A cold winter storm pounded Burbank yesterday afternoon as I drove by the NBC Studios at Alameda and Olive Avenues. Along the side of the building, huddling under the overhang, a long line of folks was waiting to get into “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” A miserable day to be standing outside, but I can understand the dedication. Leno’s days on “The Tonight Show” are numbered.
Last December, Leno and NBC announced that he would be getting a new weekly prime-time talk show at 10 p.m. sometime in September. This announcement followed months of anger among fans and negative reactions from critics after NBC decided to kick Leno off “The Tonight Show,” effective May 29, 2009. Replacing Leno at “The Tonight Show” desk, Conan O’Brien.
This network plan could work out really well for some television viewers. Fans of Leno will soon be able to watch his show from 10-11 p.m., rather than waiting until 11:30 p.m., when “The Tonight Show” airs. Still, if “The Tonight Show” ratings drop significantly, NBC could end up regretting this new plan.
