It would be kind of cool for The Tonight Show to move back to its New York roots, and that move would also probably mean that Jay Leno could not try and do a repeat and grab the show for himself if Jimmy Fallon;s ratings suck. A couple of weeks ago I posted that Jimmy was going to get the Tonight Show, but that Jay Leno was not voluntarily stepping down from his gig. This is going to be even more nasty than the Conan one because at least in the beginning of that mess, Jay acted like he was going to leave and take that earlier time slot and if people had actually watched Jay at his earlier hour, we may not be having this discussion. But, we are. When The NY Times says something is going to happen, it usually does. If NBC sticks to its guns and to Jimmy Fallon then everything should be fine, but if they throw him under a bus at the first sign of trouble, then they will have ruined another great show on their network.
I love Jimmy Fallon - so much better than Leno!
ReplyDeleteHope they don't screw him like they did Conan. That was so shirty. Coco forever!!!
ReplyDeleteUgh. I love Jimmy but NBC wouldn't keep the show in NYC for Conan but they will for Jimmy? This is gonna be a hot mess.
ReplyDeleteBigger question- will The Roots stay with him? If that means I'll get to see my beloved Roots at an even earlier hour..I will be thrilled.
I'm just wondering what Conan's thoughts will be if all of this goes down.
ReplyDeleteI read that NBC now has different owners and and different people making these decisions. So it wasnt these people who refused to move the show back to NY when Conan took over. Hopefully Conan will take that into consideration before he gets his feelings more hurt. I have lots of love for jimmy Fallon and I don't think The Roots wouldve relocated and they aren't just a band they are Jimmys co-stars!! Also, I loathe jay leno.
DeleteLeno is going to fight this with every breath he has.
ReplyDelete@RCB - From what I've read, the roots were one of the reasons that the show will be in NY.
ReplyDeleteI think they're going to screw Jimmy somehow....maybe make Leno an executive producer?
ReplyDeleteSMFH....Conan O'Brien was their future and they blew it. Jimmy is fine, I just don't think he's as consistent as others. I think his interviews are the worst.
JMO, of course. Fallon is fine, but not 'Tonight Show' caliber.
Remember this is a new regime running NBC the Ben Silverman, and Jeff Zucker days who just went insane and started the drive of NBC into the ground.
ReplyDeleteI think Bob Greenblatt will make more sound decisions on what to do. Instead of throwing the baby out with the bath water.
Team Coco!
ReplyDeleteWaves hi to my CareBear! Hi booboo, I'm home for work today.
ReplyDeleteOf facking god! Like yawn people! Give me a Stone Phillips Dateline repeat or some shit. I'm tired of this fake late night war. Jay has not been funny in....well never. And jimmy was better on SNL.
@AuntJess - lol for realz. Stone Phillips Dateline repeat! Ha!
DeleteThat voice and hair? Am I right?
Delete@AuntJess - he can take the most outlandish dribble of a story and make it seem super-serious with that voice and those facial expressions. Ha!
Deletei honestly can't understand all the ire for jay leno. conan's ratings sucked, nbc decided to rehire leno and he took the job. the only thing i could see wrong, according to leno, was that he didn't verify for himself that conan knew what was happening instead of relying on the word of the execs. otherwise, who wouldn't rather continue being gainfully employed doing something they love? i also don't see jay "fighting this with every breath he has". that sounds super dramatic lol. if he doesn't want to lose his job, so be it. who does? but there's a difference between not being ecstatic to get canned and being malicious with regard to your replacement. i didn't see that with the conan hand off and i don't see that happening with this one.
ReplyDeleteThe Tonight Show and David Letterman in the same town? How ironic.
ReplyDeleteI loved Conan as a host, but Jimmy Fallon has a knack for expanding his each beyond the broadcast. How often have we watched something from his show online? How often did you do that for Conan? Exactly.
ReplyDelete*reach. Damn I need coffee.
Delete@Lucas- Exactly. Fallon is ok to me but I like my Jimmy's to end in Kimmel.
DeleteBella, Conan's lead-in was JAY LENO'S SHITTY SHOW! Conan was never given a chance. NBC queered the deal from the start, because Leno has somebody's balls in a permanent vise.
