We're two weeks in to NBC's "Comedy at 10" experiment and there's not much to show for it. The ratings for the first 10 episodes of The Jay Leno Show are abysmal. But NBC's expectations for the "it's so cheap to make that we don't care if no one watches" strategy means that it doesn't really matter. Leno 2.0 is going to be around for a long time, because its metric for success isn't very high. But more important than the ratings is the fact that The Jay Leno Show is simply awful.
Leno's hair is different, his jokes are not. Friday night, he opened his monologue with jokes about the weather, and although the tone made it seem like he was aware of the hokeyness of telling jokes about the weather, the jokes themselves were hokey -- one about cougars fighting over a glass of chardonnay, one about two dogs on the lawn having phone sex. Then he made roughly his 75 millionth joke about Cialis. The monologue, like every other segment on this show is too long, and watching it feels like work. The jokes are broad and obvious, and you hear better punchlines to the same setups elsewhere. For instance, Weekend Update Thursday's take on a Wal-Mart's offer of a $10 gift card for customers who undergo syphilis testing was if "you see a guy in new Wrangler jeans and a Faded Glory flannel, he has syphilis." That's just funnier and more astute than Leno's suggestion for a "bring your own crabs" promotion at Red Lobster.
Then there are the new segments, some with corporate sponsorship, like one painfully long segment about Bing image search, and a totally ridiculous 5 seconds called the "Beer Pong" shot of the week. The former is a one-note joke played for the length of a symphony, and created entirely to cash a check from Microsoft. The latter is something that seems like it was conceived as something to be mocked on The Tonight Show but abandoned as too easy a target. Writing in this week's New Yorker, Nancy Franklin describes another of the new segments, "The 10 @ 10." Franklin writes:
"Leno and NBC are really pushing the number ten—as in 10 P.M.—in an attempt to brand the hour as belonging to Leno. The number does double duty in the title of a regular segment, "Ten @ Ten," even though the segment is never actually shown at that hour; it comes later. It's a question-and-answer bit, wherein a celebrity on location somewhere is called up via satellite and asked ten questions that will supposedly elicit funny or edifying responses. Tom Cruise was asked if he had ever been to a strip club. ("No," he said—and the audience booed, a reaction I don't think I want to understand.) Amy Poehler was asked to name as many national parks as she could in fifteen seconds (because she stars in a show called "Parks and Recreation"). Mel Gibson was asked, I kid you not, "What is your favorite thing to eat for dinner?," "Where do you keep your Academy Awards?," and "Worst job you ever had?" Leno calls himself "a big-tent guy," but this isn't big-tent show business; this is the saddest of carnivals."
Franklin is right. Even Leno doesn't seem to be impressed by the show. Every joke he delivers is followed by a sort of apologetic shrug, probably meant to be charming and affable. But the shrug reads more like an apology for wasting everyone's time. And that's the fatal flaw of The Jay Leno Show: It's totally superfluous. There was a time when NBC aired critically and commercially successful shows at 10 PM. This was something that was much harder to do than what Leno does, but also with a much higher reward potential. By switching to the new format, and ceding 1/3 of their weekly programming to the same mediocre and little-watched show, they're aren't changing the game so much as refusing to play. And it shows.
Comments (50)
What is up with Jay's hair? He needs to do check out his hair on his left side, way too fluffy!
This show just enforces even more, time and time again, how Conan is far funnier than Jay Leno could ever, ever, EVER hope to be.Or Letterman for that matter.
You know, I really liked Jay Leno's "Headlines" segment .....back in 1984 when it was called "Dave Letterman's Small Town News".
The new show is ok. I don't understand how some people say this would "work in the daytime." If it's funny, it's funny regardless of when it happens. His show gets some cheap laughs, but it's better than nothing. Hey, at least it's not another reality show.
Leno's new show is great. This is because it breaks the mould of the typical late night show. Its fall0n who isn't funny and only got a show because of leno/conan.
Just because every Internet parot squawks "metric" does not mean you have to say "metric." Stop saying "metric." Saying "metric" does not make you smart. "Metric." Tired of that word yet? "Metric." Now? "Metric." Want some more? "Metric."
I have to disagree. Leno always has been and still is a funny guy and his new show is better than any of the other late night talk shows on the air today. I watched Conan every night until Leno's show premiered and I've been watching that ever since. I guess I'm a minority, but there you go; I support The Jay Leno Show.
All "Late Night Shows" suck. I never thought I'd see one worse than the "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson", but here it is.
I personally don't know how any of those "Late Night Show" are around today, they are all boring with a rare laugh here and there, and the same rehash over and over again!!! I guess old things just die hard regardless of how horrible they are...it's similar to horror flicks.
