Jay Leno to stay at NBC and air at 10 p.m.

I think the deal was doomed when Leno agreed to do a primetime show. When the initial deal with Conan was made 5 years ago - Leno should have just said, he can have it now. I'm retiring. Chill out for a year. Come back with another show. You see him on the screen now, knowing what went down, and its just hard to watch. People can say whatever they want about the ratings, and everything, but when you leave and then come back - it just taints everything you've built your career on.

 

I know a lot of the people on this board hate Howard Stern but dude was right on point from Day One on this. He trashed NBC for making the move with Leno being the No. 1, told Conan to his face that NBC was going to shit can him the first chance things went sour, said Leno would snake the gig back and said Leno would lose his audience.

His main point was that Leno should have gone to Fox or ABC and competed straight up. Once he signed the prime time deal, everyone knew what was going to happen.

Now the only real question is what happens if Leno really starts to bomb. Will NBC keep him? Can they afford to get rid of him after all this?

 

<i>>>>And because he's never really gotten bad PR before,<<<</i>

So you don't count that thing where he didn't acknowledge Carson on his first show, and the times when his manager was murdering relationships with half of Hollywood in his name?

<i>>>>but when you leave and then come back - it just taints everything you've built your career on.<<<</i>

He never left. He moved to a different time slot. It's not like he was on the farm for five years.

 

I just don't see any way how they would remove Leno. I thought I read somewhere that Leno had a $150 million buyout in his contract.

There's nobody to replace him. I love Joel McHale as much as anybody, but he's too sarcastic to work at 11:30. I'd watch every night, but the blue hairs in Branson, who Leno can thank for helping him win the late night war for so many years, would not.

I say the only way they remove Leno is if they could get Seinfeld to agree to take over. No way in hell does that happen. There's really no one else who they could realistically get.

 

I used to watch Conan O' Brien show. He was pretty funny and seemed normal. Now, I just stick with Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert over at Comedy Network. When O'Brien comes back, though, I'll watch him. You know that Leno would lose viewers after the way that things took place with O'Brien. This doesn't come as much of a shock.

 

Until NBC has someone who can realistically take over The Tonight Show and do better than Jay, his job is safe.

Of people who NBC could realistically get, Jon Stewart is the only decent choice and I don't think he'd take the job. He also might not appeal to older people.

I'd love to hear suggestions of who else could replace him. Keep in mind, this is The Tonight Show and they're not going to hire anyone who isn't really established.

 

NBC has the replacement under contract already - Howie Mandel.

 

Howie Mandel makes Jay Leno look edgy

 

I figured Jay Leno's replacement would be Jay Leno. Next time he'll save the hassle, as well as the cost of the knife to stick in someone's back, and just renege on his retirement.

 

Exactly.

Plus he's been a good soldier for NBC by doing two game shows and has been working on his interview/happy-chat skills by filling in for Regis every so often.

 

I think that always got pinned on his manager more than Leno, and he was also going up against Letterman, who people in the industry didn't exactly like, nor did the NBC executives. (Especially the GE people, I imagine.)

 

Mandel would have appeal to middle America, much more so than other choices we'll suggest who would do a much better show. It's important to remember this is all about drawing eyeballs, not doing a good show, as sad as that is.