ReplyDeleteNote to self: If ever famous, hire Leno's contract lawyer.
Hey AuntJess! Is it cold in your corner of PA? Its frigid here!
ReplyDeleteCathy- good to know!
Winter is still coming in like a bitch here. We are getting flurries later.
DeleteI'm not in PA, but it's cold here, too. Maybe snow on Saturday night? Somebody didn't get the memo about the first day of spring - ahem, Mother Nature? Check your email once in a while, please?
DeleteI woke up and there was an inch of snow on the ground and it was 20 degrees. I'm so over this weather! Luckily, this is the most annoying part of my day. It could be worse.
Delete@Bella
ReplyDeleteAre you Jay's publicist? Conan got screwed! Leno just blamed the executives. He never wanted to give up the Tonight Show.
Matt Lauer did the same thing with Ann Curry, which is another NBC staple floating in the toilet bowl.
@Lucas, ita. i loved conan as the host of HIS show with the masturbating bear, etc but not as a tonight show host. i thought conan had a niche type following, in part because of his brand of humor, which had to be watered down when he moved to the tonight show. the result just wasn't funny. i think fallon has a much better chance of being watched by fans of his and lenos. he's not necessarily the best stand up comedian but the skits, the interplay with the roots, the guests all work for him.
ReplyDeleteThe only one I watch is Craig Fergusson. I bet Jimmy Fallon is quaking in his shoes right now. He's worried Leno is going to come after him.
ReplyDeleteLucas--I think it just seems that way because Conan was doing Late Night for like a decade before the internet. And remember how EVERYBODY fought the internet, and wouldn't allow clips for ages? Fallon started just as all shows/networks realized they should stop fighting, and make their own site.
ReplyDelete@Libby - But Conan is STILL on the air and if his show was that funny I'd be inundated with clips all over my social network. Conan is funny, but he has a schtick that after a while you're like "yep, I've seen that". Jimmy Fallon keeps pushing the limits and using his time on SNL as a template for success. He knows no one watches the interviews on late night TV, because none of the hosts are ever going to do a good interview (save for Letterman, sometimes). So he leverages his musical creativity and talent for sketch comedy into little bits that then become part of our collective awareness. The interviews are only there, at this point, to serve as filler for the musical numbers and sketches.
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ReplyDeleteLibby I had to look on the Comcast guide last night to make sure he was still on TBS. oddly it's all repeats from 2012. Huh.
DeleteI'm looking forward to Arsenio Hall in the fall. Bring back the dog pound please.
ReplyDeleteJimmy Fallon is a cutie, like a funny little brother. I find him to be not the funniest guy in the world, but charming as all get-out. I think he'll continue to do well. And Jay Leno needs to sit down already. Dude is not funny, not charming, nada.
ReplyDelete@henrietta, nope can't say that i'm his publicist. if i were, i assure you i'd have better things to do than respond do randoms on a blog. but, since i'm a regular 9-5 chick who has some time to kill before a meeting, here i am :). i think you're giving leno entirely too much credit. he doesn't make final calls at nbc. if he did, i doubt he would've cancelled his own show. i'm going off what leno has said about the situation. i have no reason not to believe him so i do. even if part of his story is false, the facts remain that conan's ratings were less than stellar and they offered the job back to leno, whose ratings were also less than stellar. perhaps conan got screwed because nbc didn't give him enough time to find his footing but that was nbc's call, not leno's. if leno didn't take the job, someone else would've. if given the choice between remaining employed/ keeping people employed and not, most would pick like leno. imo, this is nothing like the lauer situation. he was still under contract and appears to have thrown his weight around to get ann fired (probably bc she was one of the few not willing to play find the douchemeat with him). leno was being let go, as he will be getting let go again. i doubt there is much weight to his opinions at nbc these days.
ReplyDelete@Bella, the problem was that NBC got scared when Conan's ratings weren't as good as Leno's had been. Conan's ratings were actually HIGHER than Leno's when he first started out as host of the Tonight Show. They didn't give him a solid chance to improve ratings before axing him.
ReplyDeleteIta and I hope they give jimmy a chance bc I think he can be good. Still don't blame Leno for that.
