Leno Out of Late Night?
The news of Jay Leno and his new nightly talk show on NBC is making headlines in the entertainment world today but I’m not sure the average American understands how this effects all of the major networks and their programming. I imagine it’s long been the belief of the networks that talk shows like Letterman and Leno were best served after your late local news but Leno’s new show will be aired week nights at 10:00 PM. How much money does NBC save by eliminating five nights of programming? Leno’s show is rumored to be ninety minutes long so I would guess, they will save millions and millions of dollars normally spent on their comedy and drama programming.
What shows will be displaced by the new Leno show? Well, I looked up the scheduled programming at 10:00 PM on TV Guide and here is what is listed for this week.
Monday: My Own Worst Enemy (this show has already been canceled, but I kind of enjoyed Christian Slater on TV)
Tuesday: Law & Order SVU
Wednesday: Law & Order
Thursday: ER (series ends this season)
Friday: Dateline NBC
In theory, they only had to move three programs which in my estimation would draw an audience on any night of the week. It appears at first glance to be a brilliant move for NBC but will people tune in, is anyones guess. Also, what about booking guests? Does Leno become the favored show over Letterman because the earlier time slot reaches a larger available audience? I think you may see Letterman quietly bow out for fear of watching his audience erode, even though he is clearly the funnier host. Maybe Letterman sees this as a challenge? What of Conan O’Brian? Does he feel slighted because he thought he was moving into the Big Chair, which has now actually been moved into Prime Time? Ouch!
K~
