The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Encyclopedia
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an American
late-night
talk show
hosted by Jay Leno
that initially aired from May 25, 1992 to May 29, 2009, and resumed production on March 1, 2010. The fourth incarnation of the Tonight Show
franchise made its debut on May 25, 1992, three days following Johnny Carson
's retirement as host of the program
. The program originates from NBC Studios
in Burbank, California
, and is broadcast Monday through Saturday at 11:35 PM in the Eastern
and Pacific
time zones (10:35 PM Central
/Mountain
time). Unlike Carson or his predecessor Jack Paar
, Leno only once utilized a guest host, preferring to host the series by himself.
On April 26, 1999, the show began broadcasting in 1080i
HDTV
, becoming the first American nightly talk show to be shot in high definition. The show is shot in 16:9 aspect ratio
.
The series, which followed the same basic format as that of his predecessors (an opening monologue followed by comedy routines, interviews and performances), ran until May 29, 2009, after which Leno was succeeded by Conan O'Brien
. NBC signed Leno to a new deal for a nightly talk show in the 10:00 p.m. ET timeslot. The primetime series, titled The Jay Leno Show
, debuted on September 14, 2009, following a similar format to the Leno incarnation of Tonight.
Both O'Brien's version of the program
, which premiered June 1, 2009, and The Jay Leno Show, did not generate the ratings that NBC had expected, and decided to move a condensed 30-minute version of Leno's show to O'Brien's time slot, and O'Brien's Tonight Show a half-hour later. This decision met with opposition from O'Brien, whose stint on The Tonight Show ended January 22, 2010, after which he began his own talk show on TBS
. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno then began its second and current incarnation, the sixth of the franchise, on March 1, 2010.
Johnny Carson retired from The Tonight Show on May 22, 1992, and was replaced by Jay Leno
. David Letterman
not only wanted to move into that earlier time slot from his late night spot after The Tonight Show, but was also considered by most as the natural successor (despite Leno having been Carson's permanent guest host for several years). Carson himself had always favored Letterman; notably Carson, who had previously been interviewed by Letterman, made two appearances on Letterman's rival CBS show, made no mention of Leno during his final shows and regularly sent Letterman monologue jokes in his final years. Having had his heart set on the earlier time slot, Letterman left NBC and joined CBS. Late Show with David Letterman
, airing in the same slot, has been competing head to head against The Tonight Show ever since. Conan O'Brien
slid into the late night time slot vacated by Letterman.
s debut, NBC announced that Jay Leno would be succeeded by Conan O'Brien
, in 2009. Leno explained that he did not want to see a repeat of the hard feelings and controversy that occurred when he was given the show over David Letterman
following Carson's retirement.
It was announced on July 21, 2008 that Jay Leno would host his final episode of The Tonight Show on Friday, May 29, 2009 with Conan O'Brien and James Taylor
as his guests. O'Brien took over hosting duties commencing the following Monday, on June 1, 2009.
On December 9, 2008, it was announced that Jay Leno would be hosting a new nightly show
in September, 2009, which aired at 10pm EST, during the network's prime time period. The Jay Leno Show ended after a short run on February 9, 2010.
would be moved from the 10pm (Eastern
/Pacific
Time) weeknight time slot to 11:35pm and O'Brien's The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
would be moved from 11:35pm to 12:05am. On January 12, 2010, O'Brien publicly announced in an open letter that he intended to leave NBC if they moved The Tonight Show to 12:05AM ET/PT in order to accommodate moving The Jay Leno Show to 11:35PM Eastern/10:35PM Central. After several days of negotiations, O'Brien reached a settlement with NBC that allowed him to leave NBC and The Tonight Show on January 22, 2010. Leno began his second tenure as host of The Tonight Show on March 1, 2010, after the 2010 Winter Olympics
.
On January 21, 2010, NBC
announced that Jay Leno would return to The Tonight Show. Jay Leno began his second tenure on March 1, 2010. The show now originates from Studio 11 in Burbank, the former home of The Jay Leno Show
, with a similar set and theme song of The Jay Leno Show. Tonight Show bandleader Kevin Eubanks
announced on April 12 he would be leaving The Tonight Show on May 28 after 18 years with Jay Leno
. Eubanks' replacement is former American Idol
musical director Rickey Minor
. Minor composed a new main theme when he took over.
On July 1, 2010, Variety
reported that only six months into its second life, Jay Leno's Tonight Show posted its lowest ratings since 1992. By September 2010, Leno's ratings had fallen below those of Conan O'Brien when he had hosted The Tonight Show. NBC ratings specialist Tom Bierbaum commented that due to the host being out of late night television for a period of time and the subsequent 2010 Tonight Show conflict
, Leno's ratings fall was "not a surprise at all". In October 2010, David Letterman
beat Leno's program in the ratings, for the first time since Leno returned to hosting The Tonight Show.
announces the opening credits for the show, the first segment is a long, ten minute monologue by Leno, with quick one-liners about current events and brief comedy sketches occasionally mixed in. The second segment is a full comedy sketch, often a mini-documentary by a "Tonight Show correspondent" (e.g., Ross the Intern or Jim Norton
), or a trademark of Leno's, like "Headlines."
As the nightly broadcast approaches midnight, the first guest appears. The interview is divided into two segments, then followed by the fifth segment, which is the interview of the second guest. The sixth and final segment is almost always a musical performance, but occasionally, a stand-up comedian will perform instead.
