Jay Leno's presence on primetime

If work long and hard during the day, one needs to relax and cool down late at night. And thanks to cable here at home, Chief and I are able to sit or lie down in our sofa and watch TV. These nights, it is often reruns of Sex in the city for Chief. Me, I would rather just sleep. But before Sarah Jessica Parker, we get to catch a few laughs from Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. Or even up to David Letterman. One guy we miss on late night TV at home is Jay Leno.

A few days ago, news came out that Jay Leno was moving to primetime TV in the States. That caught many, including me by surprise. I have have heard that Conan o’Brien was taking over his slot soon. And now Jay Leno was extending his daily presence on NBC and entering a new viewing audience.

It was really more of a business decision. It does cost more to produce regular comedy, police or drama series as against talk shows, which is basically just a studio set and the host’s talent fees. And with some primetime shows not getting good ratings, Leno’s move becomes an ideal financial move too for NBC.

Plus having Leno earlier will give the older viewers a chance to watch the complete program. Just like me, I often skip the last segment of David Letterman.


According to an Ad Age report, "The idea of Jay building on in prime time every night of the week not only adds stability to the great lineup, but reinforces us as home of the best comedy," said Ben Silverman, co-chairman of NBC's entertainment division. Jay was born in New Rochelle, New York and is considered as one of the nicest guys on television and popularly known for his collection of classic cars and motorcycles. I remember that episode with Paul Newman where they “raced” around the studio set.

Did you know that he made his presence in Bosnia in 2001 where he performed for military troops associated with the war in Afghanistan?

In April 2004, he wrote a children’s book “If Roast Beef Could Fly” (from Simon & Schuster) which became a New York Times Bestseller. He also has published four versions of “Headlines,” which tells about bloopers in print media.

He took over hosting the “Tonight Show” for decades which has h won two Emmys in 1995 for Outstanding Comedy, Variety or Music Series, and in 1996 for Outstanding Technical Direction. He has received a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. Before becoming host of “Tonight,” Leno had been the exclusive guest host on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” since September 1987.

We really need more good laughs on primetime!