The Tonight Show with Jay Leno! Part Deux

[televisionarchives]

On Jay Leno's first night back to Tonight Show hosting duties, he stole two jokes for his monologue. One from Mitt Romney(!?), and another from an ESPN Page 2 sports writer....

Jay Leno Can't Come Up With Original Material Anymore - Jay Leno - Gawker.TV

I miss Coco.

Does Jay write his own jokes?
Speaking of joke stealing back around 1988 I went to a comedy club in California . I was being served and saw a photo of Robin Williams with a caption that said don't perform if you see this man come into the room. I asked the Waitress what that was all about and she said many comedians have said Williams comes into a bar and steals jokes from the less known comedians. I didn't know what to think about that but years later I saw more evidence of it. One of many examples was when Ray Ramono did a bit on Letterman and the next day Robin Williams did the same bit word for word. You could see that Letterman was not very happy with.

 

[dfergie]

Jay has writers, does Gawker have proof that they (the writers) didn't add those jokes? at least Jay isn't sitting at home twittering now like the host that failed...

 

[meStevo]

The one who was paid 8 figures not to work for that network again? This was a NBC failure, not that of any particular talent they have. The biggest problem they had was the 10pm show and the near-revolt from affiliates, not the Tonight Show.

Figures are out btw, 6.6 million viewers, less than Conan's debut, less than his average viewers on his final week at 10pm. How quick will that drop once the 'oh Jay is back lets watch his first few episodes' viewers stop tuning in?

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/ent...draws-66-million-viewers-and-first-place.html

 

[dfergie]

Conan started losing the ratings before Jay started at 9 so that doesn't wash... and the last week's ratings was people watching to see what the "lame duck" would do...

 

[meStevo]

What's the spin though when something similar happens to this incarnation of the Tonight Show?

Jay's 10pm premiere - 17.7m (show failed)
Conan's Tonight show premier - 9.2m (show canceled)
Jay returns to the Tonight Show - 6.6m (after 3 weeks of olympics commercials)

 

[televisionarchives]

What's the spin though when something similar happens to this incarnation of the Tonight Show?

Jay's 10pm premiere - 17.7m (show failed)
Conan's Tonight show premier - 9.2m (show canceled)
Jay returns to the Tonight Show - 6.6m (after 3 weeks of olympics commercials)

But , He's beating Letterman again, and that's what Conan didn't do.

 

[meStevo]

Conan's Tonight show premier - 9.2m (show canceled)

So you're saying Conan didnt during his premiere? Or are you assuming 6.6 million every night for Jay?

 

[HD MM]

Goodness, I can't wait until Coco comes to Fox. Jay is such a brainless, robotic, unoriginal drone.

 

[Peter Parker]

I guess that we all have our own tastes. I did watch the return show and I found it pretty trite. Please no flame war. I am just saying that there are people that like Leno and others who are just left cold by him.

 

[cosmo_kramer]

Ratings are all they have. And when Letterman was beating Conan CBS made sure we were aware of it. Letterman would love to beat Leno in the ratings.

There's Emmy awards too. Dave's got Jay beat there....

 

[dfergie]

So Rickey Minor will be Kevin Eubanks replacement, I wonder if NBC picked him or if Jay did...

 

[cosmo_kramer]

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[dfergie]

Funny clip last night from the Today show of Al Roker meeting the Dali Lama(modified of course, and they showed this morning on the Today show)...

 

[pro96]

KEV's last night on the show, just ended. Played a solo to bid farewell

 

[dfergie]

KEV's last night on the show, just ended. Played a solo to bid farewell

Yeah, I'll try & catch tonight...

 

[riffjim4069]

KEV's last night on the show, just ended. Played a solo to bid farewell

No doubt he is a talented musician, but I say leaving the show is a mistake - steady gig and outstanding money for a few hours of work each day. Plus, I'm sure he could work the show part-time if he wanted to. Anyway, I enjoyed watching the snippets from Jay and Kevin over the years...those old Mr. Brain, Beyondo, and Iron Jay skits were hilarious (not sure whey they stopped doing 'em).

Anyway, I'm really sad the entire Tonight Show Band is leaving as well...although I don't know why.

 

[TNGTony]

I remember towards the end of the Carson Era, it was a rare thing to have Carson, McMahon and Severinsen at the show at the same time! Tommy Newson was leading the band two or three times a week.

And it is more than "a few hours a day" that these people work. The band doesn't just show up and play on the show. General rehearsals, dress/technical rehearsals are an on-going thing. And the band leader has other duties. It is a full time job.

And for the record, this is the second band leader Jay burns through. Brandon Marsalis was the band leader for the first year or so of Jay's reign/

 

[riffjim4069]

And it is more than "a few hours a day" that these people work. The band doesn't just show up and play on the show. General rehearsals, dress/technical rehearsals are an on-going thing. And the band leader has other duties. It is a full time job.

I know...but it's a regular 9-5 job and they aren't under creative pressure to write/record new arrangements, sell their recordings, travel to various venues and sell tickets. Anyway, best of luck to Kev and the band...to be honest, I don't know whey they weren't featured more often on the Tonight Show like Doc Severinsen...

 

[riffjim4069]

It was nice to see Jackie Evancho singing Pie Jesu on the Tonight Show yesterday. :clap

 

[dfergie]

I watched that this afternoon, has a voice!