NBC Will Move Jay Leno to 10 p.m. Weekday Nights

All you Tonight Show Headlines and Jaywalking fanatics, stop your worrying: Deadline Hollywood Daily reports that Jay Leno will be staying at NBC when his Tonight Show contract is up--and will be moving into primetime with a Monday-to-Friday weekday at 10 p.m. talk show.

Conan O'Brien has been the longtime successor to the Tonight Show throne, but with Leno's strong late night ratings success and NBC's overall ratings disappointments, some were wondering if NBC was in a position to lose a valuable asset like Leno, even possibly alienating him. Heck, even rival David Letterman wondered why NBC would usher the streaking Leno out). And then ABC became very interested in offering Leno a late-night slot, possibly booting Nightline out and moving Jimmy Kimmel's show. Now there's all kinds of new speculation. Deadline Hollywood Daily gives it whirl:

[I]t may very well secure NBC's 10 PM slot and Jay's legacy. Or it could all go into the crapper if Leno's 11:30 PM audience fails to follow him. Or if Jay doesn't attract more eyeballs than his most recent average of 4.8 million viewers tantamount to a mere pittance for primetime. Or if Leno's show cuts into Conan's viewers which cuts into new Late Night host Jimmy Fallon's audience because there's 3 similar programs in a row (and 3 1/2 if you count Carson Daly's abysmal half-hour). Suddenly, there's talk show format fatigue.

The NY Times writes, "No broadcast network has ever before offered the same show in prime time five nights a week. Such so-called 'stripped shows' have been a staple of daytime broadcasting," but Variety points out, "NBC toyed with the idea in 1992 as a way to keep David Letterman at the network; its believed the network also considered stripping 'Dateline NBC' on the network back during a period of earlier ratings woes." While Leno is rumored to make $40 to 50 million a year on the deal, it's also thought NBC would save money because it won't have to develop programs.

So, we guess this means Law & Order and Law & Order: Special Victim moves to 9 p.m.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in Arts and Events on December 8, 2008 10:59 PM

Comments [rss]

HolyDiver

There are two types of people in the world - Letterman people and Leno people. Leno people are retards. Can't tell who is actually worse at interviewing Lamo or Conan. Both are horrendous.

Once Letterman is gone you can say goodbye to quality late night talk shows. He is the last of his kind. The rest resort to fart jokes for a laugh. No thought whatsoever is put into it. Showing two dude kiss or someone sitting on the crapper or talking about sex to get attention is not really comedy.

Amanda Harletsch

Leno is the lamest comedian EVER!!

Spirit of 76

This is going to flop big time. But I guess when you're far out of first place and you're about to lose longtime hit shows like ER, you'll grab any lifeline you can get. I know I'd much rather watch "Big Bang Theory" than that awful "Chuck."

Felix Hoenikker

The old folks go to be early and are really the only ones who watch Leno.

Wza

All the networks need an overhaul. Times have changed.

jackdonaghy

Wow! First, Silverman and Zucker bring back Knight Rider to satisfy the demand and outcry of...5 people. Then, they decide that Christian Slater (who hasn't been significant since 1993) should have his own show - a Jekyll and Hyde spy action thriller. I won't even bring up that they gave Brooke Shields ANOTHER show nor will I mention that high budget disaster named "Crusoe" or how 8 year olds can write better scripts for Heroes.

And now...more Leno? Really? The guy has NEVER been funny nor is he capable of conducting an interview. I blame the target demographic which is people of Ohio (just kidding, that line apparently works better on curbed.com)

I'll watch the 10:00 news on the WB-CW-WPIX-PIX - well, channel 11.

Guest

Wow! So now NBC is going to be unfunny an hour and a half earlier. That's what I call efficient.

Nyctini11

As long as nothing happens to Late Late SHow with Craig Ferguson, they can do whatever they want.

blackwhole

Bedtimes across America just moved up 90 minutes.

r1b2

How is Jimmy Fallon paid for anything at all? He sucks. That stupid Taxi movie's only redemption was Queen Latifah.

Toby von Meistersinger

I watch Law & Order. It is still probably one of the best shows on TV, although that isn't hard given the garbage on TV now.

mzungu

i admit it. i watch l&o. it's only on practically every hour of the day on at least one station if not more. i'd rather watch that than yet another crappy reality show.

zodak

why don't they put leno & rosie together for a variety hour. then nbc can have 2 times teh suck.

Papercutninja

Does anyone actually WATCH Law and Order anymore? And Dateline hasn't been interesting since they took To Catch a Predator off the air.

burgeon

bh - thank you, I thought I was the only one who noticed - yes. He was great during the writer's strike, and then it all went downhill.

If NBC cancels 30 Rock after this move...

Dude69

What do you dweebs know about what's funny! I'd rather watch Pauly Shore at 11:30 than Conan. I also thought NBC would cancel all L&O, they haven't been any good since the Briscoe/McCoy era.

Toby von Meistersinger

Ah NBC, taking the cheap route yet again. Why have actors and scripts when you can have something like this!

babyhitler

anybody notice conan starting to do lame and boring mainstream jay jokes in the opening monologues now? He's like practicing to sell out on the big stage or something.

henricus

Testament to our society when Nightline was going to be shelved for more crappy comedy...

NannyState

NBC hedged its bets with this deal knowing that Jimmy Fallon will be a total disaster. And still Jeff Zucker lives. Even the peacock wants out.

CR

#2 - Pretttttttttttttty sure #1 is joking...

MusicMuse

Figures someone who thinks assclown Carson Daley is funny also thinks Jimmy Fallon is funny...

Dude69

Jimmy Fallon is gonna be 10 times funnier than Jay and Conan combined! ABC should also replace Kimmel with the vastly funnier Carson Daly, and give him the 11:30 time slot!