Watching

THE BIZ: Whither Jay Leno?

Hate to say I told you so, but well, I told you (them) so. Last spring, months before The Jay Leno Show launched -- and crashed -- in NBC's 10 p.m. ET weeknight slot, I wrote a column dissecting how the network's affiliates might be the idea's downfall, regardless how much economic sense the move seemed to make to the bigs in Burbank.

Now word's out that they're trying to find ways to wiggle out of the mess they made by promising Conan O'Brien The Tonight Show and elbowing Jay out of the way. We'll see what happens, but in the meantime, follow this link to the original column.

Then come back here and tell us what you make of it all . . .

2 Comments

JIll said:

I think they're going to push Conan to another network -- presumably FOX? He'd have to have no other options and no pride to go for the "push it back a 1/2 hour" deal. He'll go elsewhere and Jay will have The Tonight Show back (and NBC will be out whatever it cost them to make the change and then change it back!). Not sure if that's good or bad -- I stopped watching all of them several years back. Got tired of Jay sucking up to the celebrities, Conan's weird bits and Dave's semi-meanness (I like a bit of a bite, but sometimes, he just crosses the line and I don't enjoy that...). I've developed other viewing habits! :-) My cynical side wonders -- maybe they just wanted to shake things up, so everyone would come back to see Jay return? :-)

January 11, 2010 2:19 PM

Carol said:

All of this does not surprise me. The great Johnny Carson told David Letterman to walk when a "similiar" mess first happened almost 20 years ago. Now you have Conan (an innocent person)in the middle of this mess. The common denominator: Jay Leno. He tries to portray himself as "Mr. Moral America", but he stabbed his best friend in the back for a job that he knew his best friend (Letterman) wanted 20 years ago. I grew up watching Letterman putting Leno on his "Late Night NBC" show time and time again - trying to help the guy. I do not think Dave would have went all out for him (Leno) if he knew he had signed that secret contract with NBC execs for the Tonight Show in the first place. (Letterman was one of his best friends - he should have told him what he was doing. Instead, Leno was worried about only Leno back then - just like today.) Now, Leno comes up again for the Tonight Show, after having his cake and choking on it in prime time. My position is that NBC gives Jay Leno some hush money and let him ride off into the sunset (retirement). If they do not, NBC again will be stabbing someone (Conan) in the back with Leno again 20 years later. (Will NBC ever stop the madness?)
I know Johnny Carson is laughing in heaven, Dave Letterman and his crew are rolling in their seats, Conan is getting pats on the back from Jimmy Fallon and all those guys at 30 Rock for doing the right thing, and Jay Leno is finally being exposed for what he is really is - (you can fill in the blank here). And of course, Johnny Carson gave Dave the right advice. For Conan, just make sure the check has the right amount of zeros when it is all said and done.

January 13, 2010 11:56 AM

Name

Email Address

URL

Remember personal info?

Comments (You may use HTML tags for style)

Nothing personal, but prove to us that you are a human being, and not an evil automated computer bent on posting spam on this website. Type the characters you see in the picture below.

Archer T-shirts & fan gear at the Fox Shop!

Diane Werts has been glued to the tube since she can remember, growing up in a household where the TV came on first thing in the morning and stayed on till bedtime and beyond. She worked for the USA Film Festival, then for The Dallas Morning News writing about everything from Shakespeare to macrame art to rock music (and has the hearing loss to prove it). She moved to New York's Newsday to edit their glossy TV magazine, then returned to writing about television, specializing in its stranger permutations. She's a past president of the Television Critics Association.

ARCHIVES

October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
March 2008
February 2008