The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

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Weekdays 11:35 PM on NBC
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Show Summary

  • Returning Series
Jay Leno follows in the footsteps of legendary NBC late-night hosts Steve Allen, Jack Paar and Johnny Carson. Leno has created his own unique late-night style with a combination of humor, talk and entertainment each night at 11:35 p.m. ET - the wee hours when viewers want to wind down with a few laughs before drifting off to dreamland. Considered by many to be a "variety" show, "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" features a nightly monologue and news-making guests, as well as ongoing comedy segments including "Headlines," "Tonight Show Side Show," "Jaywalking," and "Battle of Jaywalking All-Stars." The result is a unique look at today's pop culture. Honored for Emmy Awards in 1995 and 1996, "The Tonight Show" was also voted by readers of "TV Guide" readers as 'Favorite Late Night Show' in 1999 and 2000. Other notable achievements include: Leno's exclusive interview with Senator John Glenn and the astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery; a pay-per-view wrestling match between Leno and Hulk Hogan; "The Tonight Show Unplugged" in response to California's recent power crisis; a sum of $360,200 raised for The Twin Towers Fund from auctioning Leno's celebrity-signed motorcycle; and a special 2001 Thanksgiving show broadcast live on Armed Forces Radio and Television Services to entertain U.S. military personnel worldwide. In addition, the program continued to make history in April 1999 when it became the first television series to be broadcast nightly in HDTV (high-definition television). The program has also proven to be a barometer of political clout. In 2000, the "Los Angeles Times" noted that "The road to the White House apparently leads through Burbank," as each presidential candidate -- Al Gore, George W. Bush, Bill Bradley and John McCain appeared to demonstrate their relaxed, good-humored side during the presidential elections. Many of the world's most popular celebrities, musical guests and newsworthy names have recently appeared on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" including: Tom Cruise, Robert De Niro, Denzel Washington, Nicole Kidman, Billy Crystal, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey, Sharon Stone, supermodel Heidi Klum, Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck, Vice President Dick Cheney, Mrs. Laura Bush, Gwyneth Paltrow, Shaquille O'Neal, Elton John, Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Sheryl Crow, Enrique Iglesias, Mel Gibson, 'N Sync, Jennifer Aniston, Jerry Seinfeld, Tom Hanks and John Travolta. In addition to the star-power, the "Tonight Show" production team searches for the most interesting "civilian" guests such as kid inventors and individuals with quirky talents and funny stories. Guitarist Kevin Eubanks is the show's bandleader. Debbie Vickers is the executive producer. "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" is from Big Dog Productions in association with NBC Studios.''''The show has its finale in May 29, 2009 before it was taken over by Conan O'Brien for 7 months. After a brief network drama, the show is now returned to Jay Leno, who hosted the Jay Leno Show in primetime for 5 months.moreless
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Episode Guide

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S 21 :  Ep 78 Aired 2/3/12
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S 21 :  Ep 76 Aired 1/31/12
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S 21 :  Ep 75 Aired 1/30/12
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S 21 :  Ep 74 Aired 1/20/12

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  • What to Watch Tonight: Mike & Molly, How I Met Your Mother, and Enlightened 56

    What to Watch Tonight: Mike & Molly, How I Met Your Mother, and Enlightened

    By Price Peterson, Oct 24, 2011

    What to watch on Monday, October 24... Hey how was your weekend? That was a rhetorical question, we all KNOW how your weekend went. Sorry about your car. And your tiger cub. And the pirate treasure. And your dignity! Cheer… more

  • President Obama to Sit With Jay Leno 16

    President Obama to Sit With Jay Leno

    By Tim Surette, Oct 21, 2011

    THE BIGGEST NEWS ... The President of the United States will sit down on Jay Leno's lap couch on Tuesday's night edition of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. No not Rick Perry or that guy from Massachusetts who yells… more

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Fan Reviews (72)

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  • Jay Leno - Vacationer in Chief.

    4.0
    "Poor"
    By rbgolfing1, Jan 25, 2012 Report Abuse
    I thought Johnny took a lot of vacations. Jay is the chief. At least Johnny would have a sub. Having old shows as a substitute is ridiculous. Dumb jokes that are dated just do not work.
    As much as I can not take Letterman, it is better than jokes that are no longer relevant.

    DO YOU AGREE?

    0 0

  • Jay Leno is the comic Everyman. Funny, witty, and playful and never mean. Jay Leno is a class act.

    8.1
    "Great"
    By scotchex2, Feb 14, 2011 Report Abuse
    Jay Leno is the Everyman. Remarkable, considering how fantastically wealthy he has become. Despite his wealth and fame, Leno has managed to retain the persona of the wry, smirking Everyman.

    I have to admit, when I was a teenager I preferred Letterman's more biting sarcasm. But as I grew into adulthood I found I preferred Leno's more gentle and good-natured humor. I think Letterman also became a good bit meaner, and at times nasty, over the years, but it's hard to tell.

    For whatever reason, I feel Leno's humor has held up better over the years. He's clever and witty without being mean and dirty. Leno clearly likes people. He likes Americans, with all of our faults and all of our silly insecurities. Leno is always laughing with us and not at us.

    Leno is not a cutting edge comedian. He's not leveling withering sarcasm at America. Rather, he's a comfortable presence and delivers, day-in and day-out, good-natured ribbing of America and our imperfections. There's always a caring twinkle in Leno's eye,and that's why he's been welcome in America's family rooms for so long.moreless

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    3 4

  • Lenno is not funny. The drummer is annoying. Connan is this show's only hope.