DeleteI still think Leno has some major dirt on NBC to keep his job.
ReplyDelete@libby: yes, leno was his lead show. and? good lead shows help but viewers watch (or don't watch in this case) what they want. and ita with you on conan not being given enough time. neither his nor leno's were for that matter. but that wasn't leno's call, it was nbc's. that's why i don't get the need to blame him.
ReplyDelete@Bella
ReplyDeleteThen you've not read a lot of the gossip about Leno. He has a major reputation among comics and the industry. Howard Stern tells some great stories about Leno's back stage manovers. David Letterman probably wouldn't agree with you either.
I think I'll pass on any stories from stern. I feel like they'd all end with him grossly begging some dumb chick to show her tits. I've heard some things about him. Depending on the source (letterman) I take it with a grain of salt. It doesn't really matter to me in this particular situation. Even if he is master manipulator, NBC is the one who got nervous bc of the ratings and decided to make a quick change. Leno was their first choice for a replacement. If he turned it down, they would've gone with someone else but the decision to ax Conan had been made whether Leno decided to come back or not. That's my point. I'd be pissed at NBC, not at someone for wanting to continue working
DeleteI always thought Conan would fail as the Tonight Show host. He just wasn't funny, mostly weird. Fallon is too goofy.
ReplyDeleteI have zero confidence in NBC NOT messing this up. Just look at what happened recently with Ann Curry and TTS a few years ago.
I hear dat Ms Fru!
ReplyDeleteI think Conan got screwed. The Tonight Show was always his dream. This whole thing stinks! This girl is Team Coco!
JF was better on SNL. Not a real fan of his late night show.
Leno may be a cunning, manipulative asshole, but the man is more skilled as a host than Jimmy and Conan put together.
ReplyDeleteI personally think Jimmy will do really well. He has that quirkiness that the youth like and the goody goody persona Leno fans might really take to. And..... he is adorable!!!
ReplyDeleteYou guys really need to read "The War for Late Night" by Bill Carter. He did a lot of digging and seems to have come up with the truth. It wasn't Leno or Conan screwing things up - it was the NBC suits. Sure, Conan pushed to get Late Night - it was his dream. And the suits pushed Leno to take that 10 o'clock thing because they were scared he'd go to ABC and take his ratings with him. I just don't get all the Leno hate - get the FACTS before you hate. And I've been coming to this site long enough you guys KNOW I'm not a Leno flack.
ReplyDeleteAs for Leno himself, I can take him or leave him - he used to be funnier.
Conan - His monologues stink but the rest of the show isn't bad.
I kind of like Jimmy Fallon - I find his personality appealing.
Can't stand Kimmel - He's like Lettermen - two old guys that yells at kids to get off his lawn.
Seriously - read the book. You'll come away with some different ideas.
I LOVE Jimmy. He is so damn funny. I'm just afraid that they'll change his show and some of his bits will be cut for the Tonight Show. Like they won't do Wheel of Carpet Samples (which is soooo stupid but I think it's hilarious) or Water Wars or his other games. I hope he can stick to HIS show and not just be the host of the Tonight Show.
ReplyDeleteOk, conan had a very loyal but limited audience, not mass appeal. HE couldnt carry the show, people didnt watch. How is that leno's fault? And he shld hv taken the 12 slot, people wld hv gotten used to him and they wld hv gradually moved him up to 1130. Oh but the ego on these guys prevents them from acting logically! Letterman is a nasty bastard, why wld i want to end my day with that? Hes like the super hip trendy girl that looks down on you no matter what u do. Fallon is funny, has mass appeal, and people like him. So he will get the job and make it work. Leno shld bow out gracefully, he can still do standup and corporate gigs. Do a webcast if u that desperate to perform! Cant stand kimmel, hes like the swarmy frat brother who doesnt rape you, but looks on as his brothers do. And all of their immature ranting about leno is just strange. And lets remember, conan had zero problem shoving jay out of his job!!! Everyone forgets that!!
ReplyDeleteAs Enty alluded to, there was a great article in yesterday's NY Times about this.
