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ABC at the TCA: Jay Leno's New Late Night Home? It's No Joke!
Jay Leno by Michael Schwartz/ WireImage.com
Jay Leno and Jimmy Kimmel together in late night at ABC?
If you listen to ABC Entertainment president Stephen McPherson, it could happen.
At his Wednesday session with the Television Critics Association, McPherson diffused the inevitable question about Jay Leno jumping to ABC by having Jimmy Kimmel pose as an out-of-town reporter. ("If you were to even talk to Jay Leno, wouldn't that be like contract tampering? Wouldn't that be illegal? Couldn't you go to jail for that?") Very funny. But it doesn't change the equation. If Jay Leno doesn’t stay with NBC after he's done with the Tonight Show in May 2009, ABC is favored to become his new home. And McPherson acknowledged that’s OK with him. "Someone like Leno doesn't come along every year," McPherson said when cornered by reporters after his press conference. "That's a huge possibility."
What about Kimmel? "We love Jimmy," McPherson said. "He's a part of this network. He's a star that is building for us and is going to be an asset for us for many years to come." If the network pursues Leno, Kimmel will be in on those conversations. "The Leno talk is not something that's going to go on behind closed doors and suddenly be sprung on somebody," McPherson said.
No official talks have taken place, but you can bet both Leno's people and ABC execs have silently mouthed the words "call me" to each other.
Is there room for both late night talkers? "I think there's absolutely room for both," McPherson said. Kimmel recently signed for another year with ABC and his contract will probably be up again around the time Leno is available next year.
If Leno is paired with Kimmel, there is little doubt that Leno would get the 11:30 slot. Leno has said that his job is to tell jokes at 11:30, something he can't be guaranteed at Fox or in syndication. If Kimmel stuck around he would stand to benefit, getting a strong compatible lead-in to his show and eventually taking over the 11:30 slot (he's 40 while Leno is 58).
But there's more. McPherson also said moving Kimmel to 11:35 p.m. is also "a huge possibility" and described late night as "potentially a growth area for us."
Of course, all of these scenarios mean dislodging ABC's current late night occupant Nightline. The news division is clearly hearing the drumbeats about late night changes. The PR department of ABC News has been touting Nightline's recent strong ratings performance against The Late Show with David Letterman.
McPherson dodged a question about the future of Nightline in light of all the speculation about more late night talk and comedy on ABC. "I have no idea because Nightline doesn't report to me," he said.
It's a call that somebody is going to have to make soon.
More ABC at TCA:
• Fall TV Press Tour: ABC's Life on Mars to Amp Up the Mystery
• Ready for Scrubs: The Next Generation?
• ABC Announces Fall Premiere Dates
• Eli Stone Puts its "Faith" in Katie Holmes
• Exclusive: October Road Cutie Lands on Mars
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Jul 16, 2008 7:22 PM
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I don't see this happening at all! Jay Leno is choosing to leave NBC while at the top of his game; to pursue late night on another channel, for what??
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Jul 17, 2008 12:22 PM
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I don't get it. If Leno wants to stay on TV why is he leaving the Tonight Show. Leave Jimmy Kimmel where he is. He is refreshing in his time slot.
As for NBC's pick of Jimmy Fallon to replace Conan, well we'll just have to wait and see.
Also Conan in Leno's time slot, I just can't picture it, is he like gonna change the whole format of the Tonight Show, At least Leno followed in Johnny Carsons footsteps, which wasn't easy to do....
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Jul 17, 2008 12:41 PM
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Conan's contract wast to be up in 2009 meaning that he'd potentially leave for another station (fox and abc seem like the only options)and take an earlier coveted slot. To assure him staying with the station he was given the tonight show in 2009. That's based on an article from EW (in the most recent issue that I received that has Twilight on the cover) and another past article that I read somewhere, possibly on this site. Leno reportedly didn't want there to one day be another situation like there was with him and Letterman vying for the show so he agreed to have his successor be picked years in advance.
It sounds honorable to me though I'm sure that he always had reservations and supposedly he now has plenty. However, if he stays then Conan gets I believe the figure is 40 million anyway to buy out his deal and then he'd be free to leave. As stated earlier that's what NBC wanted to avoid.
I hope that helps clear up why Leno seemingly made an odd decision.
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Jul 17, 2008 12:58 PM
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childlikegrownup and reesetess where have guys been the last few years? Leno doesn't really want to leave the Tonight Show, but NBC didn't want to lose Conan so a few years ago to keep him on board they promised him he'd get the Tonight Show gig next year. I think at the time thought he might be ready to rite by then, but things changed and so now he and NBC are stuck with things the way they are. In summary Leno doesn't want to leave but there's really no choice in the matter at this point because I think taking over the Tonight Show at that time is in Conan's contract. I can't confirm that, but that's what think is the case.
