Jay Leno moving back to the Tonight Show?

[Sylph]

That was hytserical!

[DRW50]

Yeah, Gaspin sounds fairly reasonable, but I guess he had to put that "gave" quote in there just to remind us there will always be a little bit of delusion on display in NBC press.

[marceline]

Ugh! There's absolutely nothing in that list of new shows that sounds remotely interesting. All that's missing is a vampire show. And really? The Rockford Files?! Really NBC?!!

They'd be better off bringing back some of the shows they tanked prematurely like Southland. I didn't watch it but the people I know who did liked it a lot. I hope this means Friday Night Lights is back on deck where it belongs. And Heroes needs to die. I say this as someone who loved it but it's time to give it a morphine overdose and let it peacefully go into the "eclipse."

[Sylph]

This network is becoming more hilarious with each passing day...

That's not really a solution for me. I hate that spastic, jerky, stop-then-go method: Let's order Southland. No, wait: we're cancelling Southland. Wait: let's give it another shot... Same with Leno & Conan... That's a big problem with this network: they just don't have anything resembling a long-term strategy. It's all quick "fixes" that actually aren't fixing a thing, only making matters worse.

As for Heroes — I can only say Goodbye!

[bellcurve]

If I were Conan, I'd see what another network had to offer and RUN. Except ABC, of course. Or maybe they should keep Leno at 11:30 to prove how much the world has changed since he's arrived. Nightline and Letterman will still outperform his sorry ass.

I think this is a bum deal. They should have killed the Leno show or moved him to 8PM.

I feel bad for Leno and the network's innocent bystanders.

[bellcurve]

BTW, I am down with another Law and Order, one set in LA.

I'd prefer if they tried to bring back Trial By Jury or at least make it a different show with the same concept.

[Sylph]

FOX was thinking about offering Conan a deal. And why not ABC? 'Cause it's your favourite?

That or... Being glad that Nightline and Letterman will "outperform his sorry ass"?

[bellcurve]

Not so much because it's my favorite, but I love Nightline and the concept of a show like Nightline in late-night television.

Conan on FOX would be great and so much more edgy. But they would have to stand by him. At least give him two years. But he's proven he can do the late night format, unlike the untested Chevy Chase or Pat Sajak.

I should have proofread what I said...I shouldn't and really don't feel sorry for Leno. I feel bad for Conan and Fallon, their shows having to start a half-hour later.

I think that will kill their shows instead of help them.

No one wants to watch a half hour of Jay's stale monologue. People watch for the guests anyway. The monologue and the Headlines and Jaywalking are filler. And would they still need a live studio audience for a half hour show? Who the hell would want to come see Jay if Taylor Lautner isn't there?

And on the big news weeks, Nightline will perform well. It usually does.

[Toups]

Wow, so Gaspin took the idea of taking Leno out of 10pm to Zucker. Gaspin just gained some points with me. Now he needs to pick up the JJ Abrams and David E. Kelley shows and I'll be on the Gaspin bandwagon.

[JaneAusten]

This Comcast deal just pushed this Leno thing into reality sooner. I think the affiliates threated to used their clout or input to cause some wrinkles in the Comcast acquition. I'll bet if the Comcast thing didn't happen, Jay would have continued at least through the end of season one.

And those NBC shows - yuck.

They need to gut NBC like they did back in the early 80's when they took risks with wonderful shows like Hill Street Blues and St. Elsewhere and Cheers. It really wasn't until the Cosby Show came into play that they really rebounded in a big way but they were slowly regaining momentum and quality before then. But The Rockford Files really? Without James Garner. You name me anyone like him in the current age of actors that could carry that show. That show was him.

But television as changed so much since then. I don't think anyone at NBC has a clue on what they want their identity to be(at least I think CBS and Fox both know - ABC not completely sure) but the landscape of Television is so different, who knows whey they could do.

[DRW50]

I thought this was an interesting article.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/11/business/media/11carr.html

[MarkH]

Some favorite quotes and comments from the article.

So, the quote itself is a beautiful triple punch to begin with. But -- this being a soap board -- I couldn't help but see the parallels with our dear soaps. Another comment by the writer evoked the same sense of similarity:

That does seem just about right, doesn't it? And it certainly seems to be common to the story that explains why we don't see new soaps, and why the current soaps just get chipped away, disinvested from...and ridden down to nubs.

Well, I for one will miss the broadcast nets for a while...but not so much. Their day certainly seems to be coming to a close.

[DRW50]

I'm not sure if daytime has been all that interested in their legacy assets. They ignore or behave with barely concealed hostility towards most vets, while trying to push new faces, not getting that this desperation just helps sink them.

I think a comparable situation for news, or semi-news, would be when Good Morning America brought in Kevin Williams and that godawful Elizabeth Vargas (who went on to make that shameful 20/20 piece about Matthew Shepard). They were billed as new faces, replacing Charlie Gibson (who was regarded as old hat by ABC) and Joan Lunden. They were a huge flop, and ABC had to bring Gibson back.

[bellcurve]

That was actually Lisa McRee who replaced Joan Lunden. Elizabeth Vargas was at the newsdesk back then.

[Chris B]

Another L&O? They were stupid for not giving Trial By Jury more time. It had good ratings on Friday and they haven't been able to come close since canceling that so fast. Then they sacked Criminal Intent and exiled Mothership to Friday. I hope they move Mothership back to a decent night at 10 and SVU at 10 as well. Then hopefully they have one or two good pilots to fill two more nights.