Immediately following the last performance segment, Leno walks on camera to thank the performers, bid farewell to the audience and recommends watching Late Night which immediately follows The Tonight Show. As the closing credits roll on-screen, the closing theme, composed by bandleader Rickey Minor
plays the show off the air. Minor composed a new opening and closing theme when he began his reign as bandleader on June 7, 2010.
was the original bandleader of the show from 1992–1995, leaving the show after feeling displeased with his role on the show, what he called being an "ass-kisser". Kevin Eubanks
, who was the guitarist in Marsalis' band, moved up to bandleader and remained with The Tonight Show and The Jay Leno Show until 2010, leaving the show for unclear 'personal' reasons. Rickey Minor
, former American Idol
music director, replaced Eubanks.
served as announcer on The Tonight Show from 1992 until 2004. Hall occasionally appeared in skits during the opening monologue. These skits often involved slapstick injury to Hall (by using a stunt double, dummy, or film clip), such as vehicles running him over in the studio parking lot. Unlike his predecessors on Tonight (i.e. McMahon with Carson, Hugh Downs with Jack Paar), Hall did not serve as a sidekick for Leno during his tenure on Leno's incarnation of The Tonight Show.
Hall was controversially replaced in 2004 by The Howard Stern Show staff member John Melendez
in what many perceived as a thinly veiled attempt to attract a younger demographic and nonsensical considering his 'stuttering' moniker. The hiring of Melendez, which was carried out by Jay without Stern's knowledge, prompted a rift between Stern and Leno. Stern tiraded on his show for weeks on end, touting how Jay was "ripping him off", citing previously 'lifted' material from his show such as "Jaywalking" ripping off Stern's 'homeless game' for example stating "To an 18- to 25-year-old male, Jay Leno is gay. He might as well put a dress on." Since the move to The Jay Leno Show
, Melendez was replaced as announcer, but remains on the writing staff. Wally Wingert
has served as the off-camera announcer since the start of Leno's second Tonight tenure, carrying over his duties from The Jay Leno Show.
.
Notably the show has been historically shunned from the Emmy Awards, having only been nominated for one Outstanding Variety Award in 1995 and no Outstanding Writing Awards.
reported that The Tonight Show led in ratings
for the 11th consecutive season, with a nightly average of 5.7 million viewers – 31% of the total audience in that time slot – compared to 4.2 million viewers for Late Show with David Letterman
, 3.4 million for Nightline and 1.6 million for Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Two events helped Leno gain and keep the lead: a new set brought Leno closer to the audience and Hugh Grant
kept his July 10, 1995 scheduled appearance, despite having been arrested for seeing a prostitute, where Leno famously asked Grant, "What the hell were you thinking?" The final telecast of the first incarnation of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno had the show's highest overnight household rating for a Friday episode in the comedian's 17-year run as host of Tonight, averaging an 8.8 rating in metered-market households.
For at least six weeks following his return to The Tonight Show, Leno's program beat Letterman
in the overall ratings each night, though with a reduced lead in comparison to his first tenure. Notably, these ratings were significantly less in the key 18-49 demographic than Conan O'Brien's had been at the same period during his tenure. By mid-2010, The Tonight Show was receiving its lowest ratings since 1992, an average of 4 million total viewers, though he remained ahead of Letterman, who experienced a coinciding decline in ratings. In September 2010, The Tonight Show posted its lowest numbers on record, with Leno averaging 3.8 million viewers. This was a 12% increase in total viewers over O'Brien at the same time the previous year, but still 23% below O'Brien in the coveted 18-49 demographic. For the first time in almost 15 years, the show slipped to second place in its time slot being consistently beaten by Nightline. In October 2010, David Letterman
beat Leno's program in the ratings, for the first time since Leno returned to hosting The Tonight Show.
In the May 2011 sweeps period, all of NBCs late night programming had increased viewership. The Tonight Show received a 15% increase in viewership compared with the first 36 weeks of last season. In that process, it outlasted rival late night talk shows Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC, as well as Late Show with David Letterman on CBS. Both of Leno's lead-in, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
and Last Call with Carson Daly
, also received increased viewership. For the season, in the 18-49 demographic, The Tonight Show had 4 million viewers, compared with Late Show, which had 3.5 million, and Jimmy Kimmel Live, which had only 1.9 million. Nightline, though, still beat Leno in the May 2011 sweeps, with 4.4 million viewers.
by The Comedy Channel
before being discontinued in July 2010, shortly after Leno's reinstatement as the host of The Tonight Show. The channel had been airing versions by the various presenters under the title Late Night Legends.
with Brazilian Portuguese subtitles at midnight (local time), one week after airing in USA.
, took over from Jay Leno
in June 2009. After Jay Leno returned, they have been showing The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Since Monday 19 April 2010 CNBC Europe currently airs the show on weeknights from 12.00am CET in a one hour format, with double bill re-runs on Saturdays/Sundays from 9.00pm-9.45pm & 9.45pm-10.30pm CET. The show airs on a one day delay from original transmission in the USA.
at local time 18:00 with a one night delay.
the show was aired during the 90's on NBC Europe
, which was included in Israeli cable (later called the "Hot
" company), though this channel was pulled from cable in Israel towards the end of the 90's. Soon after, The show began airing on the Israeli popular cable channel "Hot 3" (then simply called "Channel 3") until 1999. Since 2000, the show is broadcast in the Israeli satellite company "yes" (which launched in that year) in various channels, the current being "yes stars comedy".
(with Italian subtitles) from 2003 to 2007 when RaiSat Extra
cancelled the program.
. broadcasted The Tonight Show from 2004 until 2007, when the show was turned over to sister channel JackTV and Talk TV
.
until the channel was off the air by the end of 2006. The show was switched to SIC Mulher
until Jay Leno moved to prime time. Sic Radical
used to broadcast The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien following the demand from their target audience to Conan's humor, after Jimmy Fallon
took over Late Night. The contract that both NBC and SIC had wasn't expired by the time The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien got cancelled, so the network received the rights to exhibit The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
, Kanal 5
started airing The Tonight Show every night Monday to Friday with a one week delay in 2000. In 2008, Kanal 5 chose to replace it with Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and moved The Tonight Show to their sister channel Kanal 9
, with a rerun aired the next day on Kanal 5
.
on weekdays at 00:00 with a one night delay.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
late-night
Late night television
Late night television in the United States is the block of television programming airing after 11:00 pm and usually through 2:00 am. Traditionally, this type of programming airs after the late local news and is most notable for being the daypart used for a particular genre of programming that falls...
talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
hosted by Jay Leno
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
that initially aired from May 25, 1992 to May 29, 2009, and resumed production on March 1, 2010. The fourth incarnation of the Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
franchise made its debut on May 25, 1992, three days following Johnny Carson
Johnny Carson
John William "Johnny" Carson was an American television host and comedian, known as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years . Carson received six Emmy Awards including the Governor Award and a 1985 Peabody Award; he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987...
