Jay Leno in Prime Time?

[KnoxHarrington]

According to a report in today's NY Times, NBC is prepared to keep Jay Leno from bolting to another network when Conan O'Briens' show moves to 11:30 PM by giving him a new show at 10 PM.

Every weeknight. Every fucking one.

This has disaster written all over it. Leno's numbers at 11:30 are dismal at 10, and I doubt he'll pick up enough viewers to make up the difference.

Plus, it's a sign that NBC is giving up the business of making dramatic shows completely. Leno's show will be far cheaper than pretty much any scripted drama they'd put on. Now, this isn't such a loss because NBC's lineup is a total shitpile (and, yes, I know they air "Heroes"), but I don't like the example of a network abandoning drama almost completely.

I don't think Conan really works at 11:30, and the Jimmy Fallon show is going to be a total faildozer. NBC is fucked.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/09/business/media/09leno.html?_r=1&hp=&pagewanted=print

[Foster]

whats on in the 10'oclock time slot anyway thats any good.

Let them give Leno a try.

[torker]

It would do well.

[razorboy]

I don't watch at 11:30, I wouldn't watch at 10:00. I'm sure he'd get more of the blue hairs who enjoy his particular brand of "humor" at the earlier hour.

[STC-Dub]

Good, another show I can not watch on prime time TV. This is an awful idea.

[Sue_Bender]

Leno is unwatchable if you're still fertile.

[cougarjake13]

i never understood why these shows were on so late in the first place


most people have jobs to go to in the am

they aint staying up til 1230 every weeknight to watch leno or letterman

and if they do, theyre retarded and tired as fuck

[DolaMight]

i'm a lettermanman but i think this would really work for Jay. Jay's show is so tame it belongs at 10 and it'll segway finely into local schlub news.

I don't think many will stay for Conan however after the schlubs are politely laughed to sleep by Leno and the news. Letterman will hold his ratings.

[SatCam]

this would be a major shift for oldies and college students sleep schedules. everyone would be able to go to sleep an hour earlier. Except for the 5 people who watch carson daily who will still be going to bed at 2am.

[PapaBear]

This means NBC can never again have a drama that has content that requires it be shown at 10. Stupid.

[watson]

seems like Leno and Conan will be fighting over the same guests, especially if both are in Los Angeles... I wonder if Leno would move to Vegas or something to distance himself from the Tonight Show, or if the Tonight Show would move to New York and take on letterman

[fezident]

Except for the 5 people who watch carson daily who will still be going to bed at 2am.

Wow! His ratings have gone up 20 percent since this time last year. STRONG!

[MagillaGorillaz]

This is all fucking Fox's fault. If they only had another damn hour of show's on at 10 o'clock. But no let's save costs and start the news at 10.
You know what I would want to watch than Leno. Replays of old NBC shows. The A-Team, Knight Rider, Different Strokes, Facts of Life, Cheers. Shit like that but that would be a big legal mess too with sydication rights and all.

[Reephdweller]

I have a feeling that NBC has seen some early work from Jimmy Fallon and they may realize they have garbage on their hands so rather than not only having the problem of a poor show with bad reviews and ratings, and losing their #1 rated Tonight Show host they decided to do whatever they had to do to keep him in the circle should things be a disaster. In addition Jay's show will definitely cut back on production expenses as well. Provided his show does decent ratings. That remains to be seen if people will want to watch a talk show at 10:00 or has the audience been so ingrained in dramas at that hour they may not watch it. Perhaps this is all a failsafe in case Fallon fails they can put Leno in as Late Night host even.

Watching some of Jimmy Fallon's video blogs I'm not so sure he's the right person for the job...

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