    2.5
    "Terrible"
    By untalented893, Feb 14, 2011 Report Abuse
    Lenno is not funny and he has very poor delivery. He constantly makes jokes that fail and I do not understand how he has come so far. Lenno needs to learn to not laugh at his own jokes even though they are not funny. The drummer in the show is absolutely annoying and constantly chimes in when no one cares. His laugh is also annoying. The only funny part of this show is the monologue which is the writer's work, not Lenno himself. I cannot wait until Connan takes over this show and maybe he can help it out. Until then, I will never watch the boring show.moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    7 14

  • The host with the most, but of what?

    4.5
    "Poor"
    By HelloStuart, Feb 14, 2011 Report Abuse
    2009, like 1993 before it, will go down as a transitional and somewhat tumultuous year in late night television. In late February, Conan O'Brien stepped down as host of Late Night and passed the reins to doe-eyed talk show neophyte Jimmy Fallon, and three months later Jay Leno left the Tonight Show to make way for Conan. This domino effect spills over into prime time, where Leno will launch a new-but-more-or-less-the-same one-hour chatfest in September. This was not something that happened overnight, but rather a heavily orchestrated event strategized by the executives of NBC. Apparently, when you've been the #4 network for five years running, you're not as afraid to throw crap at a wall and see what sticks. Leno's new show is a rare attempt at prime-time block programming, a do-or-die move that The Peacock hopes will turn around their fortunes as well as retain one of the network's longtime cash-cows. Nonetheless, is Jay Leno all that he's cracked up to be?

    With all due apologies to his fans, I must nitpick Leno's apparent status as a living legend. A proven TV star and a team player, yes, though far from a legend. First of all, he wasn't an innovator like David Letterman, nor does he have a distinctive style like Conan O'Brien. Jay borrowed heavily from Steve Allen's ringmaster approach to hosting TTS, with a dashes of Rodney Dangerfield and Johnny Carson thrown in for good measure. Secondly, Leno catered heavily toward middle America and let his pandering chip away at his comedic credibility in the process. I fully understand that Wade the Nebraskan pig farmer could use a good laugh just as much as the average college graduate, yet Leno's paltry turnout at the Emmy Awards speaks levels of his reluctance to get creative. Compared to Letterman, Leno's audience skews toward the 50-plus, the lily-white, and the bourgeoisie. At his worst, Leno is as flavorful as vanilla and as hip as prune juice. There's no question that Jay is a nice guy, nor do I doubt that he has a large circle of friends and well-wishers, but some of his recent accolades are over the top.

    I don't feel that there's any need to elaborate on Leno's so-so (and often patronizing) interviewing skills, so I'll focus on the comedy. "Jaywalking," Leno's self-appointed signature bit, was little more than an excuse for twenty-something California hipsters to deliberately flub simple questions, fully knowing that Jay was interrogating them and they could nab their 15 minutes of fame. "Headlines," arguably his second-most beloved comedy segment, is a thinly-veiled variation on "Small Town News," a bit that David Letterman created on Late Night in the '80s and revived 20+ years later.

    Although both of those bits had their moments, I grind my axe at his nightly monologue. Sure, the opening remarks are a hoary old prerequisite for any talk show host worth their salt, but Leno's might be the most egregiously banal. For 17 years, the Leno Jokebot 3000 has spat out one obvious joke after another, aimed squarely at a select list of targets: Bill Clinton, Monica Lewinsky, Dr. Jack Kervorkian, Michael Jackson, and George W. Bush. Kevin Eubanks, Leno's doting bandleader since the mid-90s, guffaws the loudest and hardest at these inoffensive one-liners, almost as if his paycheck depends upon it. In short, Leno's monologue has always been a curious sight to behold, intermittently entertaining yet drenched in obsequiousness.

    This brings me to my final point: did NBC make a mistake in selecting Leno over Letterman to replace Johnny Carson? The short answer is yes and no. While The Peacock would certainly have a few more Emmys on their shelves, Dave's latent irreverance and my-way-or-the-highway approach would've clashed with potential advertisers (not a total exaggeration). Leno was the safe choice, a guy who could bend over backwards for the network higher-ups and put on a show without being a prima-donna. Letterman may be your TV pal; however, Leno is your goofy uncle, the clean-cut Working Joe, the guy that cracks wise in the church parking lot, the everyman that you can't help but like and admire. Jay Leno is a creation of middle America, and if it works for them, I guess I can't bewail that.moreless

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    13 5

  • Can't wait to see your show every week night.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By Woveemama, Feb 14, 2011 Report Abuse
    Dear Jay: Just wanted to let you know how great it is to have you doing The Tonight Show. We never even watched one show after you left. Mr. O'Brien is not even funny and never will be. Now,the only thing missing is Kevin Eubanks and The Tonight Show Band. Sorry, but Ricky is not even close to Kevin. He will never have the charisma or the close connection that came across between you and Kevin. I know we are all creatures of habit and nobody likes change, but Ricky just doesn't have "IT" and never will. Hopefully he will not hurt your show and be your downfall. If you ever get a chance and Kevin wants to come back, please jump at the chance. Kevin is 1,000 times better Ricky. Your Monologue, Jay Walking and Headliners are the best. Mr. Leno, we have been trying for more than four years to have our little two bedroom home rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina took everything we owned. My husband Harry is a retired, disable New Orleans Fire Fighter who risked his life every day for 20 years to save others. Now in his time of need, there is no one out there to help. Your show may well be the only thing he has to look forward to because it doesn't look like we will ever have a home of our own again. Thanks for being the only bright spot in our lives.moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    0 2
 

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