NBC announces Jay Leno's 'Tonight Show' exit date

TCA -- Jay Leno’s final "Tonight Show" will be Friday, May 29, 2009.

Conan O'Brien’s first "Tonight Show" will be the following Monday, June 1.

O’Brien’s last “Late Night” show will be sometime in early first quarter 2009.

That's from NBC co-chairs Ben Silverman and Marc Graboff at the critics press tour. Leno shows up heavily disguised as a critic at the executive session and pulled the same stunt Jimmy Kimmel played last week – asking his bosses about the network’s late-night plans.

“Do you think people like Leno as a mechanic better than a talk show host?” Leno asks. ”Is it true you offered Leno a fifth hour on the today show?”

Later, Graboff said the network stands behind their decision to hand over "Tonight Show" to O'Brien.

“We have all witnessed a lot of transitions at NBC,” NBC co-chair Mark Graboff says. “We really believe in the decisions we have made with our partners.”

Graboff also said Leno’s recent comment to USA Today that he’s "done with NBC" was taken slightly out of context.

“We’re not agreeing that he’s going to ABC,” Graboff says. “We’re still talking. We’re not going to concede at this point. We‘re presenting him with a number of opportunities. We can’t force him to do something.”

After the panel, Silverman ran down major changes that have occurred at broadcast networks the years -- from Leno taking over from Johnny Carson, to NBC releasing Letterman, to Tom Brokaw leaving NBC Nightly News -- and noted that all of them, at the time, were called big mistakes.

"We've ridden these waters before," he says. "You can never devalue what a brand like the 'Tonight Show' is worth."

Silverman also noted the point of Leno's appearance at TCA was to show the network still had a good relationship with the talk-show host (which some noted was the impact of the Kimmel stunt). But this time, Leno was so heavily disguised that most were left confused rather than laughing. And any network should know that a repeat never plays as well as an original.

Comments

[CINDY]

I THINK NBC IS MAKING A BIG MISTAKE...I WILL DEFINITELY CHANGE THE CHANNEL RATHER THAN WATCH
CONAN...MOST OF MY COLLEAGUES AGREE.

[Joyce]

I believe NBC will soon be canceling the
Tonight Show after all the great years,
if you go ahead with Conan as host.
We suggest Craig Ferguson, he's funnier than Conan and better looking. Reruns of Johnny would be better than Conan.

[Melinda]

NBC is making a HUGE mistake in cancelling Jay on the Tonight Show in favor of Conan. I will definitely change the channel or just *go to bed* rather than watch Conan, who isn't and never has been the least bit funny. I imagine that my entire demographic (in Jay's age group) feels about the same. I read that NBC felt they could pick up a younger demographic, while not losing much of the older one, by making this change, but I don't know a single person who thinks Conan is funny. Jay has become an institution on the Tonight Show. He is consistently funny, and his intelligent humor and political wisecracks are very much in absence on all the other late-night shows. I think Letterman is going to eat NBC's lunch...or late night snack, as the case may be.

[Eileen Queen]

I agree that NBC is making a mistake by replacing Jay Leno with Conan. From something Jay said during a monologue I understood that he would be moving to ABC. I think I can find that station after the local, late-night news. Since ABC doesn't have any late-night news here in St. Louis, I'll have to actually change the channel. Luckily I have one of those new-fangled clickers. The executives at NBC may soon find out just how many of us baby-boomers have clickers and know how to use them.
Not to over-analyze Conan but I believe that a lot of baby boomers find Conan's self-centered monologue embarassing. Our generation generally finds humility a positive personality trait. The younger generation that NBC is so busily courting must be obsessed with fame to find Conan's self-centered monologue amusing. I have found little substance or variety to his jokes. I enjoy political jokes. Sadly, like others, I often hear of some news tidbit first in Jay's monologue. His interpretation of the news is consistantly funny.
This is just my opinion which probably doesn't matter to NBC since I am 56 and practically dead.

[g. saunders]

conan is a clutz he has no chrizma he just doesn't appeal to anybody up north in canada.(bring leno back if you still want good ratings from up here in the north country).

[terry cyb]

I MYSELF JAY LEAVES NBC TONIGHT SHOW,,,, MY NIGHTS WILL NOT BE THE SAME!!!!!!!!!!!! JAY, IS ONE HELL OFF A COMMEDIAIN, GREAT SENCE OF HUMER ECT, I NEED TO SAY NO MORE!!!!!!!!!! HE WILL BE MISSED!!! VERY MISSED, FROM MY POINT OFF VIEW!!!!!! MY NAME IS TERRY MCGRAW, LOVE YOU JAY!!!!!!!!

