May 29 last day for Leno

by Brian McKim & Traci Skene on July 21st, 2008

So says the Associated Press. And the following Monday will be the first day for Conana O’Brien in Leno’s old spot.

In a USA Today article, Leno says:

“I am definitely done next year– with NBC,” he says, sitting in a huge recliner in his poster-strewn shop office. Would he go to another network? Leno just smiles. “I’m not a beach guy, and the last time I was in my pool was to fix a light. Don’t worry, I’ll find a job somewhere.”

The piece goes on to demonstrate just how serious Leno is about automobiles. Serious enough, Leno and author Marco R. della Cava would have us believe, that he could carve out a decent career just being a standup comic by night (doing personal appearances) and a “car guy” by day.

Of course, if he signs with ABC (or Fox or with a network created just for Leno himself!), he would have that much more money to purchase cars with.

Or maybe he’ll go to the internet and create a show just for web surfers. Yeah, right.

On the Huffington Post, is this bit of nonsense from NY-based media blogger Rachel Sklar:

This is so smart: Jimmy Fallon will test out material for his impending NBC late-night show online, getting a jump on audience building, branding, and working out the kinks months before his planned launch in 2009, when he takes over from Conan O’Brien, who will be taking over from Jay Leno.

Sklar then indulges in further cheerleading for producer Lorne Michaels and his plan to introduce Fallon to late night televison. Sounds like Michaels and NBC still don’t know what to do with the internet, despite Sklar’s lavish praise.

We’re wondering why Michaels is being so tentative. When they launched O’Brien– and he was subsequently savaged by critics– NBC expressed their faith in him and, for what ever reason, said that they were committed and that was that. He grew on the public. The public gave him a chance… maybe because they witnessed NBC’s loyalty and confidence.

Meanwhile, Tom Green is doing his show on the internet only and has been for several months. Now that‘s smart. Perhaps Michaels got the idea from the zany Canadian and isn’t so wildly “smart” after all.

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