's retirement as host of the program
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under the Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night....
. The program originates from NBC Studios
NBC Studios
The NBC Studios in New York, New York is located at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan, the historic GE Building houses the headquarters of the NBC television network, its parent General Electric, and NBC's flagship station WNBC , as well as cable news channel MSNBC.When NBC Universal relocated,...
in Burbank, California
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
, and is broadcast Monday through Saturday at 11:35 PM in the Eastern
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
and Pacific
Pacific Time Zone
The Pacific Time Zone observes standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time . The clock time in this zone is based on the mean solar time of the 120th meridian west of the Greenwich Observatory. During daylight saving time, its time offset is UTC-7.In the United States...
time zones (10:35 PM Central
Central Time zone
In North America, the Central Time Zone refers to national time zones which observe standard time by subtracting six hours from UTC , and daylight saving, or summer time by subtracting five hours...
/Mountain
Mountain Time Zone
The Mountain Time Zone of North America keeps time by subtracting seven hours from Coordinated Universal Time, also known as Greenwich Mean Time, during the shortest days of autumn and winter , and by subtracting six hours during daylight saving time in the spring, summer, and early autumn...
time). Unlike Carson or his predecessor Jack Paar
Jack Paar
Jack Harold Paar was an author, American radio and television comedian and talk show host, best known for his stint as host of The Tonight Show from 1957 to 1962...
, Leno only once utilized a guest host, preferring to host the series by himself.
On April 26, 1999, the show began broadcasting in 1080i
1080i
1080i is the shorthand name for a high-definition television mode. The i means interlaced video; 1080i differs from 1080p, in which the p stands for progressive scan. The term 1080i assumes a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9, implying a frame size of 1920×1080 pixels...
HDTV
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
, becoming the first American nightly talk show to be shot in high definition. The show is shot in 16:9 aspect ratio
Aspect ratio (image)
The aspect ratio of an image is the ratio of the width of the image to its height, expressed as two numbers separated by a colon. That is, for an x:y aspect ratio, no matter how big or small the image is, if the width is divided into x units of equal length and the height is measured using this...
.
The series, which followed the same basic format as that of his predecessors (an opening monologue followed by comedy routines, interviews and performances), ran until May 29, 2009, after which Leno was succeeded by Conan O'Brien
Conan O'Brien
Conan Christopher O'Brien is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer and performer. Since November 2010 he has hosted Conan, a late-night talk show that airs on the American cable television station TBS....
. NBC signed Leno to a new deal for a nightly talk show in the 10:00 p.m. ET timeslot. The primetime series, titled The Jay Leno Show
The Jay Leno Show
The Jay Leno Show is an American comedy show created by and starring Jay Leno, that aired from September 14, 2009 to February 9, 2010 on NBC following the May 29, 2009 conclusion of Leno's first tenure as host of The Tonight Show...
, debuted on September 14, 2009, following a similar format to the Leno incarnation of Tonight.
Both O'Brien's version of the program
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show that featured Conan O'Brien as host from June 1, 2009 to January 22, 2010 as part of NBC's long-running Tonight Show franchise...
, which premiered June 1, 2009, and The Jay Leno Show, did not generate the ratings that NBC had expected, and decided to move a condensed 30-minute version of Leno's show to O'Brien's time slot, and O'Brien's Tonight Show a half-hour later. This decision met with opposition from O'Brien, whose stint on The Tonight Show ended January 22, 2010, after which he began his own talk show on TBS
TBS (TV channel)
TBS , stylized in the logo as tbs, is an American cable television channel owned by Time Warner that shows a variety of programming, with a focus on comedy. TBS was originally known as WTCG, a UHF terrestrial television station that broadcast from Atlanta, Georgia, during the late 1970s...
. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno then began its second and current incarnation, the sixth of the franchise, on March 1, 2010.
Succession from Carson
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
. David Letterman
David Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
not only wanted to move into that earlier time slot from his late night spot after The Tonight Show, but was also considered by most as the natural successor (despite Leno having been Carson's permanent guest host for several years). Carson himself had always favored Letterman; notably Carson, who had previously been interviewed by Letterman, made two appearances on Letterman's rival CBS show, made no mention of Leno during his final shows and regularly sent Letterman monologue jokes in his final years. Having had his heart set on the earlier time slot, Letterman left NBC and joined CBS. Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
, airing in the same slot, has been competing head to head against The Tonight Show ever since. Conan O'Brien
Conan O'Brien
Conan Christopher O'Brien is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer and performer. Since November 2010 he has hosted Conan, a late-night talk show that airs on the American cable television station TBS....
slid into the late night time slot vacated by Letterman.
First end of Leno on Tonight
On September 27, 2004, the 50th anniversary of The Tonight ShowThe Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
s debut, NBC announced that Jay Leno would be succeeded by Conan O'Brien
Conan O'Brien
Conan Christopher O'Brien is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer and performer. Since November 2010 he has hosted Conan, a late-night talk show that airs on the American cable television station TBS....
, in 2009. Leno explained that he did not want to see a repeat of the hard feelings and controversy that occurred when he was given the show over David Letterman
David Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
following Carson's retirement.
It was announced on July 21, 2008 that Jay Leno would host his final episode of The Tonight Show on Friday, May 29, 2009 with Conan O'Brien and James Taylor
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
as his guests. O'Brien took over hosting duties commencing the following Monday, on June 1, 2009.
