NBC Entertainment Exec To Jay Leno: Stop Making Fun Of Our Ratings

[DToTheJ]

“It’s so bad, NBC called Manti Te’o and asked him to bring in some imaginary viewers.”

I laughed. Robert Greenblatt didn't.

http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.c...ive-and-leno-said-to-have-clashed-over-jokes/

 

[Braves2005]

Did Johnny Carson ever make any jokes about NBC's programming during the late 1970's and early 1980's pertaining to Supertrain, Presenting Susan Anton, Waverly Wonders, Pink Lady and Jeff, Who's Watching The Kids, etc.?

And Jay Leno can make jokes about NBC if he wants to because NBC IS a joke.

 

[michael hagerty]

Jay has one of only three shows on NBC that win their timeslot (the other two are SNL and NBC Nightly News).

Greenblatt and the boys couldn't program the police band in a riot.

 

[mjlarochelle]

Greenblatt should take a tip from FOX, which from my understanding, turns a blind eye to the amount Seth McFarlane's Family Guy pokes fun at FOX and especially FOX News. Leno making fun of NBC is actually helping me enjoy the show, and allow their advertisers to reach me instead of David Letterman's advertisers. That's worth something Mr. Greenblatt, isn't it?

 

[jfrancispastirchak]

Muzzling Leno's barbs at the boss would be a stupid move. Gently tweaking the nose of NBC brass means Leno's also laughing at himself, and self deprication is the most charming offensive a standup comic has in his arsenal. Greenblatt needs to chill. The last thing NBC can afford to do is shoot itself in the foot by bumbling The Tonight Show again.

NBC's furlough of Leno to a different time slot reaped disastrous consequences. Replacing him now could mean the killing of the goose that laid the golden egg, although Jimmy Fallon is likely the network's best prospect for the future of Tonight. Tonight, SNL and Nightly News are NBC's only winners, so let Jay be Jay.

And yes, Johnny Carson mercilessly lampooned the brass, and especially NBC's so-called censor. It was hillarious!

 

[Corky Marlowe]

Heck yes, Johnny joked about the network. A lot. Even the chef at the NBC Commissary, Bebe Regurgo. One specific network joke I remember was in a Carnac bit: "A Thousand Clowns...Who put together the NBC fall schedule?"

 

[jfrancispastirchak]

Heck yes, Johnny joked about the network. A lot. Even the chef at the NBC Commissary, Bebe Regurgo. One specific network joke I remember was in a Carnac bit: "A Thousand Clowns...Who put together the NBC fall schedule?"

Good points about Carson. And, getting back to the Leno/Greenblatt feud, here's another concern that NBC Brass had better consider: nixing Leno's ratings jokes would leave only the competition poking fun at the the peacock network, putting NBC even more on the defensive. Marco Rubio's recent water break drama offers a clue about good counter-strategy. He's been turning that lemon into lemonade by stealing the conversation, and he does this by poking fun at himself for this fax paus. That's the mark of a good marksman. If you gotta get shot, shoot yourself in the foot and get a few laughs.

 

[TheBigA]

Last night Craig Ferguson was Jay's guest, and he asked, "How's your relationship with NBC? Must be good, right?"

The look on Jay's face was priceless. And the audience responded.

 

[flytrap]

don't forget Letterman and Conan make fun of the networks also. I remember a gag Letterman did where he took a fruit basket over to the GE building (who owned NBC at the time) and GE security threw him out of the building. I didn't watch SNL much in the early 80's but seems I remember SNL giving the brass hell. especially Silverman and Supertrain, Pink Lady etc. I think it was Al Frankin who was the main culprit and may have stepped over the line a few times, but it was still funny.

How does a once great network like NBC become a second tier joke. The other night CW beat it in the ratings. It has become one of those odd-ball stations that my mom wouldn't watch when we were kids because it was on UHF (old people could never figure out UHF) and you had to turn the coat hanger in order to get it.

 

[Markxxx]

During the bad years of the late 70s to the Cosby Show (Don't forget "Cheers" was an utter failure its first year), Carson pulled in 25% of NBC's revenue for the TV division. And Gary Coleman pulled in another 10%. It's a shame NBC couldn't have done a bit more for Coleman in his declining years.

