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May 26, 2012

Will NBC stick with Jay Leno in 2009?

by Bob Sassone, posted Oct 18th 2006 8:36PM

Jay LenoFunny, I was thinking about this just the other day.

What if NBC decided to change its mind and not give the Tonight Show to Conan O'Brien in 2009? They've already announced that 2009 is when Jay Leno will step down from his hosting duties and that O'Brien will step into the spot (or sit down in the seat, whatever visual you prefer). But over at Variety, Brian Lowry wonders if NBC will have second thoughts about whether or not O'Brien can take his odd, 12:30am sense of humor and translate that to a more mainstream, 11:30pm audience. Remember, people were wondering the same thing about Letterman, and he wasn't half as quirky as O'Brien is right now.

As much as I dislike Leno as host, I think that putting O'Brien in there is a bad move. I'm not sure he can be a Tonight Show host. He's better at 12:30. I have no idea who I would put in there though. I'd love to see Jon Stewart, but I don't think he's quite right for the gig either.

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Pete

If Conan were actually going to take over The Tonight Show, shouldn't he quit his own show soon and start guest hosting? Isn't that how NBC has done it before?

I believe Conan will be moving to CBS in 2009. No way he gets The Tonight Show. His comedy isn't broad enough. And he doesn't patronize guests, which is what NBC apparently looks for in a host!

October 19 2006 at 2:32 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
wondergeekboy

Conan is OK at best. The only time I really glad to see him on is waiting at the airport! He's too wierd and only funny when you are totally desperate for a laugh.

As for Jay, I agree he was really good when he was a guest. Now it seems as though he is really trying (or not trying at all). Monologue topics are recycled 3-4 days a week. It seems like there are 5 writers on the show, each comes up with a joke on a certain topic, and each joke is delivered in turn each night. Watch it for a few nights in a row and you'll see what I mean.

Not really sure who can take Johnny's place!

October 19 2006 at 1:45 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Bob Jones

I don't think Conan can handle it. He is very funny, but it has a very narrow demographic.

Leno, might not be very funny, but he's get viewers in every demographic - better than Letterman.

Conan probably couldn't keep his existing audience, which he would alienate with the middle-of-the-road Leno humour.

I don't want to see Conan crash and burn and would rather they stay as is.

Colbert would be great as a replacement for Conan.

October 19 2006 at 12:48 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Readie

Bonnie Hunt. The fact she doesn't yet have a talk show is, quite simply, a crime.

October 19 2006 at 12:40 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Karen

I worship Jon Stewart as a god, but I would hate to see him on "The Tonight Show." He's brilliant on "The Daily Show" in part because he doesn't have to bow to network ratings pressures. He can be goofy, he can be edgy, he can use bleeped-out obscenities--we've now seen him host the Oscars, which is practically the same as hosting "The Tonight Show" in terms of sucking-up to stars, toning down material, and being mindful of ratings, and no one thought he was as good as he is on Comedy Central. So why mess with success?

October 19 2006 at 10:52 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Chris

I think if NBC sticks with Jay through 2009 and dosen't give Conan "The Tonight Show" I can see Conan staying at "Late Night" for another year (or being showless for a while) until Letterman's contract with CBS is up and he like Dave bolts over to CBS and instead of taking Jay's chair he takes Dave's chair.

Dave and Conan have alway had a good relationship and have only said glowing things about each other. When Conan first started out Dave appeared on Conan's "Late Night" as a guest. Plus if NBC were to give Conan the shaft in 2009 for Jay Leno who would understand better then David Letterman?

I can see Dave deciding to retire in 2010, He'll be 63 (Carson was 66 when he retired in May, 1992), his son Harry will be 7 and still young enough to spend a lot of time with, and he will have been on TV for 28 years. And Conan could keep more of his staff if he took over "The Late Show" because the show would stay in New York and he wouldn't have to relocate his show (and family) to California.

I can hear it now.

"From the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City it's The Late Show with Conan O'Brien."

October 19 2006 at 4:31 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
mario

Like it or not, more of the same is what America wants.

Just give it to Dane Cook. His humor is like Jay Leno Tonight Show ALL the time.

October 19 2006 at 4:22 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Chris Shifty

Letterman recently signed a contract extension that would see him host the Late Show until sometime in 2010. Yes Conan vs. Letterman. It was posted on here a few weeks ago. If they keep Jay on, Conan will bolt to CBS or ABC.

October 19 2006 at 1:43 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Sam

I wonder why no one's talking about the fact that Dave is almost 60; how much time does he have left? Will HE retire by '09? And if Conan doesn't get Leno's spot by then, will he get Dave's?

Dave doesn't have that many years left; he's getting older and he has a young kid. It's not inconceivable.

October 19 2006 at 1:21 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
erroneous_nick

I'd like to see Tim Allen in that seat. I haven't watched The Tonight Show very much since Johnny Carson left. I tried to like Leno in his place, but he just doesn't do it for me. I've always liked Tim Allen in everything I've seen him in, and although I'm not a rabid fan of his I think he would do a good job.

October 18 2006 at 11:36 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply

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