Late Show UK

The Jay Leno Show made its debut on NBC last night – 17.7 million people watched it. Leno has faced some negative reviews of the opening show though, as critics thought it was lazy of him to stay with a very similar format to The Tonight Show (for example Headlines is featured on the new show, as it was on The Tonight Show).

The Associated Press reporter Frazier Moore said “the biggest difference between Leno’s new show and his old one: With his fade-out at 11pm, the local news began”, and The Los Angeles Times said it was “a strange, shallow puddle of comedy”.

The first show did have it’s viewer draws – including Kanye West’s appearance to explain what happened at the MTV VMAs (the infamous moment when he interrupted Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech) and to apologise for what he did.

In addition to Kanye West’s appearance, Jerry Seinfeld was interviewed and music came from Jay-Z and Rihanna (with Kanye performing with them).

The official website for The Jay Leno Show has now fully launched – it includes video clips (US only), full episode streaming (US only), photos, exclusives, message boards, etc.

If you saw the show, please let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment on this post.

The Associated Press – “Leno show reaches 17.7 million viewers”
The Los Angeles Times – “‘Jay Leno Show’ stays on familiar ground”

The Jay Leno show premieres on NBC tomorrow night – Monday 14th September – at 10pm. As I mentioned previously, the guests for the first show are Jerry Seinfeld, Jay-Z featuring Rihanna and Kanye West. The programme hasn’t been picked up for transmission on UK television yet, but you can watch it on our website via the live NBC stream on the Watch Online page for The Jay Leno Show – it will air on Tuesday morning because of the time difference between the UK and the US.

Speaking to CNN recently, Leno spoke about getting rid of the traditional desk setup and replacing it with a conversation area – he said “”it’s fun being able to change that up a little bit”. CNN says “much of the action takes place outside his new studio, including celebrities racing electric cars on a track built for the show”.

Late Show UK – Guest Listings – The Jay Leno Show
CNN – “Jay Leno ready for prime time”

The Jay Leno Show kicks off on Monday 14th September at 10pm on NBC.

The new show will feature celebrity guests every weeknight as The Tonight Show With Jay Leno used to, but The Jay Leno Show will focus more on comedy and other features rather than interviews. Features such as Headlines and Jaywalking from The Tonight Show also return in this new show.

Guests have been confirmed for the first week of shows: On the opening show on Monday 14th September, Jerry Seinfeld will make an appearance, and Jay-Z with Rihanna & Kanye West will provide the music. Tom Cruise will be the guest on the second show on Tuesday 15th September – Tom will take part in the new “10 at 10″ feature on the programme, where Jay makes 10pm house calls to people.

On Wednesday 16th September Robin Williams will be a guest, and Miley Cyrus will appear for the “10 at 10″ feature. Halle Berry will be the guest on Thursday 17th September with music from Eric Clapton with Bruce Hornsby. Drew Barrymore and comedian Jim Norton will close the first week on the Friday.

Keep up to date with all the latest guest listings for The Jay Leno Show – click here.

It’s been announced comedian Jerry Seinfeld will be the first guest on premiere edition of The Jay Leno Show on the 14th September. He joins the other guests already announced for that episode – musical guests Kanye West, Jay-Z and Rihanna.

Leno grabbed Seinfeld for a quick chat at the Laguna Seca Raceway ahead of his interview on The Jay Leno Show in September – click here to watch that (may not work on your UK connection).

NBC.com – “Jerry Seinfeld to be the first guest on The Jay Leno Show”
Late Show UK – Guest Listings – The Jay Leno Show

Some of the first guests for The Jay Leno Show (Leno’s new primetime 10pm NBC show) have been announced. The first show on the 14th September will feature a performance from Jay-Z featuring Rihanna and Kanye West.

Also, The Philadelphia Inquirer’s TV critic Jonathan Storm reports on NBC’s plans for The Jay Leno Show – which will air 5 nights a week. Click here to read that.

NME – “Kanye West, Jay-Z and Rihanna to perform on ‘Jay Leno Show’ premiere”

The official website for The Jay Leno Show recently launched. The Jay Leno Show – Leno’s new 10pm show – begins on NBC from the 14th September.

The website currently consists of video clips (including behind-the-scenes footage and “best of” clips for The Tonight Show) most of which is restricted to US broadband users only, photos, news, blogs, message boards and more.

A live webcam is available which shows the progress of construction at the studio for The Jay Leno Show. Click here to view the webcam. The NPR website says the webcam’s “the unbearable dullness of zzzz”. 

The NBC website for The Jay Leno Show is available at www.thejaylenoshow.com or through the old Tonight Show URL at www.nbc.com/leno – the old Tonight Show website has been removed.

You can also follow The Jay Leno Show on Twitter and become a fan of the show on Facebook.

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

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

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

It’s the last week of The Tonight Show With Jay Leno this week, then Conan O’Brien takes over the reigns.

Guests on Leno’s final week are Mel Gibson & Lyle Lovett (tonight), Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger & Dwight Yoakam (Tuesday), Wanda Sykes & Sarah McLachlan (Wednesday), Billy Crystal & Prince (Thursday) and Conan O’Brien & James Taylor (on the final show on Friday).

The Tonight Show With Jay Leno is broadcast on CNBC one show after its US broadcast – so Monday’s US show will air on Tuesday night at 11pm on CNBC, etc. Friday’s finale will air on CNBC on Monday 1st June at 11pm.

Conan’s Tonight Show starts on Monday 1st June on NBC, and CNBC will be airing the new show in the same slot as Leno had (11pm on a one show delay from the US).

Guests for the first week of The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien have been announced.

The guests on the first show will be Will Ferrell & Pearl Jam (Monday 1st June), Tom Hanks & Green Day will be on the second show (Tuesday 2nd June), Julia Louis-Dreyfus & Bradley Cooper & Sheryl Crow will appear on the third show (Wednesday 3rd June), Gwyneth Paltrow & John Mayer Trio will stop by for a visit on the fourth show (Thursday 4th June) and Ryan Seacrest & Chickenfoot will close the week (Friday 5th June).

Jay Leno’s final episode of The Tonight Show is this coming Friday (29th May).

Check out our Guest Listings section for all the latest guest information.