Jay Leno Show debuts with a Hugh Grant moment

[1069_KIFR]

Was that Edd Hall announcing? Where is/was John Melendez?

I am not a Leno fan, so let's put that right out there from the get go. But purely from a production point of view, this show did not come off as a professionally produced show.

You need someone like, a Peter Lasally, to produce a monster undertaking like this. But Letterman very wisely has him at Worldwide Pants, producing the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.

I know they are trying hard not to be a "Variety Show" ala, Carol Burnett and at the same time look different than the Tonight Show, thus no desk.

I look for Jay to eventually start stealing ideas from the other Talk Shows, probably real soon.

Should ratings begin to faulter NBC will stick with him. They will point to the early years of The Tonight Show. When Leno was down then Hugh Grant turned the tide for him. They are probably thinking, too bad the Kanye West escapde couldn't have happened later because no matter what, they were getting huge ratings this week already without any help form a 'celebrity' screwing up.

 

[Skynet74]

I personally like Leno. But this show is a stripped down version of The Tonight Show. It would be nice to get more. But I watch and feel like I just got less. Maybe that will change. It's only been a night.

 

[searadiofreak]

Was that Edd Hall announcing? Where is/was John Melendez?

I am not a Leno fan, so let's put that right out there from the get go. But purely from a production point of view, this show did not come off as a professionally produced show.

You need someone like, a Peter Lasally, to produce a monster undertaking like this. But Letterman very wisely has him at Worldwide Pants, producing the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.

I know they are trying hard not to be a "Variety Show" ala, Carol Burnett and at the same time look different than the Tonight Show, thus no desk.

I look for Jay to eventually start stealing ideas from the other Talk Shows, probably real soon.

Should ratings begin to faulter NBC will stick with him. They will point to the early years of The Tonight Show. When Leno was down then Hugh Grant turned the tide for him. They are probably thinking, too bad the Kanye West escapde couldn't have happened later because no matter what, they were getting huge ratings this week already without any help form a 'celebrity' screwing up.

I agree with all of your points, especially the fact that ratings the first week will be strong due to curiousity. I'm not sure how they can keep this show compelling night after night. The task was easier when your only real competition was Letterman, but now NBC is taking on ABC, CBS, and Fox in primetime. The stakes and competition are higher.

 

[willcail]

Well tonight the Jim Norton segment was decent.

 

[WMC2006]

Just caught the last 20 minutes or so. Aside from the lack of a desk, didn't see anything I couldn't have seen during his Tonight Show days. And I rarely watched him then.

What's up with Jay's hair?? It's no longer combed back and he's no longer highlighting the skunk spot. And it looks like he could lop off about 20 pounds of it.

 

[radioguy555]

I really think this show is going to affect NBC's late-night programming. With four (Leno, Conan, Fallon, Daly) comedy/variety shows in a 4-hour period, isn't it safe to say that most people will watch the first one and forget the rest? Just a thought.

 

[willcail]

Right now Conan is doing fine with the 18 to 49 group. Witch is the key group to advertise to. Plus last time I check Conan is doing fine in the same group.

 

[searadiofreak]

I really think this show is going to affect NBC's late-night programming. With four (Leno, Conan, Fallon, Daly) comedy/variety shows in a 4-hour period, isn't it safe to say that most people will watch the first one and forget the rest? Just a thought.

Jimmy Fallon had a good line Monday night..."I'm Jimmy Fallon, welcome to hour number four of The Tonight Show".

Seriously, how will this effect O'Brien's ratings? Time will tell, I guess.

And, for an insider, I am curious what studio is Leno is using? Is he in his old studio from the the Tonight Show, or perhaps across the hall in the old Carson studio, or somewhere else on the lot? You really can't tell from the on-air shots.

 

[KentBrockman]

And, for an insider, I am curious what studio is Leno is using? Is he in his old studio from the the Tonight Show, or perhaps across the hall in the old Carson studio, or somewhere else on the lot? You really can't tell from the on-air shots.

Leno is using Stage 11 on the Burbank lot.... not the same studio that he used for The Tonight Show.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

I won't ruin it for the left coasters, but the last segment in
tonight's (Tuesday) show was funny. It could have even
used more time allocated to it, but as the final bit it's up
against the clock.