On December 9, 2008, it was announced that Jay Leno would be hosting a new nightly show
The Jay Leno Show
The Jay Leno Show is an American comedy show created by and starring Jay Leno, that aired from September 14, 2009 to February 9, 2010 on NBC following the May 29, 2009 conclusion of Leno's first tenure as host of The Tonight Show...
in September, 2009, which aired at 10pm EST, during the network's prime time period. The Jay Leno Show ended after a short run on February 9, 2010.
Second incarnation
On January 7, 2010, multiple media outlets reported that effective March 1, 2010, The Jay Leno ShowThe Jay Leno Show
The Jay Leno Show is an American comedy show created by and starring Jay Leno, that aired from September 14, 2009 to February 9, 2010 on NBC following the May 29, 2009 conclusion of Leno's first tenure as host of The Tonight Show...
would be moved from the 10pm (Eastern
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
/Pacific
Pacific Time Zone
The Pacific Time Zone observes standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time . The clock time in this zone is based on the mean solar time of the 120th meridian west of the Greenwich Observatory. During daylight saving time, its time offset is UTC-7.In the United States...
Time) weeknight time slot to 11:35pm and O'Brien's The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show that featured Conan O'Brien as host from June 1, 2009 to January 22, 2010 as part of NBC's long-running Tonight Show franchise...
would be moved from 11:35pm to 12:05am. On January 12, 2010, O'Brien publicly announced in an open letter that he intended to leave NBC if they moved The Tonight Show to 12:05AM ET/PT in order to accommodate moving The Jay Leno Show to 11:35PM Eastern/10:35PM Central. After several days of negotiations, O'Brien reached a settlement with NBC that allowed him to leave NBC and The Tonight Show on January 22, 2010. Leno began his second tenure as host of The Tonight Show on March 1, 2010, after the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
.
On January 21, 2010, NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
announced that Jay Leno would return to The Tonight Show. Jay Leno began his second tenure on March 1, 2010. The show now originates from Studio 11 in Burbank, the former home of The Jay Leno Show
The Jay Leno Show
The Jay Leno Show is an American comedy show created by and starring Jay Leno, that aired from September 14, 2009 to February 9, 2010 on NBC following the May 29, 2009 conclusion of Leno's first tenure as host of The Tonight Show...
, with a similar set and theme song of The Jay Leno Show. Tonight Show bandleader Kevin Eubanks
Kevin Eubanks
Kevin Tyrone Eubanks is an American jazz guitarist and composer who was the leader of the Tonight Show Band with host Jay Leno from 1995 to 2010. He also led The Primetime Band on the short-lived The Jay Leno Show.- Personal background :Eubanks was born into a musical family...
announced on April 12 he would be leaving The Tonight Show on May 28 after 18 years with Jay Leno
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
. Eubanks' replacement is former American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
musical director Rickey Minor
Rickey Minor
Rickey Minor is a music director, composer and music producer, now best known as musical director and bandleader for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno after Kevin Eubanks left. Minor was born in Monroe, Louisiana to parents Cole and Goldie Minor and was raised in South Central Los Angeles, CA...
. Minor composed a new main theme when he took over.
On July 1, 2010, Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
reported that only six months into its second life, Jay Leno's Tonight Show posted its lowest ratings since 1992. By September 2010, Leno's ratings had fallen below those of Conan O'Brien when he had hosted The Tonight Show. NBC ratings specialist Tom Bierbaum commented that due to the host being out of late night television for a period of time and the subsequent 2010 Tonight Show conflict
2010 Tonight Show conflict
In early 2010, American television network NBC and two of its late-night talk show hosts, Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno, engaged in a media and public relations conflict over the host and airtime of The Tonight Show, the network's long-running late night program...
, Leno's ratings fall was "not a surprise at all". In October 2010, David Letterman
David Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
beat Leno's program in the ratings, for the first time since Leno returned to hosting The Tonight Show.
Format
The show follows an established six-piece format. After the announcerWally Wingert
Wallace E. "Wally" Wingert is an American actor and voice artist. He is originally from Des Moines, Iowa but he currently works and lives in Los Angeles, California. He is the current announcer for the second incarnation of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and the current voice of Jon Arbuckle in...
announces the opening credits for the show, the first segment is a long, ten minute monologue by Leno, with quick one-liners about current events and brief comedy sketches occasionally mixed in. The second segment is a full comedy sketch, often a mini-documentary by a "Tonight Show correspondent" (e.g., Ross the Intern or Jim Norton
Jim Norton (comedian)
James Joseph "Jim" Norton, Jr. is an American stand-up comedian, radio personality, author, and actor. He is an on-air personality, often dubbed the 'third mic' on The Opie and Anthony Show, which airs on Sirius XM Radio...
), or a trademark of Leno's, like "Headlines."
As the nightly broadcast approaches midnight, the first guest appears. The interview is divided into two segments, then followed by the fifth segment, which is the interview of the second guest. The sixth and final segment is almost always a musical performance, but occasionally, a stand-up comedian will perform instead.
Immediately following the last performance segment, Leno walks on camera to thank the performers, bid farewell to the audience and recommends watching Late Night which immediately follows The Tonight Show. As the closing credits roll on-screen, the closing theme, composed by bandleader Rickey Minor
Rickey Minor
Rickey Minor is a music director, composer and music producer, now best known as musical director and bandleader for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno after Kevin Eubanks left. Minor was born in Monroe, Louisiana to parents Cole and Goldie Minor and was raised in South Central Los Angeles, CA...
plays the show off the air. Minor composed a new opening and closing theme when he began his reign as bandleader on June 7, 2010.
