The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

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The Tonight Show with Jay Leno ranks 1,943 out of the 18,229 shows on TV.com.

The 1,212 users who count themselves as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno fans have written a total of 69 reviews.

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• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
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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... more »

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.less «

• Jay retiring.

  I herd that Jay Leno is retiring in 2009 witch is in two years. 

  I herd that Jay Leno is retiring in 2009 witch is in two years. less «

  matrix103 Last online Feb 15, 2008
  57 comments, last one 10 days ago + Add Comment

• so who else is mad

  that conoc o,brian is taking of the tonight show im sorry no offence to conon as a persone but he is not funny.and now im really mad at him well i hope no one see the show sorryhe just is not as funny as jay

  that conoc o,brian is taking of the tonight show im sorry no offence to conon as a persone but he is not funny.and now im really mad at him well i hope no one see the show sorryhe just is not as funny as jayless «

  mikey7199 Last online 16 hrs, 14 mins ago
  2 comments, last one May 30, 2009 + Add Comment

• Who Will You Watch at 10 P.M. Now that Jay Leno is Moving to Prime Time?

  Startling news, for sure, what will you be watching?

  Startling news, for sure, what will you be watching?less «

  danmod Last online 8 hrs, 55 mins ago
  22 comments, last one May 26, 2009 + Add Comment

•  

  4.5 Poor

  The host with the most, but of what? hide « show »

  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.

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  HelloStuart Added May 30, 2009 All my reviews
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  2.5 Terrible

  Lenno is not funny. The drummer is annoying. Connan is this show's only hope. hide « show »

  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.

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  untalented893 Added Sep 5, 2008 All my reviews
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  8.1 Great

  Jay Leno is the comic Everyman. Funny, witty, and playful and never mean. Jay Leno is a class act. hide « show »

  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.

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  scotchex2 Added Sep 3, 2008 All my reviews
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  9.3 Superb

  The King of Talk Show hide « show »

  Jay Leno is and always will be the man! i mean seriously he knows how to be funny. The thing Jay Leno has that every other talk show host doesn't have is timing. Jay Leno often pauses slightly in between his jokes so that the auidence and the viewers get the full effects. Jay Leno always nails the timing perfectly. Jay Leno also really knows how to play off his guests making them tell funny stories and adding comments to get the full effect. I think Jay Leno is awesome and i love how he makes fun of how old Mccain is.

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  Shinigami124 Added Aug 4, 2008 All my reviews
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  7.6 Good

  I can stay up late to wacth the Show hide « show »

  I don't usally like to stay up late at night but when I do its nice to have Jay's show to wacth its informative and entertaining and can be an exciting show to wacth late at night I like the show and the news too and Jay seems like a super nice guy plus the show keeps aa good pace of things to stay up late at night to wacth and it helps making falling asleep again to wacth the show late at night I like how the people in the show come across. I hope my review makes some sense

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  AtleeFan Added Apr 7, 2008 All my reviews