Leno Show Removing Last Vestiges of Not-Tonight-Show-Ness
When The Jay Leno Show premiered, the parlor game was guessing how well it would do against its big-network competition. Now it's guessing which basic-cable show will beat it next. Jay's been topped so far by Monday Night Football, Sons of Anarchy and SpongeBob (that last one not a direct competitor but still no badge of honor). In response, NBC seems to have decided the Leno show has a problem: it's too innovative!
Thus, as reported by people who are actually still watching The Jay Leno Show, the program is ripping off its unconvincing human-flesh mask to reveal the lizard-skin of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno underneath.
The most significant retooling the show is doing so far is to move Jay's comedy elements, like Headlines and Jaywalking, from the end of the show to the traditional Tonight slot behind the monologue. As you'll recall, early on NBC said it was structuring the show with these old standbys at the end to provide a strong lead-in for affiliate news. So the new change sends two possible messages:
1. We were wrong about the lead-in strategy.
2. Screw the affiliates, we're saving ourselves.
Bottom line, all that stuff about this "not being another Tonight Show" but instead a "comedy show at 10"? Not so much anymore.
Meanwhile, various hypothetical scenarios are being floated out there (none of which involve NBC restoring Southland-like dramas to its 10 p.m. hour). NBC could give 10 p.m. to its affiliates, moving Jay to 11 and Conan to 12 (thus, in effect, becoming Fox II, which the Leno show was already a half-step towards). It could further screw over Conan and give Jay the Tonight Show back (which Leno told a trade reporter he'd do if asked). Or Comcast could scuttle the whole show when and if it takes over NBC.
For now, though, I'm with the various TV observers Bill Brioux of MSNBC polled: I don't think Jay is going anywhere for quite some time, if at all. For starters, NBC has said it has a two-year commitment. (You can always buy your way out of those, but the Leno move was always about cutting costs—and even more important, what five hours of programming is NBC going to pull out of its hat right now?) Second, even at disappointing ratings, the network likely figures its bottom line is better with a cheap Leno show than with more-expensive programming that might not do much better.
But the most important reason is the one that Brioux's piece points out: it would require very powerful people at NBC publicly second-guessing themselves. And with Jeff Zucker historically impervious to being punished for NBC's failures under his leadership, at this point he simply needs Leno to do poorly enough for him to become head of General Electric.
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They could always tap a few of those USA shows that are doing relatively well. Didn't NBC air Monk episode for a little while some time back? Royal Pains, Burn Notice, and White Collar are just sitting there as are 7 seasons of Monk...
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[...] Why "The Jay Leno Show" is likely staying put NBC has promised a two-year commitment, and why would the Peacock second-guess itself. PLUS: "SpongeBob" special beats Jay. [...]
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"But the most important reason is the one that Brioux's piece points out: it would require very powerful people at NBC publicly second-guessing themselves. And with Jeff Zucker historically impervious to being punished for NBC's failures under his leadership"
Err, James:
http://www.reuters.com/article/technology-media-telco-SP/idUSN1051243320091110But I agree with you in general: Leno isn't going anywhere this year, and may not go anywhere next year - NBC already has to find replacements for Heroes, Mercy, possibly some of the Thursday comedies, etc. before it can even start to think about 5 more slots.
(Not to mention SVU now costs more than its worth, 30 Rock isn't doing any better than Community was in that time slot (i.e. their ratings are all Office afterglow), no one knows if Chuck will top 2.0 after the hiatus, Sundays are a mystery, unless Celebrity Apprentice airs for four hours this Spring, etc.)
Sure, Leno ratings are bad, but it sometimes beats scripted network competition like Forgotten and Eastwick. NBC may not necessarily do any better with scripted shows than ABC is doing.*
*And let me reiterate how badly ABC is doing: they are ordering additional episodes of The Forgotten - which again, Leno can beat - because their Spring lineup is that weak. There is no guarantee Comcast's Leno replacements will be miles ahead of Leno.
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@Tom Shaw- NBC replace some of its Thursday night comedies? I can't fathom such a move- all of the comedies are reasonably successful, nail their target demographic, and are darlings of the critics. There is nothing else the network puts out that is any of those things. I think that by the time they decide to scrap any of the Thursday comedies it will be to implement the 24-hour Today show-Leno-Conan-Carson-Today Show schedule.
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"...implement the 24-hour Today show-Leno-Conan-Carson-Today Show schedule."
Noooo! Don't put the idea out there, the seed has now been planted, we're all doomed!
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@anon76
That comment did not refer to quality - on the contrary, Community will probably be the only decent new show on NBC this year, and the Parks & Rec writers have finally gotten ahold of the characters, such that it may now the most consistently funny show in their comedy block.
But the ratings are not reasonably successful - they are hovering in the low 2s, which puts them firmly in fourth place in the hour. Even worse, Vampire Diaries is within spitting distance (biting distance?) of knocking them to fifth place. For Thursday, the one remnant of NBC's glory days, that will not be acceptable - even if the replacements will almost certainly do worse.
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How about replacing Jay with "Mr. Ed" or "My Mother the Car" - both shows that were never given a fair shake - dropped before people had a chance to really appreciate them. There is a whole new generation out there that may be sophisticated enough to get these pearls. If Drucker puts these shows on he will be hailed as a genus. And to think, I'm giving him this advice for free.
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It's hysterical that Jay Leno is on Imeanwhat.com's Last Five Minutes of Fame. And I have to say, rightfully so!
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anon76 said:
implement the 24-hour Today show-Leno-Conan-Carson-Today Show schedule.
As much as we all loved Johnny Carson, I think it's time to admit that he's past his prime.
- poniewozik Help jog my memory for year's end. Your worst TV shows of 2009 nominees? (BESIDES Jay Leno.) #worsttvof2009 - 19 hours ago
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