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As host of The Tonight Show, Jay Leno’s last guest on May 29th will be successor Conan O’Brien. Also making appearances during Leno’s final week with the franchise include Mel Gibson (May 25th, his first sit down since his impending divorce was announced), Arnold Schwarzenegger (May 26th, after he first announced running for California Governor on Jay’s show), Wanda Sykes (May 27th, off her controversial gig at the White House Correspondents Dinner) and Billy Crystal (May 28th, Leno’s first Tonight Show guest back on May 25, 1992). Video packages featuring 17 years of “moments, gaffes and laughs” will premiere throughout the week.
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Wow, all you whiners are pathetic. Jay Leno doesn’t owe you your jobs. Obviously Leno will pull in a bigger audience than any other show at 10:00 pm and hence, it makes more sense to keep him than some show with miniscule ratings, all for the sake of letting people hold onto their jobs. Also, there are a lot of people who work for Leno that will be kept employed by this move. Please stop whining: if you are any good, you will get another job.
Leno will most likely keep his entire staff…the 10 pm show spells total job security and huge dollars for Leno…
Lame of NBC to have Conan on the last Jay’s last show…because it is JAY’S MOMENT…It is just bad form on the network front…
Probably Zucker and Ben’s idea…
To those who have mentioned the number of jobs that will be cut because Leno is on five nights a week, I wonder what you think the alternative really was. NBC could have gone with 5 more hours of reality shows or given the affiliates five more hours to play with. NBC seems to be going with a bottom line strategy. I don’t think that it’s reasonable to believe they would have brought in 5 more hours of new scripted television. I wouldn’t wish that anyone loses their job. But I don’t think that you can blame Leno for the state of the entertainment industry.
Christ, people. Personally, I like Letterman better. But I don’t watch him either b/c I’m not a thousand years old.
That being said, I’ve got no beef w/ Jay. The whole “what about OUR JOBS” thing is absolute bullshit, because Jay’s show has union crew and union writers who will continue to be employed because his show is staying on the air. In fact, if it wasn’t Jay at 10, it’s likely Zucker would have demanded reality shows to fill those spots, which would have removed WGA writers from the equation entirely. This is a network cost-cutting measure. Look past your egos and recognize that.
Lots of Leno shills posting, huh? Look, the scab is unfunny, and yeah, when is WGA gonna grow a pair and discipline him? Aside from that, for a litany of reasons, he’s easily the most hated guy in town.
Jeff Thomas, you’re full of shit and here’s why:
The WGA gave Letterman’s show a waiver because Letterman “owns” the show, not CBS. What a load of crap! CBS finances and broadcasts and profits hugely from Letterman’s show. For all intents and purposes, it’s their show. But the Guild looked the other way.
Why? So they could pressure NBC into capitulating. I’m no fan of NBC aka Nothing But Cancellations. But who could blame them or Jay for giving in knowing the Guild was letting Dave getting away with it?
As far as Leno being the most hated guy in town…only someone with brain damage, or you, would believe that. Jay has a rep for being a decent guy, and I say this as one who’s close to someone who’s worked with/for NBC ever since he took over The Tonight Show. This person is the first to call out NBC for even minor things. He hates them, but not Leno.
So there.
Dixon Steele,
The WGA called Leno to testify several weeks ago, and we’re still waiting for whether or not he’s expelled. Does this sound like somebody who’s respected about town? When I think of respected and well liked I think Tom Hanks, Leo DiCaprio, Tim Allen, none of whom are on the verge of being booted from their unions. The violation during the strike was flagrant and morally repugnant and the cover up disgusting.
I think the most hated man in town would be Christian Bale, or maybe Zucker. (With Leno cracking the top 10.) Is Jay the most hated man in the Writers Guild of America, West & East? Hands down.