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Jul 17, 2008 12:58 PM
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Leno also made a not-so-cryptic joke about going to ABC during a monologue this week.
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Jul 17, 2008 2:19 PM
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I like abc the way it is, I like nightline followed by kimmel
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Jul 17, 2008 2:57 PM
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From what I have previously heard & read, due to the contract changes/promises made to Conan, to which J'Leno was consulted with and concurred with @ that time of the negotiations, J'Leno was scheduled to leave the Tonight Show in 2009.
I understood that J'Leno was semi-retiring, so that he could do limited comedy touring, standup comedy shows/specials, and this would allow him more time for his family, friends, and hobbies.
I am certain J'Leno realizes that he can not retire from comedy/entertainment for forever. Comedy is a part of J'Leno's personality.
And, no doubt J'Leno has considered the crippling ripple effect his permanent retirement would have on the USA.
Our country is at war. Gas prices are crazy astronomical. We're suffering a national foreclosure crisis, with family pets being abandoned or sent to shelters at four times the usual rate. We still don't have a national health care policy. The recession continues to march shamelessly unchecked through our nation.
And now, J'Leno is going to abandon millions of us, and send the country into a funky depression spiral?
And what about Kevin and the band?
Can Angelina & Brad help them?
Not the time to go, J'Leno.
We need you!
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Jul 17, 2008 3:07 PM
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no offense to Jay but i like Jimmy a whole lot more. Jimmy seems fresh and has a younger audience. i hope ABC will keep Jimmy as their main late night comedy show, and give Jimmy the 11:35 time slot because he deserves it. if ABC brings Jay Leno in, i feel like it will be the same old stuff, let Leno retire, why repeat what you've done on NBC to ABC, BORING, & i will not watch. leave Leno alone. give props to Jimmy.
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Jul 17, 2008 4:26 PM
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I say, AWESOME, it sounds great to me! I do not look forward to Conan taking over, I find him to be childish and boring and think that NBC made a HUGE mistake in promising to let him take over so soon. I love Leno, and would absolutely follow him to ABC, so I am surely hoping this does come true.
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Jul 17, 2008 10:59 PM
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Jimmy's good and young and fresh - perfect for that young crowd when they start coming home from clubbin'. But old fogies like me need Leno at 11:35, 'cause I'll be (bleeped) if I'll watch the two red-headed freaks!
It was during Monday's Headlines bit that Leno commented on a newspaper article that had a typo indicating he was at ABC rather than NBC: "It's like a headline from the future!" And if Leno shouldn't continue in late night (and he won't be back till almost winter '09, at the earliest, due to contractural obligations) - well, I guess I'll have an excuse to go to bed earlier.
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Jul 17, 2008 11:11 PM
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I have already been mourning the idea of life without Leno, so this would be wonderful in my life, not that anyoone but me (and Jay) care. Jay did make a monologue joke about moving to ABC last week, so seeing this in print gives me hope.
Unless there was a huge change in Conan's mugging, twirling, posing, etc. during his entire monologue, I won't watch. And I hope he leaves his skits in New York. I guess it won't matter to me one way or the other, because I will try to find a test pattern to watch at night if Conan is the only other alternative.
Yes, I do turn to Letterman during Jay's reruns unless I haven't seen it, and I turn on Letterman during some of Leno's really sorry bits (the older little monkey-looking guy, for example, or the ask the audience thing), but I love Ross, Steve, the photobooth, etc.
I turn to Jimmy Kimmel after watching Jay, so to pair them up would be great - worth staying up for!
But Conan - sleep's better than that! No wonder Jay always jokes about NBC and it's loser shows. It's making a huge mistake losing Leno!
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Jul 21, 2008 3:44 PM
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NBC has made a huge mistake. I cannot believe they are letting Jay Leno go. I am even more dumbfounded that they would let Conan take over the Tonight Show. I cannot believe they have even let Conan on television this long. He is terrible.
My wife and I BOTH prefer Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel, and Craig Ferguson in that order. And watch them in that order.
And Fallon? You've got to be kidding. Get rid of O'Brien. Forget Fallon. Keep Leno.
Oh heck, nevermind, NBC. Do what you want. I'll just watch Leno, Kimmel, and Ferguson no matter where they are, even if they all go to FOX. That would be even better.
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Jul 26, 2008 6:57 AM
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