Jay Leno is leaving The Tonight Show, and taking over for him will be Conan O'Brien. That much was well known. What wasn't well known was exactly when O'Brien would be settling into his new post on the West Coast.
Previously, all NBC would say was that Leno would leave the late-night talk show in 2009. But today, NBC executives finally spilled the beans on a more specific date.
Leno will host his last The Tonight Show on May 29, 2009, according to the network. O'Brien begins his new reign on June 1, and will do so from a new location--Universal Studios--rather than the old Burbank Studios Leno hosted from.
O'Brien will host his last Late Night sometime in the first quarter of 2009.
Taking over O'Brien's spot on Late Night will be Saturday Night Live alum Jimmy Fallon, who will test out his format online before bringing it to prime time, says The Hartford Courant. The online version of the show will begin this fall before premiering on television in March or April.
Leno's future has been up in the air for some time now, but the host should have no problems finding a new job. ABC has been rumored as a potential destination for him, but he may not even get that far. At the TCA press tour today, NBC execs said Leno leaving NBC wasn't a foregone conclusion, and that the two parties may be able to work something out.
Comments (20)
Petition Conan to stay in NYC!http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/conaninnyc
It will be a sad day when Leno leaves the Tonight Show, just like it was with Johnny Carson. My Wife and I aren't impressed with Conan's or Letterman's style of comedy, so we'll have to view something else until Craig Ferguson comes on.
How will Jimmy Fallon get through his monolog without laughing the whole damn time?
Go Conan!
Where Leno goes, so go I. I don't know if I'll even watch when Conan switches over. Sure I watched for years, but Leno is the only person I can see as host of the show. So if Leno gets a show on ABC at the same time The Tonight Show is on, I'll be switching to Leno on his new show.
I much prefer Leno to O'Brien, but Jimmy Falon should be interesting to say the least.
dont care for either of these late shows. who watches tv this late?
I LOVE watching Leno and he will be missed by me very much. I'm ok with Conan, but not ecstatic...Jimmy Fallon, though, total yuck, in my opinion. Totally un-funny and just flat out annoying...what a shame they NBC couldn't find anyone else.
That saddest thing in this whole situation is the inevitable toning down of Conan's Late Night writing style for the more general (and humorless) public.
Cant wait! Yay Conan! =)
That's saddens me....I like Leno. He will be missed but at least he's getting a worthy replacement. I love Conan equally. But Conan however...is getting replaced with Jimmy Fallon? That really sucks...I'm a SNL fan from way back to the late 80s....and I can't stand him...
So glad I don't watch late nite tv.
Leno will be missed indeed. It just won't be the same with Conan around.
Leno = nice guy, show=fair. O'Brien = icky, icky, icky.
I can't stand Conan. Leno will be missed. Maybe I'll start turning over to E! for Chelsea Lately... You know... Are You There Vodka, It's Me Chelsea author.
Craig Ferguson ftw.
I'm very dissapointed in Jay's leaving. I'm not at all impressed with Conan and will not be watching the tonight show much anymore but to each his own. Jay will be missed.
Conan should've taken over long ago, Jay's not funny! The only funny things on Leno are "Headlines" and "Pumpcasting" and on rare occasions "Pitch to America" and "Jay Walking".
They will most likely move in to CA. I'll miss Leno.
Keep Conan in NYC!!!!! He'll burn to a crisp in CA!