NBC today announced the stop and start dates for hosting duties on The Tonight Show in 2009: Jay Leno ends May 29th, and Conan O'Brien starts on June 1st. Meanwhile, Jay pulled a Jimmy at the TCA today. Like Kimmel did at ABC's presentation last week, Leno showed up in costume -- bald cap, goatee to hide that big chin, black glasses -- and sneaked into the back of the room. (Photo, right, released by NBC.) Then he began asking questions of the NBC bosses like whether Leno would be paid for the whole year even if he's only working for six months of it. (The answer was yes.) The TCA press laughed and applauded. Then again, they're easily amused. An NBC source told me that the bit was Leno's idea because Jay "felt bad" about making that announcement he was "done" with NBC and claims he was "misunderstood". Sure. Transcript of Leno's exchange.
lol - no he’s DONE with nbc as of like 2 years ago.
Comment by troy — July 21, 2008 @ 2:46 pm
Jay is a class act. I love that there will be ONE LESS REASON to watch that stinker NBC. I used to work for NBC when it cared what it put on the air. To watch it continually reduce itself to dreck is sad. I will follow Jay and probably never watch NBC latenight again. Zucker is the king of stupid. I don’t understand why he continues to fail up. And Silverman? Really, it’s creative to just steal formats from other countries? This is what NBC is counting on for its future? As I said, sad sad sad. The Peacock has a disease and all its feathers are falling off.
Comment by M.E. Tinker — July 21, 2008 @ 3:03 pm
Sneaking in and listening to conversations at NBC…that’s Leno’s typical M.O. isn’t it? Remember the Late Shift? He seems like a nice guy on the suffice, but scratch underneath and you’ll strike sewer.
What comes around, goes around Jay–you fucking sleazebag.
Comment by Hmmmmm...? — July 21, 2008 @ 3:15 pm
What I don’t understand is why Jay agreed to the clause in his deal that keeps him off the air until 2010. Isn’t that the type of deal you sign when you jump, not when you get pushed. If I were Leno, I’d want to be on another network on June 1st as well and not give them a head start.
Comment by Renee — July 21, 2008 @ 4:21 pm
One thing that is understood about Jay Leno: there isn’t anything he’s doing that’s original… or funny.
Comment by Sandy — July 21, 2008 @ 4:34 pm
Conon O’brien is so fricking liberal biased as to be able to obtain and or hold the same audience Leno currently has. Look for millions of people to turn off O’Brien and follow Leno wherever he may go. Letterman already has hisliberal bias audience attested to by his EMMY noms so don’t look for any increase in viewership for him.
Comment by netposter08 — July 21, 2008 @ 4:52 pm
I will not be watching Conan. I can’t stand him or his lame show. You can polish the turd all you want but it’s still a turd.
Comment by Leno fan forever — July 22, 2008 @ 8:11 am
Well I’ll be watching Jay on ABC, Fox or any other network or cable station that has him on instead of Conan or Letterman.
Comment by Me — July 22, 2008 @ 10:59 pm
Leno is not funny. Stick with Conan.
Comment by Eric — July 24, 2008 @ 11:19 am