Bandleader
Branford MarsalisBranford Marsalis
Branford Marsalis is an American saxophonist, composer and bandleader. While primarily known for his work in jazz as the leader of the Branford Marsalis Quartet, he also performs frequently as a soloist with classical ensembles and has led the group Buckshot LeFonque.-Biography:Marsalis was born...
was the original bandleader of the show from 1992–1995, leaving the show after feeling displeased with his role on the show, what he called being an "ass-kisser". Kevin Eubanks
Kevin Eubanks
Kevin Tyrone Eubanks is an American jazz guitarist and composer who was the leader of the Tonight Show Band with host Jay Leno from 1995 to 2010. He also led The Primetime Band on the short-lived The Jay Leno Show.- Personal background :Eubanks was born into a musical family...
, who was the guitarist in Marsalis' band, moved up to bandleader and remained with The Tonight Show and The Jay Leno Show until 2010, leaving the show for unclear 'personal' reasons. Rickey Minor
Rickey Minor
Rickey Minor is a music director, composer and music producer, now best known as musical director and bandleader for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno after Kevin Eubanks left. Minor was born in Monroe, Louisiana to parents Cole and Goldie Minor and was raised in South Central Los Angeles, CA...
, former American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
music director, replaced Eubanks.
Announcer
Edd HallEdd Hall
Edd Hall is an American celebrity, television personality, and announcer. Most famous for his work on television as Jay Leno's announcer on The Tonight Show from 1992 to 2004, Hall replaced famed Tonight Show announcer Ed McMahon after Johnny Carson's retirement...
served as announcer on The Tonight Show from 1992 until 2004. Hall occasionally appeared in skits during the opening monologue. These skits often involved slapstick injury to Hall (by using a stunt double, dummy, or film clip), such as vehicles running him over in the studio parking lot. Unlike his predecessors on Tonight (i.e. McMahon with Carson, Hugh Downs with Jack Paar), Hall did not serve as a sidekick for Leno during his tenure on Leno's incarnation of The Tonight Show.
Hall was controversially replaced in 2004 by The Howard Stern Show staff member John Melendez
John Melendez
John Edward Melendez , commonly known as "Stuttering John," is an American television writer and former radio personality. Prior to his work on television as a writer and announcer, Melendez was a regular on-air personality on The Howard Stern Show...
in what many perceived as a thinly veiled attempt to attract a younger demographic and nonsensical considering his 'stuttering' moniker. The hiring of Melendez, which was carried out by Jay without Stern's knowledge, prompted a rift between Stern and Leno. Stern tiraded on his show for weeks on end, touting how Jay was "ripping him off", citing previously 'lifted' material from his show such as "Jaywalking" ripping off Stern's 'homeless game' for example stating "To an 18- to 25-year-old male, Jay Leno is gay. He might as well put a dress on." Since the move to The Jay Leno Show
The Jay Leno Show
The Jay Leno Show is an American comedy show created by and starring Jay Leno, that aired from September 14, 2009 to February 9, 2010 on NBC following the May 29, 2009 conclusion of Leno's first tenure as host of The Tonight Show...
, Melendez was replaced as announcer, but remains on the writing staff. Wally Wingert
Wally Wingert
Wallace E. "Wally" Wingert is an American actor and voice artist. He is originally from Des Moines, Iowa but he currently works and lives in Los Angeles, California. He is the current announcer for the second incarnation of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and the current voice of Jon Arbuckle in...
has served as the off-camera announcer since the start of Leno's second Tonight tenure, carrying over his duties from The Jay Leno Show.
Notable episodes
- On July 10, 1995, Hugh GrantHugh GrantHugh John Mungo Grant is an English actor and film producer. He has received a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA, and an Honorary César. His films have earned more than $2.4 billion from 25 theatrical releases worldwide. Grant achieved international stardom after appearing in Richard Curtis's...
appeared on the talk show, in public for the first time after his monumentally publicized arrest on lewd conduct charges the previous month. Leno asked him "What the hell were you thinking?" In answer to those charges, he told Jay Leno, "I think you know in life what's a good thing to do and what's a bad thing, and I did a bad thing...and there you have it." The appearance is notable as it resulted in the first episode in which Leno beat CBS rival David Letterman. - On November 30, 1995, Howard SternHoward SternHoward Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
, who had made two previous highly rated appearances in 1992 and 1993, made an infamous appearance in which he appeared with two bikini-clad women (porn stars Nikki TylerNikki TylerNikki Tyler is a former pornographic actress best known for her work in the 1990s. She became Penthouse magazine's Pet of the Month in December 1995.-External links:*...
and Janine LindemulderJanine LindemulderJanine Marie Lindemulder , also known as Janine Marie James, is an American exotic dancer and adult film actress, best known for her work in American pornographic films during the mid-1990s and a 2004–2005 comeback...
), attempting to show 'the Tonight Show's first lesbian kiss' and encouraging Jay to spank one of them. Stern and the two lesbians stayed on the show during SiskelGene SiskelEugene Kal "Gene" Siskel was an American film critic and journalist for the Chicago Tribune. Along with colleague Roger Ebert, he hosted the popular review show Siskel & Ebert At the Movies from 1975 until his death....
and EbertRoger EbertRoger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
's segment, who were also guests on the show that night, where he began to suck one of their toes, to raucous applause and behavior from the crowd. Jay was visibly uncomfortable during both segments, repeatedly telling Howard "it will all be edited out", and hastily trying to conduct the Siskel & Ebert interview while the crowd was going wild at Howard's antics. During the broadcast Jay ended the show early by walking off the air, which was edited out when it aired a few hours later, as revealed by Stern when he went on the air (on the Howard Stern ShowHoward Stern ShowThe Howard Stern Show is an American radio show hosted by its namesake Howard Stern. It gained wide recognition in the 1990s when it was nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio from 1986 to 2005...