 

[FredLeonard]

Did Johnny Carson ever make any jokes about NBC's programming during the late 1970's and early 1980's pertaining to Supertrain, Presenting Susan Anton, Waverly Wonders, Pink Lady and Jeff, Who's Watching The Kids, etc.?

And Jay Leno can make jokes about NBC if he wants to because NBC IS a joke.

Leno ain't Johnny. Johnny was in a much, much stronger position. Johnny brought in big bucks and was untouchable. Besides, Johnny was funny. Johnny could get away with stuff. He didn't come off as mean-spirited. And it was a different company then.

 

[johnnya2k6]

As for other networks who used to be down and out...

In his early months, Jimmy Kimmel poked fun at then-fourth place ABC; I seem to remember "Jimmy Kimmel Live" opening with Jimmy walking to the studio and a few people waving signs saying "ABC: We're #4!!" behind him. Thankfully with "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost", ABC wouldn't be fourth for long.

And when CBS crashed to the bottom thanks to losing both the NFL and scores of affiliates to Fox (or other networks), it was the butt of many Letterman Top Ten Lists during much of 1995: http://psaviz.tripod.com/misc/topten.txt

And speaking of CBS...one of my predictions came true; they've finally launched their own app this week.

 

[johnnya2k6]

Greenblatt should take a tip from FOX, which from my understanding, turns a blind eye to the amount Seth McFarlane's Family Guy pokes fun at FOX and especially FOX News.

I think it's "The Simpsons" that have been taking tons of swipes at Fox/Fox News over the years, and the network isn't complaining.

 

[TheBigA]

Two importants facts to note:

1) NBC exec Greenblatt is not in charge of late night.

2) NBC late night and NBC Nightly News are the only shows #1 in all demos, including the younger money demo.

 

[BD Sullivan]

don't forget Letterman and Conan make fun of the networks also. I remember a gag Letterman did where he took a fruit basket over to the GE building (who owned NBC at the time) and GE security threw him out of the building. I didn't watch SNL much in the early 80's but seems I remember SNL giving the brass hell. especially Silverman and Supertrain, Pink Lady etc. I think it was Al Frankin who was the main culprit and may have stepped over the line a few times, but it was still funny.

The Al Franken bit ("Limo for a Lamo") was when Silverman was on the verge of getting pushed out. Lorne Michaels let it go on because he (and Franken) was leaving soon, then had to deal with the inevitable fallout.

 

[mjlarochelle]

Greenblatt should take a tip from FOX, which from my understanding, turns a blind eye to the amount Seth McFarlane's Family Guy pokes fun at FOX and especially FOX News.

I think it's "The Simpsons" that have been taking tons of swipes at Fox/Fox News over the years, and the network isn't complaining.

Them too, yes.

 

[jfrancispastirchak]

Greenblatt should take a tip from FOX, which from my understanding, turns a blind eye to the amount Seth McFarlane's Family Guy pokes fun at FOX and especially FOX News.

I think it's "The Simpsons" that have been taking tons of swipes at Fox/Fox News over the years, and the network isn't complaining.

Them too, yes.

So did Married With Children. Remember Al's summons, "Everyone get in FOX position", as Kelly, Bud and Peg fell into preassigned spots in front of the TV, as if playing a linked human TV antenna?

 

[searadiofreak]

IMO, when an NBC exec tells Jay to stop making fun of their poor ratings, the bottom is near. Seriously, all this does is make NBC look worse. And this isn't all about Comcast. Hundreds of affiliated stations depend on NBC primetime to boost their late local news. Comcast/NBC needs to step back, take a breath, and get some creative juices flowing again, and stop putting band-aids on perceived problems.

 

[DToTheJ]

...Craig Ferguson was Jay's guest, and he asked, "How's your relationship with NBC? Must be good, right?" The look on Jay's face was priceless...

NBC's David Letterman asking WNBC-AM host Howard Stern how he likes being with the network immediately comes to mind...

 

[MarcB]

My solution is for NBC to borrow some successful shows from their sister cable networks and I'm not talking about Bravo's Real Housewives of whatever or any of that wonky jive turkey reality garbage on OXYGEN.