Dec 09 2008
Jay Leno Inks NBC Deal For Move To Prime Time Slot
Tonight Show host, Jay Leno, has signed a new deal to stay with NBC once his contract expires on May 29, 2009. The new agreement has Leno moving to a new prime time slot at 10 pm weeknights, without breaking the deal for Conan O’Brien to take over as the Tonight Show host scheduled.
It had been rumored that Leno was in negotiations with ABC, but had not closed the door on other opportunities with NBC. He has hosted the Tonight Show since taking over for Johnny Carson in 1992.
“We were looking to change how broadcast television works in this new media landscape and we were looking to keep Jay Leno in the family,” said co-chairman of NBC Entertainment, Marc Graboff.
The new show will be appropriately named “The Jay Leno Show”. And though the new time slot may pull more viewers, Leno will be in direct competition with traditional prime time programming.
I doubt that Jay Leno’s new program will succeed. Frankly, I find that his humor is really getting stale. At least half of his jokes are sexually-oriented and not so very funny anymore. I don’t understand what audience NBC thinks they will be attracting in the new time slot. What I REALLY suspect is that NBC just didn’t want him going to a competitor. They would rather have him fail in the new time slot and then retire. Sorry if I am so negative, but Jay Leno just doesn’t do it for me any longer.