) the following morning. Despite the situation Leno called into the show that morning claiming that Howard had "gone beyond the acceptable standards". Howard said Jay shouldn't have "been so uptight" and that he had a 'real' reaction to the situation which was great. Howard recounted how Jay had yelled at his producer Gary Dell'AbateGary Dell'AbateGary Patrick Angelo Dell'Abate , also known as "Baba Booey", is an American radio producer, known for being the executive producer of The Howard Stern Show. His autobiography, They Call Me Baba Booey, was released on November 2, 2010.-Early life and career:Dell'Abate was born in Uniondale, New...
saying Howard had "'s-d' in his house" and supposedly 'grabbed his crotch' and yelled "Pussy, Pussy, Pussy! That's all it is with Howard" which Jay denied but agreed he had been angered by Howard. - In September 2000, with California in an energy crisis that forced power outages, Jay Leno did an episode in the dark using only candles and flashlights known as "The Tonight Show Unplugged" in response to California's power crisis.
- Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, The Tonight Show was off the air for about a week, as were most similar programs. The first post-9/11 episode began with a still image of an American flag and a subdued opening without the usual opening credits. Leno's monologue paid tribute to those who lost their lives and to firefighters, police and rescue workers across the US. Leno had questioned whether a show that regularly poked fun at the government could continue after the attacks, but in his monologue he explained that he saw the show as a respite from the grim news of the world, akin to a cookie or glass of lemonade handed to a firefighter. Senator John McCain and the musical group Crosby, Stills, and Nash were featured guests. For an extended period after the attack, a short clip of a large American flag waving was shown in between the announcement of the musical guest and Leno's introduction during the opening montage.
- On August 6, 2003, actor Arnold Schwarzenegger appeared on The Tonight Show and confirmed he would be running against California governor Gray Davis for the California recall election. Schwarzenegger won the election on October 7.
- On May 12, 2003, Leno and Katie CouricKatie CouricKatherine Anne "Katie" Couric is an American journalist and author. She serves as Special Correspondent for ABC News, contributing to ABC World News, Nightline, 20/20, Good Morning America, This Week and primetime news specials...
swapped places as a publicity stunt, with Leno anchoring The Today Show and Couric guest hosting The Tonight Show. This was the only episode during Leno's tenure to feature a guest host. The guests were Mike MyersMike Myers (actor)Michael John "Mike" Myers is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film producer of British parentage...
and Simon CowellSimon CowellSimon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
that day. - On January 24, 2005, Jay had a special episode that paid tribute to Tonight Show predecessor Johnny Carson, who had died the day before. During the opening credits, the guests of that show were simply announced using pictures from when they were on Johnny's Tonight Show, and the monologue simply gave condolence to Carson. There were no segments used, however, Leno played clips from The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson before commercials. All the guests were people who had worked with Carson or had been on his show, including Ed McMahon, Drew Carey, Don Rickles, and Bob Newhart.
- On July 20, 2006, as Colin FarrellColin FarrellColin James Farrell is an Irish actor, who has appeared in such film as Tigerland, Miami Vice, Minority Report, Phone Booth, The Recruit, Alexander and S.W.A.T....
was being interviewed by Leno, Farrell's stalkerStalkingStalking is a term commonly used to refer to unwanted and obsessive attention by an individual or group to another person. Stalking behaviors are related to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person and/or monitoring them via the internet...
, Dessarae Bradford, evaded security, walked on stage as cameras were rolling, confronted Farrell, and threw her book on Leno's desk. In front of a silent, stunned audience, Farrell escorted her off the stage himself, told the camera crew to stop filming, and handed her over to security. As Bradford was led out of the studio, she shouted "I'll see you in court!" Farrell's response was simply, "Darling, you're insane!" Outside the studio, NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
security handed her to BurbankBurbank, CaliforniaBurbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
police, who eventually released her. While waiting to begin filming again, a shocked Leno sarcastically called for "a round of applause for NBC security" from the audience. After Farrell apologized to the audience, describing Bradford as "my first stalker," the show then continued filming and the incident was edited out of the broadcast aired that night. Farrell later requested a restraining order in court against Bradford. - On January 2, 2008, The Tonight Show (along with Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Late Night with Conan O'BrienLate Night with Conan O'BrienLate Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
) returned to air without writers, with the WGA still on strike. This was in response to the deal by David LettermanDavid LettermanDavid Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
's production company Worldwide PantsWorldwide PantsWorldwide Pants Incorporated is an American television and film production company owned by comedian and talk show host David Letterman. Its ongoing productions are Late Show with David Letterman and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson...
with the WGA to allow Late Show with David LettermanLate Show with David LettermanLate Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
and The Late Late Show with Craig FergusonThe Late Late Show with Craig FergusonThe Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson is a Peabody Award-winning American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish American comedian Craig Ferguson. Ferguson, the third regular host of the Late Late Show franchise, follows Late Show with David Letterman in the CBS late-night lineup...
to return with writers. Leno's guest that night, Republican Presidential candidate Mike HuckabeeMike HuckabeeMichael "Mike" Dale Huckabee is an American politician who served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate in the 2008 United States Republican presidential primaries, finishing second in delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won . He won...
, was criticized for crossing the WGA picket line to appear on the show. Huckabee would go on to win the Iowa caucusesIowa Republican caucuses, 2008The 2008 Iowa Republican caucuses took place on January 4, 2008. The Iowa Republican caucuses are an unofficial primary, with the delegates to the state convention selected proportionally via a straw poll...
the very next day. - On July 24, 2007, the monologue was animated, and was not hosted by Leno, but Homer SimpsonHomer SimpsonHomer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
. Simpson gave a boring monologue to the audience (who were also animated), and was "kicked out" by Leno. This sketch was to promote The Simpsons MovieThe Simpsons MovieThe Simpsons Movie is a 2007 American animated comedy film based on the animated television series The Simpsons. The film was directed by David Silverman, and stars the regular television cast of Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer, Tress...
. - On June 13, 2008, Leno delivered the news of Tim Russert's death to his audience during his monologue, and set aside some time in it to remember his old colleague. Leno then stated that he would continue the show as normal afterwards.
- On March 19, 2009, Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
appeared on the show. This marked the first time that a sitting President of the United StatesPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
appeared on a late night talk show. President Obama came under fire for a remark made about the Special OlympicsSpecial OlympicsSpecial Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 3.1 million athletes in 175 countries....