Jay does need his desk back--the chairs are awkward.

 

[justthenumbers]

The task was easier when your only real competition was Letterman, but now NBC is taking on ABC, CBS, and Fox in primetime. The stakes and competition are higher.

Technically, he's not taking on the Fox broadcast network, because they don't program during the hour - it belongs to affiliates. But your point is well-taken.

 

[oaktree]

Sorry, but I found show 2 "Tonight Show - but way Lighter"

There's no energy. It drags like a Public Access Channel variety show. The bits are boring and out of place. The last one was somewhat funny, but seemed staged.

The talk bit with Moore would play better on Fox Business Channel (without the horrible song.) Cruise and Diaz were a snooze, as was the poor bit with Jim Norton, IMO.

I bet the crack about the Eagles & McNabb didn't go over well in Philly ... or most anywhere.

The show hasn't found a groove, as opposed to "its" groove.

 

[Starbucks]

You practically hit it right on the head. From the intro , change of theme song, the drive and spark isn't what is use to be....so far. Plus the desk seems to be a missing icon, and the formatics were completely different from each first two shows. He should 've kept the same format and take it exactly where he left off 3 months ago. Just call it the "Late evening show".
Conan kept his same format as he moved up a slot, that's what Jay should've done. I'm sure at the moment there working and tweaking things out, see what works, and what doesn't work. But Jay's not going anywhere like these previous posts state. Just drama.
But...just in case it doesn't work...you read it here first....it's been rumored that NBC will replace Jay with South Philly's legendary Mike Phillips. If it does happen....yes, the show will be brokered.

 

[sandiegoinexile]

Jay

First off, I am a Letterman fan, not a Leno fan at all and probably watched the Leno Tonight Show a grand total of 45 minutes since the 1990s. I was part of the 18M who did tune it for The Debut.

Jay will have a successful 10PM run for at least the next decade. His ratings will come and go. Bits will be dropped and refined. His stable of "comedians" will ebb and flow. The desk was there for "Headlines" -- for some interviews, it will likely be dragged out. I don't think anyone expected as huge an opening night as he got. But Jay@10PM is part of the new dynamic. The show is cheap to produce, provides topical new programming 46 weeks a year, and gives consistency to a network in free-fall.

And NBC Universal has a half-dozen cable properties that will tout 10PM destination alternatives (Bravo and USA already air their "new" episodes at 10PM)

Sure, a few affiliates will bail on Jay at 10PM at some point. The desire for early local news -- to compete with FOX stations -- will cause a few stations to plop their local news at 10PM/9PM and run Jay later, although I imagine NBC will battle that off for at least the first 8-10 months.

ABC would be the next to join in, launching a 10PM Nightline-ish magazine at some point -- 20/20 and various news specials already populate that last hour of "prime time". CBS seems less likely. I doubt Letterman would even want a 10PM show. Maybe a Katie Couric National News - Your Local Affiliate Hybrid News Hour at some point, although probably a wiser choice would be just to rerun the successful 8+9PM shows in the 10PM hour to "showcase" them. Cable viewers have already shown an affinity for "marathons" and many cable shows debut a new episode, then show it again the next hour, and then again.

The broadcast networks aren't going to die, but they are going to look very different sooner rather than later.

 

[bpatrick]

Some of those Fox affiliates do extremely well with news at 10/9;
WBRC Birmingham posts some of the highest ratings of any station
with its 9 PM (Central) news.

BTW, Jay got 18.4 million viewers Monday night, according to my local
paper. If he can sustain a level of viewership anywhere near that, then
I look for ABC and (maybe) CBS to change their 10 PM programming; the
"CSI"s and other procedurals have to die before CBS does it, but I still think
a "World News"/"Nightline" (or "20/20") combo similar to what the CBC does
at that hour is an idea whose time may be near, if it hasn't already come.

 

[LKellerIII]

Some of those Fox affiliates do extremely well with news at 10/9;
WBRC Birmingham posts some of the highest ratings of any station
with its 9 PM (Central) news.

BTW, Jay got 18.4 million viewers Monday night, according to my local
paper. If he can sustain a level of viewership anywhere near that, then
I look for ABC and (maybe) CBS to change their 10 PM programming; the
"CSI"s and other procedurals have to die before CBS does it, but I still think
a "World News"/"Nightline" (or "20/20") combo similar to what the CBC does
at that hour is an idea whose time may be near, if it hasn't already come.