I still like to watch it, it gives me something to watch while I am in bed right before I fall asleep...
Yes, Chameleonic1, i can't understand why NBC cancel one (two, whatever) series and put a talk-show instead. I mean, they have different targets, you can compare sharing ratings between CSI and Bones, or Grey, etc. but comparing new's ratings with, i dont know, a movie rating? It's not logical in my mind. Then you have viewers outside eua: loads of europeans (for instance) watch Life and dont Jay. You can sell series (with all the seasons) all around the world, but you can't sell the-big-head-show. I think NBC's idea of business is totally wrong.And this is just my opinion, of course, but you can like or dislike more or less, but Life was great, it has great plot, big characters and a very-well worked "spirit" or "soul", "atmosphere" joining all the pieces together. I've seen Leno on youtube several times and, sorry people, but no no no laughing at all. So I can't see Life even though I liked it very much, and I couldn't see Leno if I wanted to. Great...pd. sorry for the mistakes! :)moreless
This show sucks...DONKEY! NBC made a huge mistake.
It is as bad as 'the show that nobody watches' 30rock.
I like Jay's show much better than Conan's...
Why is Jay Leno still on??Personally i thought this was going to be a sketch comedy series, He totally took a step backwards here (i mean it to, from 11:30 to 10 pm).Its like he just wont give Conan the Tonight show, his show feels just like Tonight Show-Light?I think Jay was great on the Tonight show, but this new show at 10 pm feels like something ive seen a few months ago... same old same old....Time to move some hot shows back at 10 PM NBC... Jay should be on once a week... But 5 days a week?Been there seen that. whats on next?
Just bad, bad, and more bad jokes ~ nothing funny about it at all ... I just don't like the show. What a waste of time.
I agree, the show is just bad... baaaaaddd... Just watch Conan or Jimmy Fallon and you see how great these shows are... Leno is extremely bad, he feels so uncomfortable without the desk.
There's nothing wrong with the Jay Leno show. It's the same as the old one instead it has funnier stuff and more diversity. Why would you wanna put a drama show at 10pm? That's too late.
There is always the major cable channels, like USA, TBS, Bravo, etc. Late night is not a lost, but it is for NBC.
R.I.P Johnny Carson. You were THE one, and the ONLY one that could make me laugh.
I know that it is just opinion, but I LOVE the Jay Leno show! I am finally watching network television at ten o'clock!
With all due respect to the author's opinion, I think they couldn't be wronger.
I'll admit, I miss shows like Crossing Jordan and ER. However, The Jay Leno Show is still funny.
And it isn't really Leno's fault that he's here. NBC practically forced him off the Tonight Show. That just reinforces the fact that the people running NBC are stupid when it comes to television.
It still hurts that this is reason that shows like Crossing Jordan and Life get canceled. NBC, I still haven't forgiven you.
Dear Jay, We looked forward to your new program for weeks. What a disappointment! Please clean up the jokes and clean up the language. It's still just 9 pm in the Central part of the country. We'll keep watching if you clean it up. If not, it's been nice knowing you. Put some cars on each week and things will be better. Remember: do your part to clean up America.
Thanks.
NBC used to be the network I turned to for great TV, Comedy or Drama, but that was a LONG time ago. Now it is a shell of it's former self. With this waste of the next 2 years crapfest called Leno I have officialy given up on NBC. Smart shows like Life, Earl, and Scrubs get tossed aside (TY ABC for picking that up)and get replaced with dreck like Mercy and Trama, clones of other shows (Nurse Jackie, and NBC's own Third Watch) just kill me. I am suprised NBC didn't kill one of the only sort of original shows they have in Chuck, (I say sort of original because it is simalar to the canceled Kyle 2.0). When that comes back mid season i will watch that, but on Hulu, so I don't have to see all the other promos for the rest of NBC's "line-up". 2 years of Leno at 10 pm is going to be a long time. It could get canceled earlier I suppose, but only if NBC just shuts down. If they do, will not be missed..moreless
Agree!
Good bad or indifferent, Leno at ten is a frightening game changer for scripted shows on network television. It's the prime-time programming equivalent of sweatpants: they've just given up. And it will trundle along doing its crap ratings, not offending anyone, some people actually enjoying it--since it's non-threatening background noise. Meanwhile, viewers who enjoy challenging, interesting, well-crafted story-telling will continue to go elsewhere--to cable, for one. And people who want something new and interesting and genuinely funny in the talk show format will stay up until 12:35 and watch Craig Ferguson.
Hey I like it. Don't blame Leno, he was practically forced off the tonight show. Blame NBC, they are idiots.