, which he made in reference to Leno's congratulations to Obama's low bowling score. - On March 1, 2010, Leno made his return to The Tonight Show with a re-written version of The Jay Leno ShowThe Jay Leno ShowThe Jay Leno Show is an American comedy show created by and starring Jay Leno, that aired from September 14, 2009 to February 9, 2010 on NBC following the May 29, 2009 conclusion of Leno's first tenure as host of The Tonight Show...
theme song and a renovated Stage 11. Leno's guests were Jamie FoxxJamie FoxxEric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...
, Olympic Gold medalist Lindsey Vonn, and musical guest Brad PaisleyBrad PaisleyBrad Douglas Paisley is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His style crosses between traditional country music and Southern rock, and his songs are frequently laced with humor and pop culture references....
. Leno also did a segment searching for a new desk, an element which was not implemented into his primetime show. - On November 18, 2010, former President George W. BushGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
made his first appearance on a late night talk show since leaving office. - On November 23, 2010, former bandleader Kevin EubanksKevin EubanksKevin Tyrone Eubanks is an American jazz guitarist and composer who was the leader of the Tonight Show Band with host Jay Leno from 1995 to 2010. He also led The Primetime Band on the short-lived The Jay Leno Show.- Personal background :Eubanks was born into a musical family...
returned to promote his new album Zen Food. - On March 2, 2011, the 4,000th episode aired.
- On September 16, 2011, Republican candidate and tea party darling Michele BachmannMichele BachmannMichele Marie Bachmann is a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing , a post she has held since 2007. The district includes several of the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities, such as Woodbury, and Blaine as well as Stillwater and St. Cloud.She is currently a...
appeared on the show. Leno questioned Mrs. Bachmann about her statement about the HPV vaccine causing mental retardation, her views on gay marriage and the war in Afghanistan. The interview had more of a confrontational nature to it than what is normally seen on the show.
Critical reception
General critical consensus for Jay Leno's Tonight Show has always been largely negative due to his perceived mediocre interviewing style, his "safe" material and his "middle-of-the-road," "easy going," "blue-collar" humor that consists of "found humor". However, Leno generally receives high praise for his monologue. Leno came under particular critical and media scrutiny upon his return to The Tonight Show after the 2010 Tonight Show conflict2010 Tonight Show conflict
In early 2010, American television network NBC and two of its late-night talk show hosts, Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno, engaged in a media and public relations conflict over the host and airtime of The Tonight Show, the network's long-running late night program...
.
Notably the show has been historically shunned from the Emmy Awards, having only been nominated for one Outstanding Variety Award in 1995 and no Outstanding Writing Awards.
Ratings
On September 22, 2006, VarietyVariety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
reported that The Tonight Show led in ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
for the 11th consecutive season, with a nightly average of 5.7 million viewers – 31% of the total audience in that time slot – compared to 4.2 million viewers for Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
, 3.4 million for Nightline and 1.6 million for Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Two events helped Leno gain and keep the lead: a new set brought Leno closer to the audience and Hugh Grant
Hugh Grant
Hugh John Mungo Grant is an English actor and film producer. He has received a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA, and an Honorary César. His films have earned more than $2.4 billion from 25 theatrical releases worldwide. Grant achieved international stardom after appearing in Richard Curtis's...
kept his July 10, 1995 scheduled appearance, despite having been arrested for seeing a prostitute, where Leno famously asked Grant, "What the hell were you thinking?" The final telecast of the first incarnation of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno had the show's highest overnight household rating for a Friday episode in the comedian's 17-year run as host of Tonight, averaging an 8.8 rating in metered-market households.
For at least six weeks following his return to The Tonight Show, Leno's program beat Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
in the overall ratings each night, though with a reduced lead in comparison to his first tenure. Notably, these ratings were significantly less in the key 18-49 demographic than Conan O'Brien's had been at the same period during his tenure. By mid-2010, The Tonight Show was receiving its lowest ratings since 1992, an average of 4 million total viewers, though he remained ahead of Letterman, who experienced a coinciding decline in ratings. In September 2010, The Tonight Show posted its lowest numbers on record, with Leno averaging 3.8 million viewers. This was a 12% increase in total viewers over O'Brien at the same time the previous year, but still 23% below O'Brien in the coveted 18-49 demographic. For the first time in almost 15 years, the show slipped to second place in its time slot being consistently beaten by Nightline. In October 2010, David Letterman
David Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
beat Leno's program in the ratings, for the first time since Leno returned to hosting The Tonight Show.
In the May 2011 sweeps period, all of NBCs late night programming had increased viewership. The Tonight Show received a 15% increase in viewership compared with the first 36 weeks of last season. In that process, it outlasted rival late night talk shows Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC, as well as Late Show with David Letterman on CBS. Both of Leno's lead-in, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon on NBC. The show premiered on March 2, 2009, as the third incarnation of the Late Night franchise originated by David Letterman....
and Last Call with Carson Daly
Last Call with Carson Daly
Last Call with Carson Daly is an American late night talk show that is broadcast on NBC. The show is hosted by Carson Daly, the half-hour show featuring celebrity interviews, documentary-style coverage of a topic, and musical performances. Last Call airs weeknights at 1:35 a.m. Eastern / 12:35 a.m....
, also received increased viewership. For the season, in the 18-49 demographic, The Tonight Show had 4 million viewers, compared with Late Show, which had 3.5 million, and Jimmy Kimmel Live, which had only 1.9 million. Nightline, though, still beat Leno in the May 2011 sweeps, with 4.4 million viewers.
Australia
The show was telecast in AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
by The Comedy Channel
The Comedy Channel
The Comedy Channel is an Australian subscription television channel available on Foxtel, Austar and Optus Television.-History:...
before being discontinued in July 2010, shortly after Leno's reinstatement as the host of The Tonight Show. The channel had been airing versions by the various presenters under the title Late Night Legends.
