Late Show UK

NBC have officially announced their fall lineup.

It’s been previously said The Jay Leno Show will start on the 14th September, and this has now been confirmed in this fall lineup release. Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday will start on the 17th September.

The Jay Leno Show will be stripped across the week Monday-Friday at 10pm in a one-hour timeslot. Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday will air every Thursday night at 8pm in a 30-minute timeslot.

There are some preview videos for The Jay Leno Show, but they only seem to be available for people in the US.

NBC - Fall Preview 2009/2010

Ray Romano - who became a household name for appearing in US sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond - was a guest on the Late Show With David Letterman this week.

In the video clip below he discusses the voiceovers that are put over the Worldwide Pants endboard at the end of every edition of the Late Show.

Incidentally, Everybody Loves Raymond was also produced by Worldwide Pants - David Letterman’s own production company. Ray has some ideas for new Worldwide Pants voiceovers.

Click here for the video clip

We previously posted how the Late Show With David Letterman was drawing in more viewers for the week of 8th June, and how it was almost at level-pegging in the ratings with The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien. Well, it now seems the Late Show is doing even better in the current set of ratings to be released.

The Tonight Show is now behind the Late Show in the ratings. This is the first time the Late Show had more viewers than Tonight since 2005. The Live Feed reports “The “Late Show” drew more viewers than the “Tonight Show” in last week’s ratings — the first time the CBS program has pulled a larger audience for a full-week average since 2005″.

The Associated Press says “It was Letterman’s first win during a full week of all-new broadcasts since December 2005, when Oprah Winfrey was his guest on the CBS late-night show. Letterman was perhaps given a ratings boost from lingering controversy over a wisecrack that targeted the family of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin”.

The Live Feed - “‘Late Show’ outdraws ‘Tonight’ for first time since ‘05″
The Associated Press - “Letterman’s ‘Late Show’ beats the ‘Tonight Show’”
Perez Hilton - “Conan O’Brien Is Losing The Ratings Game!”

All of this Sarah Palin controversy has done little to dent the Late Show With David Letterman - in fact, it’s made it even more popular.

The Los Angeles Times is reporting “for the week of June 8… “Late Show” averaged 3.67 million viewers, while “Tonight” posted 3.77 million. For “Late Show,” it was the closest competitive position to “Tonight” since December 2005, Nielsen said”. So it looks as though the ridiculous “Fire David Letterman” movement isn’t getting its wish - no surprise really.

I would have posted more up about the “Fire David Letterman” protests but I would rather just ignore the whole thing and wait for normality to return, instead of giving these “protesters” free publicity. The “Top Ten Things Overhead at the ‘Fire David Letterman’ Rally” Top Ten on the Late Show earlier this month was pretty hilarious though (click here if you haven’t seen it).

Los Angeles Times - “Spat with Sarah Palin doesn’t hurt David Letterman’s ratings”

Ed McMahon has died, aged 86. His publicist Howard Bragman said McMahon had a “multitude of health problems over the last few months”.

The former announcer for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson became a household name as he appeared on TV screens across America and the world nightly, and always opened The Tonight Show with the legendary line “Heeeeeres Johnny”.

Current host of The Tonight Show, Conan O’Brien, paid tribute to Ed McMahon saying “It is impossible I think, for anyone to imagine the Tonight Show With Johnny Carson without Ed McMahon. Ed’s laugh was really the soundtrack to that show… For 30 years Ed played his part perfectly, he played it with effortless joy and sitting alongside Johnny, Ed was an indelible part of what I think is the most iconic two-shot in broadcasting history… There will never be anything like that again. Now everybody here at the Tonight Show mourns the loss of this warm and really truly funny man… Our thoughts go out to his family and to his fans everywhere… Ed, you will be missed”.

Former Tonight Show host Jay Leno told The Insider “I don’t know anybody that didn’t like Ed. He was just a wonderful, wonderful guy. That was really sad. He was a terrific guy”.

Host of the Late Show on CBS, David Letterman, has also spoken about the death of Ed McMahon. Letterman said “Ed McMahon’s voice at 11:30 was a signal that something great was about to happen. Ed’s introduction of Johnny was a classic broadcasting ritual — reassuring and exciting. Ed was a true broadcaster, and an integral part of Johnny Carson’s ‘Tonight Show.’ We will miss him”. Paul Shaffer added “Ed McMahon defined professionalism in broadcasting. We’ll miss him”.

MSNBC - “TV host Ed McMahon is dead at age 86″
Digital Spy - “‘Tonight Show’ host honours Ed McMahon”
ET Online - “Letterman Reacts To The Death Of Ed McMahon”
The Insider - “Jay Leno & Other Stars Remember Ed McMahon”
Digital Spy - “TV veteran Ed McMahon dies, aged 86″

Click here for Conan O’Brien videos paying tribute to Ed McMahon

Operation Iraqi Stephen

The Colbert Report has been coming from Iraq all of this week. Stephen Colbert has been out there entertaining the troops and reporting on the latest from the Iraq military operations.

The week’s worth of shows dubbed “Operation Iraqi Stephen” saw Stephen make it in to the news headlines on various occasions, including for his army-style haircut which was “ordered” by President Barack Obama over a video feed.