One of those Fox affiliates is KTVU in the San Francisco Bay Area, whose 10 O'Clock News has been a ratings leader and favorite of local TV critics' favorite for decades - back to the 70s, before the station was a Fox affiliate, if anything. Famously, our local NBC and CBS affiliates tried to go head to head with KTVU in the 90s, with an "early prime" schedule and 10:00 News. They both failed to knock-off KTVU in the ratings.

Comment on Leno's ratings - I can't see how he could possibly sustain the rating he got on the first night or two. The first few days, they'll be getting curiosity viewers. I watched the first night, and I'm not a Leno fan at all. Also, CBS and ABC are still in reruns.

But I think SanDiegoIneExile's comments are probably accurate. I don't know about a ten year run, but since Leno's show is so much cheaper to produce, NBC is likely to stay with it even if its consistently #3.

I hadn't thought about the new Bravo and USA programs at 10:00. Very good point.

 

[formeraa]

I really think this show is going to affect NBC's late-night programming. With four (Leno, Conan, Fallon, Daly) comedy/variety shows in a 4-hour period, isn't it safe to say that most people will watch the first one and forget the rest? Just a thought.

It's kinda like NBC's morning strategy: 4 hours of Tonight = 4 hours of Today!!

 

[Al Timiter]

Show One: Lame
Show Two: Lame

Some of the bits sounded and looked "forced" and un-natural especially the "10 @ 10" segment.

No more of this time-wasting show for me. I'm done with it.

 

[landtuna]

SanDiegoInExile probably said it best without meaning to:

"The show is cheap to produce, provides topical new programming 46 weeks a year, and gives consistency to a network in free-fall."

Topical = fluff.
new = old, rehashed skits, interviews (done poorly), stale old jokes.

No thanks NBC.

 

[bpatrick]

Some of those Fox affiliates do extremely well with news at 10/9;
WBRC Birmingham posts some of the highest ratings of any station
with its 9 PM (Central) news.

BTW, Jay got 18.4 million viewers Monday night, according to my local
paper. If he can sustain a level of viewership anywhere near that, then
I look for ABC and (maybe) CBS to change their 10 PM programming; the
"CSI"s and other procedurals have to die before CBS does it, but I still think
a "World News"/"Nightline" (or "20/20") combo similar to what the CBC does
at that hour is an idea whose time may be near, if it hasn't already come.

One of those Fox affiliates is KTVU in the San Francisco Bay Area, whose 10 O'Clock News has been a ratings leader and favorite of local TV critics' favorite for decades - back to the 70s, before the station was a Fox affiliate, if anything. Famously, our local NBC and CBS affiliates tried to go head to head with KTVU in the 90s, with an "early prime" schedule and 10:00 News. They both failed to knock-off KTVU in the ratings.

Comment on Leno's ratings - I can't see how he could possibly sustain the rating he got on the first night or two. The first few days, they'll be getting curiosity viewers. I watched the first night, and I'm not a Leno fan at all. Also, CBS and ABC are still in reruns.

But I think SanDiegoIneExile's comments are probably accurate. I don't know about a ten year run, but since Leno's show is so much cheaper to produce, NBC is likely to stay with it even if its consistently #3.

I hadn't thought about the new Bravo and USA programs at 10:00. Very good point.

Wouldn't be the first time a show got a massive tune-in for the premiere on curiosity alone; Lucille Ball's last show, "Life With Lucy," got a decent, out-of-curiosity tune-in the first week, but the premiere was so bad viewers defected in droves and the show was canceled after eight episodes. The same thing could happen with Leno, but NBC might stick with him if he shows a profit.

KTVU isn't the only station that racked up good numbers in the pre-Fox days; then-WNEW New York attracted a lot of people away from the networks in the '70s with its primetime lineup of "Cross-Wits," Merv Griffin, and the 10 PM news, some nights even beating the networks. We didn't live in New York, but my dad, who was a big Merv fan (he came on in Tampa in late afternoon), once said he'd like to have Merv and the earlier "late" news in primetime, and from what I once read in Variety, I think a lot of New Yorkers agreed.