florige
05-29-2009, 07:32 AM
Anybody else going to watch it? I'm betting Letterman will make an appearance.
Jay Leno's Final Tonight Show More A New Beginning Than An End
Friday May 29, 2009
CityNews.ca Staff
Friday marks another milestone in TV history, but it hasn't quite been given the hype of a similar one from seasons past. It's the final Tonight Show with Jay Leno, ending a 17-year-run in the coveted late night chair. Only Johnny Carson, whose own farewell was trumpeted for more than a year, lasted longer in the job.
But unlike the late great talk show host, Leno won't be gone for long. He's readying an unprecedented five nights a week primetime talk show that will be seen every evening at 10pm on Citytv.
But don't ask him what the new set's going to look like. He hasn't got a clue.
"We don't even have a studio built yet," Leno said in a conference call. He did hint that he might ditch the desk and chair look.
"I would like to leave the Tonight Show chair and desk to the Tonight Show and come up with something different," Leno revealed. "It's like when you watch Star Trek and they play three dimensional chess and the things are one on top of the other to make it look like the future; it's still chess."
While Leno is looking forward to some things from his new timeslot - like being able to book guests easier - he has to keep his enthusiasm in check for his upcoming project.
"The real trick to show business is try not to get too excited; try not to get to depressed," Leno explained. He may not be able to sustain the numbers he achieved as the king of late night shows. After a brief struggle at the beginning of his reign, Leno booked actor Hugh Grant, then embroiled in a scandal involving a prostitute.
His "what were you thinking?" question earned him huge ratings, and with a few exceptions, he was never out of the number one position again.
The veteran comedian knows he's entering uncharted territory this time. There has never been a five nights a week talk show on network primetime. It's a big risk both personally and for NBC, his home network, which came up with the concept to keep him from jumping to the competition.
If the show doesn't work, he'll be left with an ignominious failure and his network will be stuck with a five hour a night hole to fill. He knows competing with high cost and high quality dramas at that time of the evening likely won't leave him in top spot.
But Leno intends to fight the good fight, keeping the key elements he believes made his late night show wildly popular: good jokes, good material and good guests. "We just try to keep the jokes coming fast and furious and that's what people like," he believes.
And how will he leave the program that he's had for almost two decades? Leno's keeping a tight lip on that one but confirms they have something interesting planned.
"It's something really personal and really unusual. And I think - well, it seems unusual but it's just really different and it has to do with our show and our staff and I think it'll make people smile."
Conan O'Brien takes over next week. The New Jay Leno show will premiere in the fall.
Jay Leno's Final Tonight Show More A New Beginning Than An End
Friday May 29, 2009
CityNews.ca Staff
Friday marks another milestone in TV history, but it hasn't quite been given the hype of a similar one from seasons past. It's the final Tonight Show with Jay Leno, ending a 17-year-run in the coveted late night chair. Only Johnny Carson, whose own farewell was trumpeted for more than a year, lasted longer in the job.
But unlike the late great talk show host, Leno won't be gone for long. He's readying an unprecedented five nights a week primetime talk show that will be seen every evening at 10pm on Citytv.
But don't ask him what the new set's going to look like. He hasn't got a clue.
"We don't even have a studio built yet," Leno said in a conference call. He did hint that he might ditch the desk and chair look.
"I would like to leave the Tonight Show chair and desk to the Tonight Show and come up with something different," Leno revealed. "It's like when you watch Star Trek and they play three dimensional chess and the things are one on top of the other to make it look like the future; it's still chess."
While Leno is looking forward to some things from his new timeslot - like being able to book guests easier - he has to keep his enthusiasm in check for his upcoming project.
"The real trick to show business is try not to get too excited; try not to get to depressed," Leno explained. He may not be able to sustain the numbers he achieved as the king of late night shows. After a brief struggle at the beginning of his reign, Leno booked actor Hugh Grant, then embroiled in a scandal involving a prostitute.
His "what were you thinking?" question earned him huge ratings, and with a few exceptions, he was never out of the number one position again.
The veteran comedian knows he's entering uncharted territory this time. There has never been a five nights a week talk show on network primetime. It's a big risk both personally and for NBC, his home network, which came up with the concept to keep him from jumping to the competition.
If the show doesn't work, he'll be left with an ignominious failure and his network will be stuck with a five hour a night hole to fill. He knows competing with high cost and high quality dramas at that time of the evening likely won't leave him in top spot.
But Leno intends to fight the good fight, keeping the key elements he believes made his late night show wildly popular: good jokes, good material and good guests. "We just try to keep the jokes coming fast and furious and that's what people like," he believes.
And how will he leave the program that he's had for almost two decades? Leno's keeping a tight lip on that one but confirms they have something interesting planned.
"It's something really personal and really unusual. And I think - well, it seems unusual but it's just really different and it has to do with our show and our staff and I think it'll make people smile."
Conan O'Brien takes over next week. The New Jay Leno show will premiere in the fall.