NBC Thinks Leno Now Ready For Prime Time
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Published: December 10, 2008
The surprising thing about NBC's plan to give up a third of its prime-time on weeknights to Jay Leno is that the Peacock gang didn't try this move a couple of years ago..
NBC made the official announcement Tuesday that beginning in the fall of 2009, "The Jay Leno Show" will air Monday through Friday at 10 p.m.
NBC officials say this is the first time in the history of broadcast television that a network has aired a prime-time series five nights a week.
At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Leno said the new show will look a lot like his current "Tonight" show with a nightly monologue, celebrity quests, a studio band, a studio audience and recurring gags such as goofy newspaper headlines and "Jaywalking."
He said he might get a little more topical and political and get out of the studio more often.
Meanwhile, Conan O'Brien will have to put his own stamp on the "Tonight" show.
The move comes after NBC has struggled to develop new dramas to replace the outgoing "ER" and the aging "Law & Order" franchise.
With the whole country in a deep recession, the network is cutting costs. More than 500 employees have been laid off.
Leno makes more than $30 million a year; but it still works out to only about $2 million a week to cover his salary and production costs. And that's for 46 weeks.
It costs about $3 million to make one scripted hour so five dramas run about $15 million a week. And the network can only afford to make 22 of each a season.
The deal also keeps Leno from going to rival networks (ABC reportedly was interested) and it gives the NBC affiliates hope that Leno will deliver more viewers to their late newscasts than something such as "My Own Worst Enemy."
The Leno plan pleases Mike Pumo, general manager of NBC affiliate WFLA, Channel 8, who points to the success of shows such as "The Daily Show."
"They have developed a loyal audience," he says. "Newsmakers are now trying to get on shows like this as well as entertainers. In Jay Leno, NBC has a household name, a star and he will be able to take his show to a much bigger audience."
Some critics think Leno is a little dated and not as hip as Jon Stewart, Letterman or O'Brien. Personally, I like the guy. I like his blue collar sensibilities. I would watch Leno at 10 p.m. Now that "Boston Legal" is gone, the only chuckles at that hour come from the unintentionally funny "CSI: Miami."
If there is a downside, it's that there will be fewer opportunities for creative drama writers. The chances will get really slim if this works and ABC and CBS cut back, too.
Scripted series already have taken a hit from reality programming, but most of the really good, cutting-edge dramas are on cable where series such as "Mad Men," "Rescue Me," "Damages," "Burn Notice," "Eureka," "Dexter," "True Blood" and so on can be found.
NEW ANCHOR: Bay News 9's new hire, Jody Lowery, takes over as weekend anchor on Saturday. She comes from KTBS-TV in Shreveport, La., where she worked for eight years.
Lowery replaces weekend anchor Erica Riggins, who moves to weekday mornings next week. Riggins replaces longtime Bay News 9 anchor Jen Holloway.
Holloway, who is moving over to a marketing job with Bright House Networks, exits the morning shift on Friday. She will be filling in during afternoons and evenings for the vacationing Al Ruechel for two weeks. Holloway's last day is Dec. 31.
TUNE IN TONIGHT
"CSI: New York," 10 p.m. CBS
A billionaire vanishes, his driver is killed and it all appears to be tied to a mysterious "force field" that has invaded Manhattan.
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