LATE NIGHT WITH JAYNAN O'FALLON
So I'm sure you saw the news today that Jay Leno is staying with NBC and will get his own (new) (ish) show at 10pm weeknights on NBC. It was interesting to see how Conan handled it tonight. He had a somewhat funny bit saying "you won't believe what I saw on the front page of the paper today!" Then he held up a copy of the Daily News with a huge "JAY STAYS" headline and noted "Look in the corner: it's 49 degrees outside!" So ... yeah. Then he said how excited he was to get to have Jay as a lead-in when he takes over the Tonight Show. Sure you are.
I gotta think incoming Late Night host Jimmy Fallon was a bit more ... honest. In his video blog (below) he deadpanned that "I think that's great! Because Leno goes on for an hour ... then the news ... then Conan goes on for another hour ... and we're just ramping it up. People are gonna be ready ... for another hour ... of talk." Yes.
(Side note: Worried about The Jimmy Show. His people seem to be trying too hard. Also, signing your talent up for Twitter does not then mean he is "on Twitter." Just saying. )
Anyway. I don't think Leno's Tonight Show has been funny. I think Leno hosting Carson's Tonight Show was funnier. And in the end, I think people watch Leno because they don't "get" Letterman, don't like Kimmel ... whatever. Leno is vanilla ice cream. He's fine. But here's the thing: Am I going to watch Leno when the competition is Boston Legal, or CSI, or Lost or for that matter Burn Notice or Entourage? Doubt it. No. A point the Chronicle's Tim Goodman makes quite well on his blog.
So what are ABC and CBS going to do? They are going to put their best shows up against Leno to try and kneecap him from the get-go. CBS throws all its CSIs at him. Movie producers like to book celebs midweek so they can push weekend movie openings ... so ABC can throw Lost on Wednesdays at 10 and Ugly Betty Thursdays at 10. Suddenly you might think it better to book Conan or Kimmel or Dave.
I dunno, NBC. There was a time when I wouldn't watch any other channel -- I noted that fact on this here blog as recently as 2003! Ed, West Wing, Law & Order, Fraiser, Scrubs, Friends even Will & Grace. Now I'm completely writing you off for an hour of prime time every night. What's happened to you?
I gotta think incoming Late Night host Jimmy Fallon was a bit more ... honest. In his video blog (below) he deadpanned that "I think that's great! Because Leno goes on for an hour ... then the news ... then Conan goes on for another hour ... and we're just ramping it up. People are gonna be ready ... for another hour ... of talk." Yes.
(Side note: Worried about The Jimmy Show. His people seem to be trying too hard. Also, signing your talent up for Twitter does not then mean he is "on Twitter." Just saying. )
Anyway. I don't think Leno's Tonight Show has been funny. I think Leno hosting Carson's Tonight Show was funnier. And in the end, I think people watch Leno because they don't "get" Letterman, don't like Kimmel ... whatever. Leno is vanilla ice cream. He's fine. But here's the thing: Am I going to watch Leno when the competition is Boston Legal, or CSI, or Lost or for that matter Burn Notice or Entourage? Doubt it. No. A point the Chronicle's Tim Goodman makes quite well on his blog.
So what are ABC and CBS going to do? They are going to put their best shows up against Leno to try and kneecap him from the get-go. CBS throws all its CSIs at him. Movie producers like to book celebs midweek so they can push weekend movie openings ... so ABC can throw Lost on Wednesdays at 10 and Ugly Betty Thursdays at 10. Suddenly you might think it better to book Conan or Kimmel or Dave.
I dunno, NBC. There was a time when I wouldn't watch any other channel -- I noted that fact on this here blog as recently as 2003! Ed, West Wing, Law & Order, Fraiser, Scrubs, Friends even Will & Grace. Now I'm completely writing you off for an hour of prime time every night. What's happened to you?
