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Will Leno stay at NBC after 2009?

by Bob Sassone, posted Jul 24th 2006 3:00PM

Jay LenoWhen Conan O'Brien takes over The Tonight Show in 2009 (sounds like a bad decision to me), what will happen to Jay Leno? I have to admit that I didn't even think of what Leno would do next. I guess I just assumed he would enjoy his cars and do standup again full time.

NBC entertainment president Kevin Reilly says that NBC wants to keep Leno beyond 2009, and negotiations are currently ongoing. And because of his contract, Leno is prohibited from talking to anyone else for the next two years. It's interesting because, has anyone really investigated why Leno is having the show taken away from him in 3 years? Is he upset about it? He has consistently beaten Letterman in the ratings for many years, so I'm curious as to what is exactly happening behind the scenes (some of it is covered in Bill Carter's book Desperate Networks).

So what should NBC do with Leno when he leaves the show? Give him another talk show? (No, not the 12:30 slot! Besides, I think Jon Stewart might be offered that). Some sort of production deal? I'm sure NBC will need janitors in 2009, so maybe he should check into that.

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Bob Jones

I am scared for Conan, either he will be watered down and I will leave or he will be the same and he'll be fired. His humor isn't as generic as Leno, he isn't as simple as Leno, and he annoys people.

I like Conan and don't want to see him move, its a bad bad move.

Leno is simple entertaining fun, like a Disney Movie - ofcourse its less funny than the independent comedy or less real than the indie drama, but its easy-going and fun.

Leno didn't choose to leave, NBC was trying to keep Conan. Leno has since ramped up the anti-NBC jokes and has kept quite, I hope he gets something.

I do hope that Jon Stewart doesn't take over, he is plain annoying - he pulls dumb faces and screams, a lot like Conan but Conan can do it - Stewart comes off as a pompous twit. I would hope Stephen Colbert would take it, he is funny - but without the O'Reilly schtick, I don't know.

July 28 2006 at 1:47 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
SamMalone

He'll pick up hosting some car show. I've seen him on almost every car makeover show there is on TV right now.

July 25 2006 at 1:30 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
jake

I think it is such a huge mistake that they are letting conan take over the tonight show in 2009. NBC just does not want a repeat of the Letterman/Leno/Carson fiasco which is probably why Leno agreed to be forced out. I'm sick of all of you Leno haters -- the tonight show has the highest ratings of all late night talk shows and Leno is actually funny. Maybe Leno can do a daily monologue for the today show? If I were him, I would just start over at Fox since they are getting into the late night wars.

July 25 2006 at 12:14 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
richard

Janitorial work is what he should have been doing for the last 15 years while Letterman hosted the Tonight Show. Truth be told, neither show is anywhere near the cutting edge and the glory days of King Johnny are long gone with the ascension of cable television.
Sad to say but RIP late-night talk shows. I'll be watching a Frasier or MASH reruns.

July 24 2006 at 11:00 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
T

I LOVE CONAN!! I can't wait until I don't have to stay up super late to watch him (plus I never liked Leno).

July 24 2006 at 9:36 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Jim

You know Leno announced his 2009 retirement in 2004, don't you? I wouldn't qualify it as him "having the show taken away from him."

Besides, who knows what will happen between now and then? Ever read "The Late Shift?"

---

"If Jay Leno makes you laugh, chances are I don't care for you as a person."

- Peter Griffin

July 24 2006 at 6:34 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
B

Does John Stewart really want to follow in the career path of Craig Kilbourn?

July 24 2006 at 5:21 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Lacey

I prefer Craig Ferguson to Conan, but if Ferguson is in repeats I gladly watch Conan.

The ONLY problem I have with Conan taking over the earlier time slot, is he's going to have to clean up his show. He can get away with a lot being on at 12:30, Whereas the 11:30 timeslot has quite a few more viewers.

So, for those of you who can't wait for Conan to be on earlier, I'd get a TiVo, so you can enjoy conan at his finest.

(and if Jon Stewart leaves the daily show, I will be SUPER dissapointed. He's such a great host for that show, and even though he wasn't the original host of the show, I can't imagine him without it.)

July 24 2006 at 5:05 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Bev St.George

I think that replacing Leno with Conan would be a horrific mistake!!! I used to watch Conan and have come to a conclusion that he needs to tone down the idiotic antics of his show. I think it would be the demise of the tonight show as we know it and would be for the betterment for the network to make a deal with Leno that he would reconsider.

July 24 2006 at 4:49 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Jaymez

Conan sucks. He's worse than Leno and Letterman. I can't stomach any of their shows. Axe 'em all and air L&O reruns.

Conan was rumored to give a speech at my High School Graduation. I told my advisors, if he did, I wouldn't be attending. Thankfully, those rumors never panned out.

July 24 2006 at 4:41 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply

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