Brazil
From 1991 to 2000 the cable channel Superstation showed both "The Tonight Show" and "The Late Show" in daily bases, one week after airing in the USA. From 2011 the show is broadcast on Record NewsRecord News
Record News is the first 24-hour free-to-air terrestrial news channel in Brazil. It is owned by Rede Record.-History:In 1953, Rede Record de Televisão started as the second Brazilian TV channel . As the network completes 54 years, a new channel has been started by it. This is the first Brazilian...
with Brazilian Portuguese subtitles at midnight (local time), one week after airing in USA.
Canada
Currently, the channel ctvtwo shows both the tonight show and late night with Jimmy Fallon at the same time as on NBC.CNBC Asia
The Tonight Show episode from the week run back-to back on Saturday and Sunday on CNBC Asia, available to Brunei, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand at 1500hrs-1800hrs (GMT).CNBC Europe
CNBC Europe confirmed they would show The Tonight Show when Conan O'BrienConan O'Brien
Conan Christopher O'Brien is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer and performer. Since November 2010 he has hosted Conan, a late-night talk show that airs on the American cable television station TBS....
, took over from Jay Leno
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
in June 2009. After Jay Leno returned, they have been showing The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Since Monday 19 April 2010 CNBC Europe currently airs the show on weeknights from 12.00am CET in a one hour format, with double bill re-runs on Saturdays/Sundays from 9.00pm-9.45pm & 9.45pm-10.30pm CET. The show airs on a one day delay from original transmission in the USA.
India
The show is currently broadcast on Zee CaféZee Cafe
Zee Café is an Indian cable and satellite television channel owned by Zee Entertainment Enterprises. It was launched on 15 March 2000 as Zee English and known for general entertainment channel...
at local time 18:00 with a one night delay.
Israel
In IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
the show was aired during the 90's on NBC Europe
NBC Europe
NBC Europe was a satellite television channel based in the United Kingdom that broadcast across Europe...
, which was included in Israeli cable (later called the "Hot
Hot (Israel)
HOT Telecommunication Systems Ltd. is a company that provides cable television, last-mile Internet access, broadband and telecommunication services in Israel. It also provides various data transmission services and network services at different rates, services to the business sector and other...
" company), though this channel was pulled from cable in Israel towards the end of the 90's. Soon after, The show began airing on the Israeli popular cable channel "Hot 3" (then simply called "Channel 3") until 1999. Since 2000, the show is broadcast in the Israeli satellite company "yes" (which launched in that year) in various channels, the current being "yes stars comedy".
Italy
In ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
(with Italian subtitles) from 2003 to 2007 when RaiSat Extra
Raisat Extra
Rai Extra was an Italian television channel owned RAI and broadcasted on Digital terrestrial television in Italy.Initially the channel was called RaiSat Extra...
cancelled the program.
Philippines
In the Philippines, the channel ETCETC
The abbreviation etc or ETC may stand for:* et cetera, a Latin expression meaning "and other things" or "and so on"In economics and finance:* Early Termination Chargers, a type of penalty chargers if break the contract...
. broadcasted The Tonight Show from 2004 until 2007, when the show was turned over to sister channel JackTV and Talk TV
Talk TV (Philippines)
Talk TV is an English language all-news and talk channel in the Philippines. It is a joint venture of Southern Broadcasting Network & Solar Entertainment Corporation...
.
Portugal
In Portugal, the show was first shown on SIC ComediaSIC Comédia
SIC Comédia was a Portuguese TV channel, available on cable. It was part of the television network SIC...
until the channel was off the air by the end of 2006. The show was switched to SIC Mulher
Sic mulher
SIC Mulher is a Portuguese cable television channel owned by Sociedade Independente de Comunicação and launched on March 8, 2003...
until Jay Leno moved to prime time. Sic Radical
SIC Radical
SIC Radical is a cable television channel in Portugal owned by Sociedade Independente de Comunicação.SIC Radical is an entertainment channel targeted at teens and young adults. Programs are mostly imported, mainly from the United States and the United Kingdom...
used to broadcast The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien following the demand from their target audience to Conan's humor, after Jimmy Fallon
Jimmy Fallon
James Thomas "Jimmy" Fallon, Jr. is an American actor, comedian, singer, musician and television host. He currently hosts Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, a late-night talk show that airs Monday through Friday on NBC...
took over Late Night. The contract that both NBC and SIC had wasn't expired by the time The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien got cancelled, so the network received the rights to exhibit The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
Sweden
In SwedenSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Kanal 5
Kanal 5 (Sweden)
Kanal 5 is a Swedish commercial television channel established in 1989. It is owned by the media corporation ProSiebenSat.1 Media.After a troublesome 1990s, Kanal 5 launched new strategies in the early 2000s that established it as a popular entertainment channel targeting young people...
started airing The Tonight Show every night Monday to Friday with a one week delay in 2000. In 2008, Kanal 5 chose to replace it with Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and moved The Tonight Show to their sister channel Kanal 9
Kanal 9
Kanal 9 is a commercial television channel owned by ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG broadcasting to Sweden. It targets the 30-59 age group, which is a slightly older age group than the sister channel Kanal 5. The channel launched on 25 February 2007. Its opening night featured the 79th Academy Awards...
, with a rerun aired the next day on Kanal 5
Kanal 5 (Sweden)
Kanal 5 is a Swedish commercial television channel established in 1989. It is owned by the media corporation ProSiebenSat.1 Media.After a troublesome 1990s, Kanal 5 launched new strategies in the early 2000s that established it as a popular entertainment channel targeting young people...
.
Finland
In Finland, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is broadcasted by MTV3 MAX from Monday to Friday with a three night delay.Turkey
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is broadcasted by CNBC-eCNBC-e
CNBC-e is a hybrid business/financial and entertainment channel operated in Turkey by CNBC Europe and the NTV Group.The channel shares its name with a co-owned magazine about CNBC-e....
on weekdays at 00:00 with a one night delay.