Jay Leno, head-to-toe denim afficionado and owner of 25% of the world’s automobiles, is returning to NBC soon with an hour-long program to help hasten the demise of scripted television. But it won’t be a Tonight Show retread – Conan O’Brien will still be the network’s premier provider of interviews with actors who don’t want to be there. Jay‘s new show will be a throwback to the days when TV was where young new comics introduced themselves to America, as opposed to now, when comics introduce themselves with a friend request on MySpace.
The show will still open with Jay’s topical monologue and feature popular segments from his Tonight Show days like “Jaywalking,” that saddening expose of our nation’s idiocy; and “Headlines,” a humorous round-up of our nation’s typos. But the bulk of the show will be taped pieces from younger comedians. That sounds kind of cool, but one of them is going to be D.L. Hughley. “This is a way to use young comics in a new way,” Leno said. “They essentially go out and they shoot the stand-up piece they’re talking about.” Hahaha, I can’t wait to hear D.L. Hughley’s super-funny taped field pieces about keeping gay marriage illegal!
“I hope we can make some stars in this,” Leno said. “I hope people become famous and get offered shows. If they replaced me with a guy we discovered, I mean, that would be great.” Uh, Jay, they already replaced you with someone Lorne Michaels discovered. And ratings-wise, that hasn’t been so great, so maybe you’re right.
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