[C. Dutton]

If Jay leaves the Tonight Show I believe most of his
audience will leave NBC with him. They want to court
"younger viewers" Hello???? Who is the largest demographic in the country-the baby boomers!! Most of
us don't like Conan's brand of comedy. We don't consider
him funny and he doesn't have "charisma". Also baby
boomers are more likely to watch traditional networks
than some of the newer myriad of more so-called "hip" channels available today. That is where Conan belongs,
on one of those youth oriented networks where his mindless jokes
and shenanigans are more appreciated. NBC needs to cater to it's bread and butter demographic, the
baby boomers and not try to be MTV! Most of us will
still be around another 30 years!!

[what]

what u fire jay, u a tard

[kim burch]

Jay Leno rules

I bet he got pushed one 2 many times

bring jay back or give the job to letterman

What is wrong with silvermen?

I have always enjoyed Jay Leno, and I even found him to be far funnier than Johnny Carson, who I had watched for years. His political humor is very funny and many times right on the mark! And you want to replace him with Conan O'Brian -- who in my humble estimation is not funny. I've endured his monologue a few times while brushing my teeth before bedtime. The brushing was more interesting than Conan! In the future I'll probably make sure I'm in bed before Conan comes on stage. Sorry! An anonymous clergyman who enjoys a good laugh.

[J. Latham]

Half the joy of being retired is that now I can stay up 'til all hours and FINALLY watch Jay Leno. So sorry I missed him all those years---he's witty and hits the political stuff right on the head !!
Conan O'Brian is the most awful thing on the tube, and how on earth did he get that job? Craig Ferguson is also a dopey guy. I won't be watching NBC after May, that's for sure !!

[Marsha]

I like Jay. His humor is, in general, intelligent and humane. He doesn't appear mean spirited, but gets us to look at today's issues with a comedic perspective. How sad that his reward for keeping The Tonight Show going well during the long strike is to be axed from it. I need the laughter he offers (Headlines is the best) and hopefully he will go to another network with a nicer studio. He deserves that.

[Brian in indiana]

as bad as nbc's ratings are how could they come to the idea to screw with the crown jewel &replace jay for conan no wonder they are where they are ,what bonehead mgmt

[Kiki Jones]

I agree with all these other comments about Jay leaving NBC. I change the channel or turn off the TV as soon as Conan comes on. Mistakes have been made before and today most of the programs on TV in general are worthless. I guess I'm stuck in the 70's & 80's.

[jared womack]

jay Leno is an icon of late night television. there arnt man that can compete. david letterman is funny but the trouble is his writers... there is a repetition, a recycled content that makes the show less enjoyable. what i see as the problem is that jay leno like david letter man has writers. The icon of jay leno the late night tv host is largely made up of writers. if his writers stay on at nbc then. we might see a change. jay leno as he is may not be the same in the future if he does take a job with another network. Dont get me wrong where leno goes is where my tuner goes. far as I am concerned new leno or old I will always be a fan.

[Lisa]

I AM JUST COMMENTING ON JAY'S DELIVERY & A GREAT GUITARS WITH A KILLER SMILE !! IS KEVIN SINGLE OR TAKEN ??

[Lisa]

OOOPS GUITARIST WHAT A GREAT SMILE !!
I LIVE IN VEGAS!

[Madalyn]

I am sorry to see Jay leno leave the Tonight Show. I watch him almost every night and think he is very funny and also a nice guy. We will miss him.

[Connie]

Please do not replace Jay Leno with Conan! Johnny Carson was perfect, Leno was good, but I will never watch Conan. He is not funny and would ruin the Tonight Show forever. There must be hundreds of better options.

[Not a Conan fan]

As my title says, I am not a Conan O'Brien fan. He is "sometimes" funny, but not nearly enough to be the lead of the brand that is the Tonight Show. We're also a Nielsen household, so there goes 20,000 from the share, as we will not be watching the Tonight Show after May 29, 2009.

I personally do not know anyone who enjoys Conan. I asked my 21 y.o. if he or any of his friends watched him, and his response was "You're kidding, right? The guy's never funny. None of us watch him." So there goes your supposed "demographic".

If Jay must go, then our personal endorsement would be for Craig Ferguson, who, at the very least, is funny more often than not, and a damn sight funnier than Conan.

[T. Love]

When Jay Leno leaves the Tonight Show, my late night television choice will become CBS. Conan O'Brien is not funny, and never has been. I tried watching his show once - my I.Q. fell by at least 20% in the 10 minutes of my life I wasted.

[Bob Griffith]

Jay Leaving is a "Big-Mistake" for NBC. Whatt in the wide wide world of entertainment could NBC be thinking?,,,, Unless,,, there is actually an undercurrent Riff between NBC's head(s) and Lino? I would bet the Heads are trying to prove some point against Lino but all the while knowing they are very likely cutting their nose's off big time!