Jay Leno wants his old job back

mrs.v · November 3rd, 2009, 06:46 PM

Jay Leno's new 10 p.m. talk show is losing viewers, as are the local news programs that follow it in several major markets.
This is not good for the network that made the decision to move Leno from his perch atop the late night talk show heap for its grand prime-time experiment.
One of the silver linings proferred by NBC types during the show's ratings slide is that, while they knew Leno would have tough going in the fall when the new dramas it was up against were in full swing, he would kill the much more expensive dramas he is up against once said pricey programs were in reruns.
Last week, that theory got put to the test when Leno went up against a "CSI: Miami" rerun.
He lost.
That is the backdrop for Leno's illuminating QA with Broadcast & Cable magazine today, in which he was asked flat out if he regretted his move to primetime.
"Would I have preferred to stay at 11:30?" Leno mused. "Yeah, sure."
Leno went further, comparing hosting the "Tonight Show" for 17 years to winning the prestigious America's Cup yacht race, adding the rejoinder:
"Do I enjoy the battle [of making the new show work]? Yes, I get a certain amount of satisfaction from pounding my head against the wall."
Faint praise indeed.
Then later, when asked if he would take back the "Tonight Show" if offered, Leno seemed unaware that the job had been filled:
"If it were offered to me, would I take it? If that's what they wanted to do, sure. That would be fine if they wanted to."
This does not sounds like a happy man.
And with Conan O'Brien's "Tonight Show" ratings way below Leno's when Leno left, one can only wonder if the red-headed gabber is hearing Leno's iron-jawed noggin pounding against the wall... in his nightmares.

Conan O’Brien should watch his back, because Jay Leno sounds angry « Entertainment

Fuck him.

laynes · November 3rd, 2009, 07:01 PM

I enjoy Conan 100X more than Jay.. I hope that doesn't happen!

angelais · November 3rd, 2009, 07:03 PM

I think Jay Leno's show sucks. It's another far worse version of his previous late night show. I think I watched two episodes and then gave up.

Grimmlok · November 3rd, 2009, 07:06 PM

Conan was funnier on his own show, he's too restrained on the Tonight Show

Leno was never fucking funny

pookie207 · November 3rd, 2009, 07:12 PM

I don't get why Leno agreed to retire from late night? I understand that it was promised to Conan, but so what?

Beeyotch · November 3rd, 2009, 07:53 PM

Omg, don't look that gift horse in the chin! Thank god he agreed to go.

Laurent · November 3rd, 2009, 08:12 PM

I don't understand why NBC tried to fix the late night line up when it wasn't broke. They had two highly rated shows, and Conan, at least, was funny in his. Now, they've got two shows with shitty ratings and neither host seems happy with where they are.

RevellingInSane · November 3rd, 2009, 08:16 PM

Leno was annoying at best. I don't watch this show and I won't miss him if he disappears.

Chalet · November 3rd, 2009, 08:17 PM

Leno isn't clever, cute, charming or funny. Those are my requirements for a talk show host.

msdeb · November 3rd, 2009, 08:32 PM

i cant stand any of them.

greysfang · November 3rd, 2009, 09:14 PM

Conan freakin' sucks. I told you he would kill the show.

Sasha · November 3rd, 2009, 09:35 PM

Go fuck yourself, douche.

MohandasKGanja · November 3rd, 2009, 09:40 PM

Whether you like Leno or Conan or not, I think the question ultimately is why did NBC come up with this idea in the first place? I heard they were trying to push Leno out because Conan wanted the 11:30 pm slot and would bolt to another network at the end of his contract if he didn't get it.

If Conan hasn't improved on Leno's ratings, and especially if they've gotten worse, then it's possible that NBC will move Leno back to his old position, and there will be a re-shuffling to the previous schedule. Except that it may not be possible contractually, and O'Brien would leave for another network as soon as he is able to.

Little Wombat · November 4th, 2009, 12:35 AM

It was in Conan's renewal contract back in '99 or so that he assume the Tonight Show in 2009 or else NBC had to pay him BIG TIME. The figure NBC would have had to pay Conan has never been disclosed, but apparently it was very substantial.

At the time the contract was written, I think everyone assumed Leno would be ready to quit by then, and there would be no problem. But then last year, Leno's ratings were still beating everyone else in the time slot, and he's not ready to go.

*DIVA! · November 4th, 2009, 12:44 AM

I thought it was stupid to put Leno in on at 10pm and move your dramas to 9pm, it's just ass!!