ReplyDeleteThe writer (I think it was Bill Carter), said NBC is quietly building a new studio for JF and The Tonight Show, but NBC execs won't admit it.
I think JF will cover his tracks to ensure that what happened to Conan doesn't happen to him. Also, in the article, it said Leno's contract expires in the fall of 2014, so even though they'd like him out sooner, they may just sit back and keep him on the air till his contract expires.
@auntliddy - Dayum!
ReplyDeleteI love that we always get the true shit from you ;)
Good day to ya!
Right backatcha!:)
Delete@auntliddy - and don't forget - Conan did to George Lopez what he claims Leno did to him! Although I absolutely cannot stand George Lopez, fair is fair.
ReplyDeleteCraig Ferguson all the way!!!
ReplyDeleteThis Late Night shit is a nasty business. I don't watch any one show religiously but won't watch Leno. Can't stand him. All the others (Letterman, Conan, Fallon, Kimmel and Fergerson) have the ability to do good shows.
ReplyDeleteI think its always been a dirty game.
The secret weapon to Fallon is Gavin Purcell. He is the whole reason that the show has internet traction and why you watch so many Fallon clips online. He was previously on Attack of the Show. He was brought in months before Fallon started to put together a strategy to get the online/internet folks watching and paying attention. Obviously Fallon, the Roots, personalities etc, make the show what it is, but the strategy and continued success in modern TV is in large part due to Purcell.
ReplyDeletepres, great info that you shared.
DeleteI always liked Conan but now that he finds himself on TBS, he has an angry desperate edge and doesn't do Fridays. Downgrade!
ReplyDeletePeople forget how much Leno really affected Conan's show. His talk show was on 5 nights a week and was such a terrible lead in that NBC affiliates were seeing record low ratings for the local news. THAT was carrying over to The Tonight Show. That is why people consider him to be a rat. I hope these new execs have the smarts to let Leno go and give Jimmy a fighting chance.
ReplyDeleteFallon has a laptop open on his desk & does Twitter comedy bits nightly. They really do spend a lot of time doing internet meme referenced comic bits. His interviewing skills are just average, but he usually uses one of the two 1st guest interview segments to do a comic routine with the guest: Charades, games with audience members, songs, setup routines with film clips, etc..
ReplyDeleteFallon's greatest strength as a talk show host is his ever sunny disposition. He's in love with everything and everybody without sounding like an unctuous kiss-ass. It all comes from a place of sincere enthusiasm. That is what makes him standout from the Kimmell and Lettermans of the world. Their comedy is all based on making fun of others. Fallon's is about being silly.
His humor is about being silly and entertaining. And most of the interviews on these shows suck anyway as they are totally canned and planned out. AT least he's doing bits with the guests to let them do their thing.
ReplyDelete"Jimmy Fallon Get's Tonight Show" No no he doesn't..At the 11th hour they'll say, "Hey Jimmy...Can you go on at ..." and screw him UNLESS he specifically has verbiage to say they can't. That's how they screwed Conan.
ReplyDeleteI read excerpts from the book Susan B is suggesting..Very good!
I like Conan, but I think that Jimmy has a wider appeal. And I can't even see this as a Jimmy vs Jay thing. Jay is just not modern TV anymore. He does his thing and like it or not he does it well. Moving on, though, his style is dated and won't play forever. Hopefully they won't screw Jimmy at the last minute, but Jay will be out soon anyway.
ReplyDeleteLove Fallon and kimmel. Conan too but I haver watch Him
ReplyDeleteI just hope NBC don't f him over
The Jay Leno Show got low ratings, which some people say hurt Conan at 10:30 but Leno was getting between 1.4-1.7 18-49 at the end of his run. Last week here are the 9 pm hour for NBC: 1.1 on Monday, .9 Tuesday, 1.1 Wednesday (rerun), .9 Thursday (rerun) and .6 Friday. And Jay Leno is still #1. So i think it was more of an issue of Conan's limited appeal then anything Leno did.
ReplyDeleteAccording to this article Kimmel is #1 in Late Night and Leno is third.