Conor Griff is my new favortie TV.com writer. That article nailed what is exactly wrong with NBC (and more specifically with Jay Leno). They just don't care about trying anything new/risky/different - they are perfectly complacent with just shifting into neutral and letting it cruise. It's sad...and I don't hate Leno; I just have no feeling toward him. I did however love "Life" and "My Own Worst Enemy" and think it is tragic that NBC would prefer hack-mediocre comedy 5 nights a week cuz it is cheap.
I really like The Jay Leno Show. I think Jays show is funny. There's not any good sitcoms or hour long series anymore anyway. CSI: Miami is boring now it's pretty much the same storylines over and over. What did you guys expect Jay to do? he is him, he is telling jokes and he is interviewing celebrities. I love it.
I miss Charlie Crews and the gang also. I have been a Leno hater long before NBC decided to kill primetime. So burn in flames harder and faster so we can get more shows worth watching.
NiponaAnd "that" is why we don't have Life anymore?? Ueg!!...ugh dont remind me, I'm sooo bitter Life isnt on, someone should go to jail for having it canceled.
I also think that people should take a critics opinion with a grain of salt because 9 out of 10 times it just seems like they wanna slam something just so they can get some sort of line in that they think is witty or clever.I think that most people dont really pay attension to critics as much as they use to because u see movies get destroyed by critics all the time yet they go on to make millions at the box office,take transformers2 for example.While ill agree that transformers 2 wasnt exactly a great film but it did exactly what it set out to do and thats just to be a big explosive distraction.People need to make there own minds up and not be led by critics and faceless names on messege boards.moreless
Cancel Leno and get 5 shows on the air and let statistics work. At least one might be good.
I actually like the jay leno show even though there are some things that need to be worked on.I say give it time.Its a new time slot for jay and he needs the time to see what works.If people can remember when he took over the tonight show for carsen his ratings were awful and the critics slammed him then to but eventually people came around because jay started trying different things.Conan isnt exactly setting the world on fire in the tonight show slot and even though i think nbc made a mistake replacing jay with conan things will turn around for conan as well.Like i said give these guys time to work out there material so they can make adjustments and then see were it goes from there.I absolutly think jay can make this time slot work for him.One thing i like about jay is that he doesnt seem to be an ultra liberal like the rest of the people in the entertainment world.Liberal entertainers like to complain about conservatives and christians pushing there views and values on people but they sit back and do the same thing only from there point of view.I really wish a lot more people were like jay,its ok to have opinions but dont push it on your viewers over and over because it only pushes people away from whatever it is your trying to do.moreless
And "that" is why we don't have Life anymore?? Ueg!!
the jay leno show ruined a lot of potential scripted shows for the 10pm slot which is why I will never tune in or watch his show.
Well, at least on this show his jokes aren't about Bush when Obama's been in office for a year. If he really wanted a show that wasn't full of lameness and liberal douchebaggery, he should do something in the realm of Top Gear. He has the cars, and the knowledge, and a touch of humor. It would be nice to see him do what he likes to do, rather than what he has to do.
I like his show. And yes, sometimes it does drag on a bit. But my family watches it every night and for the most part we enjoy it. So far, our favorite is the ghosting thing those two Australians did.
Tell Dick Wolf to keep his nose out of politics . I am never going to watch any more of his films because of his political views are thrust in to his Law and Order episodes. And if you ever think of promoting your political views - whatever they are - into your episode - your are history as well.!!@
Stay in Entertainment - stay out of politics!!!!
Ben Calhoun
916-630-0635
calcoatx@sbcglobal.net
I like this new show rather than the old show. I could careless about the monologue anyway. The car thing however is stupid! I kind of agree that Bing wasn't a good segment, but all the other ones are good like Headlines, Doctor & Cop & Lawyer, 99 Cent Store, typical ask people on street questions, Ten @ 10, and so on. I think it might doing bad because of people would rather watch other 9 pm sitcoms than watch a later show like Jay Leno. In Central, Jay Leno is on at 9 pm, and not 10. Really, what happens is that people might watch one show, and than dvr, or tape another show like I do. Ratings are so skewed that way. I tape Jay Leno so I can skip the monologue, and the guests if they are bad, and it's not because it's a bad show. I taped the other show too. I watched less on that show than this one.moreless
No Surprise there.
He is pleasant, that is all.
Leno wasnt funny to begin with so no surprise
Well hopefully soon NBC will learn the lesson that appearently the entire country and world has learned and get rid of it.
Leno funny NOT !!!!
Jay Leno was never really funny
The show is fine, but it's one too much.If NBC wanted to make the talk show genre into primetime, they should have used The Tonight Show instead of making a whole new one. It's a waste of money that could have been used for a new show.
Speak for yourself. I think the new show is great.