Jay Leno's Final Guests Announced / Jimmy Fallon's First Guests Announced

[JamesG]

"Tonight Show with Jay Leno" Sets Final Guests as NBC’s Bob Greenblatt Addresses Jay Leno’s Future, Possible Car Show
by NELLIE ANDREEVA
Sunday January 19, 2014


February 2014 will feel a lot like May 2009 on "The Tonight Show". In 2009, when Jay Leno bid farewell to the late-night show for the first time, his final two episodes featured his first guest when he made his "Tonight Show" debut in 1992, Billy Crystal, followed by a visit by his "Tonight Show" successor, Conan O’Brien, the next night.

Five years later, Leno’s second final week at "The Tonight Show" will once again feature his new successor, Jimmy Fallon, on Feb. 6, and Crystal on Leno’s last show, Feb. 6, which also will feature musical guest and longtime Leno friend, Garth Brooks.

Other guests on Leno’s final week include Betty White, Matthew McConaughey and Sandra Bullock.





Could Leno do a car show next? Acknowledging Leno in his opening remarks for his successful turn on "The Tonight Show", Greenblatt noted, “I’m hoping we will enter into a new relationship with him and keep his home on NBC.”

Asked about Leno’s prospects at NBC post-Feb. 6, he later said, “I would love him to do specials with us, and other shows he could host.”



After the session, he noted that “it may be a series franchise,” adding that “Jay loves cars” but declining further specifics. Leno obviously is a big car enthusiast, and his Jay Leno’s Garage is very popular online.

Greenblatt confirmed that Leno is focused on "The Tonight Show" and not entertaining any future opportunity until he signs off from the show.

Asked about possible regrets about sending Leno off while the show was still No.1, Greenblatt said, “Jay always said he wanted to turn the show over at No.1.”

http://www.deadline.com/2014/01/toni...-lenos-future/











TCA: Jimmy Fallon Announces First "Tonight Show" Guests, Talks Jay Leno Transition
by NELLIE ANDREEVA
Sunday January 19, 2014


When "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" premieres on Feb. 24, it will feature Will Smith as first guest and U2 as musical guests.

Smith has been on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon", but this will be U2′s first visit with Fallon, who had pursued the Irish band for a long time.





Fallon addressed his relationship with his predecessor, Jay Leno, and the "Tonight Show" host transition, going back to the time immediately following the Leno-Conan O’Brien debacle when Leno was moved to 10 PM and then reinstated at 11:30 PM, with O’Brien pushed out.

“After the Jay-Conan stuff, I called Jay and told him: ‘I want to let you know that I’m not gunning for your position. I’m very happy at 11:37 PM, I’m here in New York and … very happy at my job. When you decide to step down, I hope it’s done the right way. We talked every two weeks. One day he called me and said, ‘I think this is going to be the year, and I’d love you be the next guy’.”





Fallon shared advice Leno has given him to expand his monologue, currently three to four minutes, to the nine to 10 minutes he does on "The Tonight Show".

“People are busy, work hard, they may have missed the news, so you have to give them a complete view of the news,” Fallon said Leno told him, and he agreed.

Fallon is not worried about whether Leno surfaces somewhere else or gets a new program on NBC. “The more Jay, the better,” he said. “Maybe he can be the new detective on The Blacklist.”





Fallon will bring the tone of "Late Night to Tonight Show", which also will be a throwback to the show’s early days. “When Steve Allen and Johnny Carson invented it, it was was silly and goofy.”

Fallon was asked to differentiate himself from his new rival at 11:30 PM, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel. “We’re in New York … last names?” He called all the stories about a future rivalry “fan fiction.”

http://www.deadline.com/2014/01/tca-...no-transition/

[treky]

so, Jay's leaving next month, huh?

[TMC]

http://www.indiewire.com/article/tel...funny-20140624

“Beyond peddling rimshots and tossing softballs for 21 years, Leno simply hasn't contributed much” to comedy, argues Liz Shannon Miller.
Read more at http://www.hitfix.com/tv-tattle#Yy33AHSJhIaiiTFv.99

[TMC]

http://popwatch.ew.com/2014/12/15/late-night-tv-2014/

“What might be the most important change in late night is a perception that all the major players seem to view each other as colleagues rather than blood rivals. It’s an unabashed mutual-admiration society,” says Jeff Labrecque. Jimmy Fallon’s ascendancy and the loss of "lightning rod" Jay Leno seems, he says, to have paved the way for "the entire gang not only seems to look forward to what the other will do next—they actually seem to enjoy one another’s company.”
Read more at http://www.hitfix.com/tv-tattle#eic3KVxgBA0AC8bD.99