Jay Leno moving back to the Tonight Show?

[DRW50]

http://pifeedback.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/63310451/m/508104662

(Viewers: #4, 4.93 million; A18-49: #4, 2.2/ 5 from 8-10 p.m.)

[JaneAusten]

Heroes looks DOA.

Doesn't NBC Universal develop most of the shows for USA. I realize cable is a different animal but WTF. They've got a number of successes. Why can't they develop shows for NBC?

I really don't think NBC has a fricking clue on what it want's it's identity to be. Do they still want to attract the intellectual over 100K types or what?

[Sylph]

Thanks!

[DRW50]

Will moving Leno back be NBC's worst decision ever??

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2010/01/09/2010-01-09_the_making_of_nbc_tonight_horror_show.html

Probably not, but it's an interesting read.

[bellcurve]

I heard on Today Weekend that the rumor is they may move Leno to his old timeslot, but only for a half-hour.

Interesting that they want to chip away at Letterman's audience by keeping Leno at a half-hour and then hoping the audience will stay around for Conan. But there's also Nightline to consider. ABC has always wanted to cancel the show, but the show always performs well when there's BIG news to report(i.e. Nigerian on a Plane, Brittany Murphy, Britney Spears, The Election). On some days, Nightline even outperforms Letterman in Total Viewers and 18-49.

Maybe NBC wants to keep Leno there, at a half-hour until they can see what he can do, then if he doesn't goose the numbers, expire his contract and then do a half-hour of Dateline 5 Nights a week, as a lead-in to Conan? Or do the more logical thing, move Conan back to his rightful place.

As mad as Jay and Conan fans are right now, let's face it...at least NBC is trying to save itself!

[bellcurve]

And I love how Leno is crying that NBC betrayed him. Really?! After he stole Letterman's job to begin with and almost stole Conan's heir apparent, he's gonna try to cry that nonsense?

Someone shove Doritos down his mouth.

[Chris B]

It's not uncommon for Nightline to beat Letterman and now Tonight Show with Conan's lower ratings. ABC would be crazy to cancel it or move it.

[bellcurve]

The sad thing is, prior to the 2008 Election, I think ABC always saw Nightline as rather expendable. I still think people at ABC feel that way.

I think that, combined with people's craving for reality, really saved Nightline from extinction. The format change(into a more newsmagazine format rather than the short documentary-esque tone Ted Koppell set from the beginning) really helped the show gain new viewers. I think it's great that Nightline survived and is still the only place in network television someone can get news or infotainment after the local news. I'm still sick as hell that ABC caved and canceled Politically Incorrect well before its time. Real Time is not the same show, and Jon Stewart/Stephen Colbert simply can't do for me what PI did. Bringing four random celebs, politicians, talking heads, organization leaders together to debate political issues and hotbutton issues was a genius concept(albeit ripped off from cable news shows). The show got much better when Maher dropped his terrible opening monologue and did the cold open.

As great as it is that ABC has expanded late-night and is doing Jimmy Kimmel, I really wish a show in that timeslot provoked more thought for its audience. But at the end of the day, it's all about money.

Give me Nightline anyday over Letterman, Leno, or Conan.

[DRW50]

It's official.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20335939,00.html

They want Leno at 11:35, Conan at 12:05, and then useless Fallon after that.

Why should Conan stay at NBC?

I think we have learned just how useless the Tonight Show name is without enough to back it up.

Jay Leno certainly did well for NBC during his run but a part of me wonders if the name is really worth anything without Johnny Carson.

[Sylph]

So "it's official", but "it's not a done deal yet". LOL!

So you think the brand only deteriorated with both Leno and O'Brien?

[DRW50]

I think the brand left with Carson. The buzz and the public's fondness, everything (Carson even hosted all those awards shows -- he was of as much public interest as the show was). After that I think it just became some show Leno hosted, and some people kept watching because he was a nonoffensive, average joe presence, compared to someone like Letterman. Leno is someone who is easier to sit through after you watch the news or you want to wind down. But apparently NBC thought the Tonight Show itself was still of name value.

Put Leno in an earlier slot, when people are more used to stronger fare, and leave the Tonight Show where it is with someone who is not mainstream (like Conan -- he works best as an acquired taste), and you lose out.

They should just put Leno back at the Tonight Show instead of half-assing it. Then perhaps they can slowly phase in someone who can eventually replace him.

[Sylph]

Yes, I agree with what you say. And BTW: the So "it's official", but "it's not a done deal yet". LOL! was directed towards the People article, not you.

How is this going to work out exactly? Leno is getting a whole new, half-hour show? And The Tonight Show will start and 12:05 PM?

[Sylph]

The Hollywood Reporter is reporting about it too:

[Sylph]

Nikki Finke on announced scripted dramas and the cancellation.

[DRW50]

Wow, ANOTHER Law & Order! I don't know what to say. Couldn't they do more to build up the "mothership" L&O, which, along with SVU, has been battered about over the last few years? And set in Los Angeles. Very NCIS LA. They can cast James van der Beek and Busta Rhymes in the lead roles.

Howie Mandal is someone I find hard to watch when he's being himself; I much preferred him as a dramatic actor. I don't know how he'll be on this show, but then they might be moving him into that since Deal or No Deal is not what it once was.

I had to laugh when Gaspin said NBC "gave" CBS and ABC viewers at 10 PM and they didn't capitalize. Really, there was very little going on in NBC's 10 PM slot anyway, that's the reason they decided to try to go cheap and put Leno in.

After Time hyped Leno, putting him on their cover as the wave of the future, I hope they will have another big story to eat some crow. Then again, if the choice is between that and stuff like fawning over Ann Coulter, Leno's not so bad.