I'm going to give NBC Universal TV Chairman Jeff Gaspin the benefit of the doubt in this interview over at The Hollywood Reporter's Live Feed. If he's serious in some of the things he's saying, then it's pretty sad.

First Gaspin says that the decision to replace Conan O'Brien with Leno at 11:35 was based on "the facts," that The Tonight Show was down 49% and the affiliates were down 14% and that it "made sense to try to come up with some other formula for late night." And that was to put Leno back at 11:35 and (try to put) Conan at 12:05, which he didn't go for.

But you know what? Leno won't have Leno as his lead-in.

If you're anything like me (first of all, God help you), then you've noticed that The Jay Leno Show is slowly starting to morph into the old Tonight Show.

Thankfully, Deal or No Deal host Howie Mandel finally put the last nail in The Jay Leno Show's coffin by giving the big faced host his own desk.



[via The Hollywood Reporter]