Jay Date
NBC didn’t waste any time announcing the start date of what’s now being called “The Jay Leno Show,” although that title could change. He’ll be on at 10 starting Sept. 14. Leno went out with a bang after 17 years in the Tonight Show chair, having the grace to seat Conan O’Brien as his last guest and making a plea to the audience to support him. Conan, in his first show, also took time to pay tribute to Jay. I’ve heard through credible sources that Jay did not give a similar shout-out to Johnny Carson when he took over the late night franchise from one of the 20th century’s comedy icons. If so, he’s certainly manned up about being gracious, something I can’t say for David Letterman, who’s apparently still bitterly pissed that he didn’t get the Tonight Show chair, all these years later and despite his own, very succesful piece of late night and cultural real estate.
Jay’s last show was really moving, starting with the lengthy standing ovation and ending with James Taylor performing “Sweet Baby James”–and then Leno bringing out the 68 kids that have been born to staffers during the nearly two-decade long run. We’ll see if he can still bring it at 10.
Conan, meanwhile, is getting immersed in LA “culture,” judging by some of his opening night skits, like driving around town in his 1992 Ford Taurus, and causing all the ladies to swoon. The network is hoping the audience does too, since it’s a huge profit center for the Peacock.
