Late Show shakedown

[Ghoulish Delight]

It's official. As tentatively announced 4 years ago, Jay Leno will be replaced next year on the Tonight Show by Conan O'Brian. Replacing Conan on the Late Night Show will be....drumroll....Jimmy Fallon. :yawn:

I dunno, Fallon might be funny. He was once capable of making me laugh, and at least as a late show host, he's SUPPOSED to look at the camera and laugh at his own jokes. I'll watch.

And it'll of course be fascinating to see what Conan does to appeal to the 11:30 audience. There's always the potential for disaster when someone who's perceived as "edgy" (though Conan hasn't done anything truly "edgy" in years) transitions to a more mainstream demographic (witness Craig Kilborn's move from basic cable to broadcast).

And then there's the question of what Leno will do. He's not likely to want to retire. You can bet Fox will want to throw money at him, but they can only off an 11:00 timeslot, which isn't really desirable. The most likely scenario I heard was that ABC might be willing to dump Nightline and put Leno on at 11:30. But if they give him an hour, that would push Jimmy Kimmel back from 12:00 to 12:30, which might prompt him to go talk to Fox about that 11:00 slot.

Man, it doesn't feel like all that long ago we were all on the edge of our seat watching Jay and Dave duke it out for Carson's spot. You know, only 16 years.

[blueerica]

I do remember the Leno/Letterman "Who's going to host the Tonight Show" drama of the early 90s. It does feel like just a couple of years ago, honestly.

I think it could be good. At first I had questions, after reading it somewhere that Fallon could be on there... but I've generally liked Jimmy Fallon, even if his acting choices have been questionable at best. He's a funny guy live and was good behind the Weekend Update desk. (Fey/Fallon was, IMO, one of the finest duos ever).

But really, do I actually get around to watching much late night other than falling asleep to it these days? Not so much. I may make a point now that the guard is changing.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I never particularly liked either Leno or Letterman, and while I loved Conan in the beginning, I'm pretty well over him at this point. So I don't watch much at all. But I'll definitely tune in (or TiVo in) for the end of Leno's run and the beginning of the new shows.

[Alex]

Not too many years ago I would have still cared. But at some point I just stopped having any interest in Leno (never had it)/Letterman (he just seems bored by the whole process now)/O'Brian (feels like he has not only been sliding into Leno's slot but his blandness too).

The only one I care at all about any more is Ferguson. I DVR his show and watch the monologue before going to work in the morning. He actually does interviews that are conversations rather than the host setting up pre-planned bits or rehearsed anecdotes so I only watch the interviews if I think the guest is someone who can actually participate in a conversation.

[blueerica]

Ooh, I love Ferguson... he's one truly funny man.

[Alex]

A raconteur, and I don't think the talk show genre has really had one of those in a very long time.

He has two weak elements:

1. Since he is working without a set script (he obviously has an outline) he goes to the same jokes a lot.

2. His skits aren't great. But every once in a while they're great so I sample them each night anyway. A couple weeks ago he did one of the ESPN-UK pieces with Ewan MacGregor that was hilarious (mostly because they were both practically falling on the floor laughing themselves).

But mostly it is just that he doesn't feel it necessary for every question to be the setup for a joke. And that leads to, every once in a while, actually learning something about the people being interviewed. Which is nice.

Jimmy Fallon never had a phase where he made me laugh so I have no interest in checking him out. But he can't be any worse than Chelsea Lately on E! can he?

Oh, has anybody here ever seen the Fox News late night show RedEye? For some reason I find that oddly entertaining in its badness (it isn't particularly political).

[blueerica]

Ahh, I liked Chelsea Lately for a while, then it just became the same thing, over and over. There was one particularly annoying, recurring skit that I have apparently blocked from my memory, only holding onto the horror of it all.

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

Only slightly related to any of this, I just watched the Family Guy episode where Peter beats the crap out of Fallon for looking at the camera whilst laughing at his own jokes. So friggin' great!

[Snowflake]

Ooh, I love Ferguson... he's one truly funny man.

Ditto, I adore him. I do not get to watch him as much as I'd like (no TiVo)

[Strangler Lewis]

I first read this as Jimmy Kimmel taking over Conan's spot. I'm not sure which is worth. On SNL, I liked Jimmy Fallon's singing impressions but never thought he was much of an actor beyond that. Didn't like his Weekend Update hosting at all.

[Gemini Cricket]

I wonder who will take over for John Stewart someday?

[Strangler Lewis]

I wonder who will take over for John Stewart someday?

Add frequency of guest appearances to audience wish fulfillment, and you get:

John McCain

[Gemini Cricket]

Add frequency of guest appearances to audience wish fulfillment, and you get:

John McCain
That's all we need is another* gay** talk show host.
:D



*Rosie... Ellen... etc.

**I'm referring to the rumor about him when he was running against Dubya.

[cirquelover]

It's hard to believe it's been 16 years. I'd rather watch Leno than Letterman but I don't watch on a regular basis. I think I will miss Leno though. I've gotten used to his face and was hoping he'd stick around, probably not as long as Johnny Carson did but still.

I've read that Leno used his Tonight show money as fun money because he knew it wouldn't be a permanent gig. He uses his stand up money as his "regular" income, so that things wouldn't really change without the Tonight show income.

I don't mind Conan but he's not near as edgy as he used to be. Gary watched him until he changed, he's always liked the edgy ones. I remember he was an Andrew Dice Clay fan when we met. I was never a fan.

[Kevy Baby]

Many people have told me I resemble Jay Leno, but I don't see the resemblance.

[Gemini Cricket]

People tell me Conan O'Brien and I are twins. I don't see that either.

[SzczerbiakManiac]

wwwhaaaaaat?!?!?

Put down the pipe GC...!

[Gemini Cricket]

wwwhaaaaaat?!?!?

Put down the pipe GC...!
:D


I keep reading this thread as "Late Show Skatedown." I keep picturing iSm and GD on a skating date...
:D

[katiesue]

I keep reading this thread as "Late Show Skatedown." I keep picturing iSm and GD on a skating date...
:D

I'm thinking more Skatetown USA or Xanadu.

[Ghoulish Delight]

What I can't figure out is why I titled the thread "Late Show shakedown" when it's about the Tonight Show.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Shake shake shake
shake shake shake
Late Show Shakedown
Late Show Shakedown!

Don't even talk about replacing Jon Stewart.

[tracilicious]

I wonder who will take over for John Stewart someday?

Jon Stewart is a god, and thus, eternal.

[CoasterMatt]

Jay Leno told me to hit you in the face, Kevy :)

[Kevy Baby]

Jay Leno told me to hit you in the face, Kevy :)I say hit him back...

[CoasterMatt]

I say hit him back...
I'll step on his foot again, and we'll call it even.