No Fact Zone has been providing excellent reports on The Colbert Report’s week in Iraq - go to www.nofactzone.net for more.

Click here to watch videos from The Colbert Report’s week in Iraq

Jay Leno’s new entertainment show will debut on NBC on the 14th September at 10pm weeknights. The name of the show has been confirmed - it will be called The Jay Leno Show.

The new show will air on NBC nightly in primetime at 10pm for one hour and it will be taped at the Burbank studio that was used for The Tonight Show With Jay Leno before Leno stopped hosting Tonight last month. Jay has a four year contract for The Jay Leno Show but has the choice to cancel after two years if he wants to.

The Jay Leno Show will be different to The Tonight Show With Jay Leno format and is thought to focus more on comedy rather than interviews, but there will probably still be a couch and a desk (although Jay has said he would prefer there not to be a desk at all).

Some segments will remain from The Tonight Show With Jay Leno on the new show - including Jaywalking and Headlines.

In a short preview of The Jay Leno Show, it’s revealed the show will start with a monologue and end with a new comedy segment, and that Jay will be getting his guests off the couch and participating in the comedy segments. The preview says it will be on air 46 weeks of the year with “more comedy, less murder” at 10pm.

It’s not been confirmed whether any UK television channel has picked up the rights to air The Jay Leno Show when it starts in September.

Click here to watch The Jay Leno Show preview

David Letterman’s been the subject of some controversy this week regarding some jokes he made about Governor Sarah Palin and her 18 year old daughter. He’s since apologised for the jokes on-air on the Late Show. Has this thing been blown completely out of proportion? Yes, in my opinion. What do you think? Leave us a comment.

Yahoo! News - “Sarah Palin: Letterman owes women an apology”
Digital Spy - “David Letterman ‘regrets’ Sarah Palin joke”

Click here to watch Letterman talking about the Sarah Palin controversy on the Late Show, and to watch a video of Sarah Palin on The Today Show talking about Letterman

Whilst I was on vacation, The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien made its debut on NBC. The first show - on 1st June - saw Conan take over the franchise of The Tonight Show from Jay Leno.

The first show opened with a video showing Conan getting ready to start The Tonight Show only to realise he forgot one important thing - he forgot to move from New York to Los Angeles where The Tonight Show is filmed. The Tonight Show is housed in a studio in the Universal Studios lot.

In the video, Conan couldn’t hail a cab in NYC so ran from New York to Los Angeles passing through various points across the country on the way - including Las Vegas - but when he arrived in LA he forgot he left his keys in his NYC apartment, so he plowed the door to The Tonight Show studio with a mechanical digger.

Other highlights of the first show included Conan doing a Universal Studios tour in the Universal tour tram, where he took the tram outside of the lot and caused mayhem, and guests Will Ferrell (who arrived in style and even sang a special song for Conan) & Pearl Jam.

Some of his first words on the show were “I think I’ve timed this move perfectly. I’m on a last-place network, I moved to a state that’s bankrupt and The Tonight Show is sponsored by General Motors”.

Something to note about The Tonight Show - it keeps a very similar theme tune to Late Night With Conan O’Brien with some tweaks. Click here to watch the opening titles.

The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien has been a hit in the ratings - Variety says its first week ratings “proved to be even bigger than expected in key demos” and that it “averaged a 2.3 rating in adults 18-49″ which outdid the ratings of CBS’s Late Show With David Letterman. Jimmy Fallon - host of Late Night - saw big ratings for his show on the debut week of The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien. The Tonight Show saw Late Night With Jimmy Fallon get record ratings.

Variety - “O’Brien off and running on ‘Tonight’”
Times Online - “Conan O’Brien makes a hairy start as new ‘Tonight Show’ host”
Official website for The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien

Click here to watch videos

It was Jay Leno’s final episode of The Tonight Show on Friday night. Conan O’Brien takes over from Monday night.

The guests on the final episode of The Tonight Show With Jay Leno were new host Conan O’Brien and musician James Taylor.

Jay’s new 10pm weeknight show called The Jay Leno Show begins later this year on NBC.

Click here to watch the Conan interview

In a recent interview on NBC’s Today Show, Jay Leno said he “would not want to see the next host go through what I went with… there was a lot of bitterness” with regard to Leno giving up The Tonight Show.

Talking about when he won The Tonight Show gig over David Letterman, Leno said his friendship with Letterman got damaged and “it really never got repaired… it got kind of ugly and awkward, and I would not to see anybody go through that again”.

Leno described Conan O’Brien - who takes over The Tonight Show on Monday night - as “a fantastic guy… a real gentleman”.

Orlando Sentinel - “Jay Leno says conflict with David Letterman ‘never got repaired’”

Click here to watch Jay Leno on NBC’s Today Show

Just two shows remaining. On Thursday’s show Jay spoke to Billy Crystal and there was music from Prince.

Click here highlights from the Billy Crystal interview

On the Wednesday show Jay welcomed Wanda Sykes.

Click here for video clips from the show

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Dwight Yoakam were guests on Tuesday.

Click here for video clips from the show

It’s the final week of The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.

Leno’s still making news, as on Monday’s show Mel Gibson announced he is about to become a father again with his eighth child due soon. Mel says this makes him “Octo-Mel”.

Click here to watch Mel Gibson on The Tonight Show