ReplyDeleteWith its new lineup of “Jimmy Kimmel Live” at 11:35 p.m. and “Nightline” at 12:35 a.m., ABC finished as the No. 1 network in late-night in Adults 18-49 (792,000) during the 2013 February sweep, marking its 4th sweep in a row to win over both CBS (+5% - 753,000) and NBC (+9% - 728,000). In addition, ABC drew a larger overall audience in late-night than NBC (+3% - 2.264 million vs. 2.194 million) for the 4th consecutive sweep period.
I'll believe it when I see it. Although, I think it would be a really bad idea to put the two Jimmys against eachother. The fact that people in the targeted demo can watch both is the reason the Tonight Show is slipping further down the drain.
ReplyDeleteWow, I'm surprised a lot of you are actually buying Fallon's "goody-goody" act. The man's a raging alcoholic who's been cheating on his wife even before they got married. Just the other night he was at Raines Law Room in Chelsea til' around 3 in the morning, making out with random girls who went up to him. Plus he's been treating his wife like dirt ever since they learned she can't get pregnant--puts all the blame on her, even when she needs his support the most. Dude's a phony.
ReplyDeleteLucas---My point about Coco's internet or social presence NOW, is that of course nobody talks about his clips, because they're mostly shown on TBS. Who watches TBS all day?
ReplyDeleteCoco doesn't have 4 or 5 other network shows to repeat his funny clips on their other platforms. Like every network guy does, like he used to with NBC.
I think conan brought about his own demise. granted, jay was in the wings w/a knife, but all nbc asked him to do was to start a bit later. conan quit, he wasn't fired. and I couldn't really dredge up any outrage about a few rich entitled white guys fighting over a prize that would never go to a female or non-white male.
ReplyDeleteI didn't watch conan at all until after he decided to leave. then he was funny as hell.
but, jimmy fallon played it right. I'm not a huge fan or anything, but he works super hard and hasn't given nbc any lip. so, good for him.
aganemai, wow. Thanks for the insight. That is woeful how he treats his wife. My husband & I couldn't have children, my husband has the issue, but I always called it our problem because we are a couple & we go forth & kick arse together. So much for better or worse in their vows.
ReplyDeleteCompletely agree with everything you said, @lazyday.
ReplyDeleteExcuse me for questioning your authority, @aganemai, but where are you getting your information? I have never, ever, heard one bad thing about Jimmy Fallon. I know that he has always liked to party (which isn't a bad thing IMO) NOT that he is a "raging alcoholic," and to me there is a big difference.
amy ozols . ?????
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ReplyDeletei can already tell this is going to be another nightmare. leno's never going to leave the tonight show until he's carried out in a coffin. jimmy fallon would do well to study past history.
ReplyDeleteDelurking to pimp out another book: anyone who's interested in this kind of thing, read The War For Late Night by Bill Carter. Really fascinating book that detailed what happened behind the scenes during the Conan Tonight Show debacle and Jay Leno's role in it.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to think Conan is totally over it by now and happy on TBS and couldn't give less of a flying fig with what happens on NBC late night anymore. I hope so.
@Gabby: I know quite a few people who have worked/are still working with Fallon, as well as people who know and have worked with his wife, Nancy. Plus, I've lived and worked in the city for a little over 10 years now, so I've seen Fallon out and about--definitely remember him doing coke in bar bathrooms a while ago. Though I could see where "raging alcoholic" would confuse you--maybe "persistent alcoholic" would be a better term? He's out pretty much every single night. Goes to a restaurant after work, and right after that he hits up a bar until closing time. Wife winds up taking care of the puppy that he bought without even telling her (or asking her input for). And the infertility issues have been going on for a good two-three years now.
ReplyDelete@Agent**it: No, I'm not Amy Ozols, though I'm fairly sure there's more to her and Fallon's relationship than just coworkers/production partners.
@staminarose
ReplyDeleteI totally agree.
librariantobe, you and SusanB have both recommended that book, off to Kindle!
ReplyDelete@aganemai - Well, damn. I was hoping you were a troll but you sound legit. And it makes me sad because I like him a lot, as do many of my favorite people in show business. He and Nancy were a popular guess for a blind about her infertility issues, though, so I kind of had that in the back of my mind. You seem to know some insider info, care to share anything about anyone else?
ReplyDelete