Leno goes vintage

[JayR]

From Reuters:

NBC slates vintage "Leno" during WGA strike

NBC is digging deep into the "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" vault with five vintage episodes featuring the first headliner appearances of five of today's biggest stars.

 

[azumanga]

I'm especially surprised that NBC would show any episodes from Leno's first year as host, when Helen Kushnick was in charge -- I thought I read somewhere that Leno didn't want these aired again.

 

[adam95]

I'm especially surprised that NBC would show any episodes from Leno's first year as host, when Helen Kushnick was in charge -- I thought I read somewhere that Leno didn't want these aired again.

I've heard this myself (I believe it was discussed in the Bill Carter "Late Shift" book) but I think Helen was only in charge of some 70 or 80 shows before she was fired, so this episode could possibly be from late in '92. And not only does Leno not want these rerun again, I believe it's in his contract that those shows can never be rerun again (unless it was perhaps renegotiated?)

 

[KentBrockman]

It'll be interesting to watch these and see how much Leno and the show has transformed over the years. I think the pace, timing and shock-value of Jay's monologue on the older shows will seem a lot slower and boring than what we see on the current 'Tonight Show'. I watched Letterman's first CBS show from 1993 a few days ago.... it seemed so slow & boring compared to his current shows.

 

[genius]

It'll be interesting to watch these and see how much Leno and the show has transformed over the years.  I think the pace, timing and shock-value of Jay's monologue on the older shows will seem a lot slower and boring than what we see on the current 'Tonight Show'.  I watched Letterman's first CBS show from 1993 a few days ago.... it seemed so slow & boring compared to his current shows.

You just know those monologues in the 1995 episodes will probably be nothing but OJ jokes.

As for the late Helen Kushnick, Leno would probably not have been Carson's replacement if it hadn't been for her.

 

[johnnya2k6]

If this strike continues, here's hoping they would show the 1995 episode with Hugh Grant (the one that cemented Leno to the top of the late night heap).

I also hope Conan O'Brien's reruns go back to the Andy Richter years (1993-2000), but that's just wishful thinking...for now.

Jonathan Allen

 

[radioguy555]

I'll definitely be watching these. I wish Letterman would do the same. I remember seeing Letterman's first-ever show from the early '80s on one of the NBC-owned digital channels a few years back. It's too bad they don't show those anymore.

 

[Yeziknoradio]

It's better than running a late night movie, I guess.

 

[genius]

If this strike continues, here's hoping they would show the 1995 episode with Hugh Grant (the one that cemented Leno to the top of the late night heap).

I actually was hoping to see Burt Reynolds and that guy from Double Dare on Nickelodeon go at it again ;D

 

[Skynet74]

Tonight they aired a show from June 1992 (only a month after Jay took over as host). Full credits at the end with a very long version of the end theme and Helen Kushnick listed. I don't know what kind of agreement that Jay made to not air these shows. But apparently that agreement is now off the table.

 

[radioguy555]

I thought it was pretty ironic how Jay joked in his monologue about how he thought Barbara Bush and Hillary Clinton should run for president instead of their husbands.

 

[BRice16]

Obviously the commercial load was differnet then, but the episode was sloppily edited together for rebroadcast last night.

Despite that, I still really enjoyed it. I think they should do this more often when Jay takes a week off when there isn't a strike going on.