Leno To Be The Hottest Man In Hollywood Once NBC Contract Expires

New York Times:

The Jay Leno chase is on.

Four years ago, NBC made the comedian the lame-duck host of "The Tonight Show," announcing with fanfare that he would be succeeded by Conan O'Brien in 2009.

Today, Mr. Leno is still the champion of late-night ratings, with no apparent desire to do anything else but continue on top. "What I do," he has said on several occasions to colleagues, "is tell jokes at 11:30 at night."

And so, nearly two years before he can officially be courted, suitors including two networks, ABC and Fox, and at least one television studio, Sony Pictures Television, are beginning to circle, doing everything they legally can to make sure Mr. Leno knows that they will make it possible for him to continue doing just that.

Senior executives at ABC and Fox said that their networks had discreetly gotten the message to Mr. Leno that they were waiting eagerly for the time when they would be able to make official overtures. NBC Universal, meanwhile, has repeatedly expressed its intention to retain Mr. Leno with a still-undisclosed plan for a new program.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[Cowtippin]

05:56 PM on 02/27/2008

Well all you clowns that don't like Leno can watch reruns of CIS. I really don't think Leno cares what any of you people think. Heck the guy makes millions and millions of dollars a year...good for him because if NBC is paying him that much they must be making money on his show....so stop whining...it's just a biz. Get over it and go out an plant a tree or something...bunch of hippies...your pal Cartman

[mediamarv]

12:49 PM on 02/28/2008

I doubt the whole premise behind the headline.'
His ratings have never recovered from the strike period.
And he's boring.
'Nuff said.

[Kally]

03:19 PM on 02/27/2008

Well we might NOT WRITE humor but we sure know what we like. And O'Brien sucks worst than Leno. The only thing about Leno is "Headlines". What's he gonna do when he runs out of Bill and Hillary Clinton jokes. So stale. so stale.

And even in the joke pot obama is untouchable. Mr. skinny ears would be a wealth of material. But I guess even comics have been told to pan Hillary and give obama the pass.

[Nutcase]

02:33 PM on 02/27/2008

I'm really impressed with all of the expertise on humor that has descended on this blog. It appears that several posters are so knowledgeable on the subject and all of Jay's faults that NBC will have to look no further than this site for the next Johnny Carson.

[whoissilvia]

03:00 PM on 02/27/2008

"The humorous story is strictly a work of art--high and delicate art-- and only an artist can tell it; but no art is necessary in telling the comic and the witty story; anybody can do it.
...The humorous story is told gravely; the teller does his best to conceal the fact that he even dimly suspects that there is anything funny about it; but the teller of the comic story tells you beforehand that it is one of the funniest things he has ever heard, then tells it with eager delight, and is the first person to laugh when he gets through. And sometimes, if he has had good success, he is so glad and happy that he will repeat the "nub" of it and glance around from face to face, collecting applause, and then repeat it again. It is a pathetic thing to see."

-Mark Twain (is he expert enough for you?)

[Nutcase]

06:39 PM on 02/27/2008

He is but, as with some others, you miss my point.

[whoissilvia]

12:49 PM on 02/27/2008

Well, he's certainly got toilet humor down to a science. He's also the king of laughing at his own jokes and repeating the punchline three times.

I personally haven't watched him for years. The last straw was when he used his "Headlines" segment to ridicule a young woman who was listed in the newspaper as the victim of sexual assault. A man who would use his national platform to essentially re-rape a crime victim is sick, not funny.

[alan2a]

11:58 AM on 02/27/2008

It is a testament to the base ignorance and fundamental coarseness of the American people that the comedian/late night tv host who is best liked has humor that is based entirely, 100% on the lowest level possible. Leno's humor is based solely on being mean and putting people down, in the most demeaning manner possible, and playing up his credentials has a meat eating, testesterone mano o mano type of guy.

[johnnycanuck]

12:38 PM on 02/27/2008

That is exactly how I see him to . Good one.

[kisamija]

11:26 AM on 02/27/2008

It's disgusting how much money they keep throwing at these celebrities while our vets are homeless and sleeping under bridges... where are our priorities... no wonder the people of Denmark are so happy!!!!

[JackSlappyNotYourPappy]

10:48 AM on 02/27/2008

Keep Jay!

[Virago55]

10:29 AM on 02/27/2008

He could model chin guards...

[mrdontplay]

09:58 AM on 02/27/2008

Why not, the shows themselves are nothing more than exended commercials.

People don't get that for some reason.

[OpusIsUnderTheBed]

09:50 AM on 02/27/2008

I suggest he open a hat store.