I watched the Oprah interview of Jay Leno and came away with the following reaction: The guy really is a conniving, self-serving narcissict. He tries very hard to present the everyman persona...but in reality he is as slick as any other hollywood shark.
Despite Jay's protestations here's the reality: Back in 2004 Leno wanted to retire. He agreed to give the show up in 2009. NBC quickly signed up Conan to succeed him to avoid a repeat of the 1992 Letterman vs. Leno Late Shift Mess. But as 2009 approaches Leno gets cold feet. He decides he doesn't want to leave the television business. He even told Oprah that he can't imagine not being on the air and predicted that she won't retire in 2012 like she has announced. Of course he wrapped this up in the humanitarian desire to keep his staff employed. But Conan wisely had signed a succession contract. NBC was obligated to give Conan The Tonight Show.
So NBC gives Leno is own show in primetime. The show bombs. Conan's show is still in infancy and has yet to build an audience. Remember it took him a couple of years to build up his Late Night audience back in the early 90's. In fact he was almost cancelled within a month of going on the air. But NBC showed remarkable patience and Late Night gradually became a hit with Conan O'Brien at the helm.
So with The Tonight Show dropping off in ratings Leno played his hand and demanded his old job back. And he got it.
Now the story he's spinning is that NBC told him in 2004 that they wanted to replace him with Conan and basically strong armed him into the five year retirement plan. He said he told a "white lie" to his audience that he wanted to retire but he never really wanted to. He states that he felt betrayed by NBC for wanting him to replace with Conan. He felt that he was being fired despite being #1 for over a decade.
What a load of crock. There is NO way that NBC back in 2004 says to Leno they want him gone in favor of Conan. Late Night's ratings were good...but not at Tonight Show levels. Plus, Leno was the undisputed king of the ratings (more proof that America is stupid).
All Leno had to do was to say no to the (fictional) deal. ABC was looking to replace Nightline. They or FOX would have jumped at the chance to get Leno from NBC. There is NO way NBC would try to force out Leno in favor of Conan.
But Leno has been shocked at the backlash. So he is revising history. He's trying to now paint Conan as the usurper. He's now saying he wants to keep his job to save the jobs of his staff (despite decimating Conan's staff and the thousands of people who work in network dramas who lost their jobs when the Jay Leno Show took over their primetime slots). He's saying he's been cancelled twice...which is completely ridiculous since NBC has given him three shots now at a show.
He has proven (although this was proven back in 1992 as well) to be a hubris filled liar with a persecution complex. This has been rumored to be true for decades...now it's out in the open. What a bum. Either he's completely delusional or he's a machiavellian operator under the guise of a blue collar everyman (despite his $800 million dollar networth). Oh yeah, one more thing...he tried to gain pity from Oprah saying he lives off the income he makes as a stand-up comic. All the Tonight Show money goes to the bank or to some charitable foundations he runs. Cry me a freaking river.
Despite Jay's protestations here's the reality: Back in 2004 Leno wanted to retire. He agreed to give the show up in 2009. NBC quickly signed up Conan to succeed him to avoid a repeat of the 1992 Letterman vs. Leno Late Shift Mess. But as 2009 approaches Leno gets cold feet. He decides he doesn't want to leave the television business. He even told Oprah that he can't imagine not being on the air and predicted that she won't retire in 2012 like she has announced. Of course he wrapped this up in the humanitarian desire to keep his staff employed. But Conan wisely had signed a succession contract. NBC was obligated to give Conan The Tonight Show.
So NBC gives Leno is own show in primetime. The show bombs. Conan's show is still in infancy and has yet to build an audience. Remember it took him a couple of years to build up his Late Night audience back in the early 90's. In fact he was almost cancelled within a month of going on the air. But NBC showed remarkable patience and Late Night gradually became a hit with Conan O'Brien at the helm.
So with The Tonight Show dropping off in ratings Leno played his hand and demanded his old job back. And he got it.
Now the story he's spinning is that NBC told him in 2004 that they wanted to replace him with Conan and basically strong armed him into the five year retirement plan. He said he told a "white lie" to his audience that he wanted to retire but he never really wanted to. He states that he felt betrayed by NBC for wanting him to replace with Conan. He felt that he was being fired despite being #1 for over a decade.
What a load of crock. There is NO way that NBC back in 2004 says to Leno they want him gone in favor of Conan. Late Night's ratings were good...but not at Tonight Show levels. Plus, Leno was the undisputed king of the ratings (more proof that America is stupid).
All Leno had to do was to say no to the (fictional) deal. ABC was looking to replace Nightline. They or FOX would have jumped at the chance to get Leno from NBC. There is NO way NBC would try to force out Leno in favor of Conan.
But Leno has been shocked at the backlash. So he is revising history. He's trying to now paint Conan as the usurper. He's now saying he wants to keep his job to save the jobs of his staff (despite decimating Conan's staff and the thousands of people who work in network dramas who lost their jobs when the Jay Leno Show took over their primetime slots). He's saying he's been cancelled twice...which is completely ridiculous since NBC has given him three shots now at a show.
He has proven (although this was proven back in 1992 as well) to be a hubris filled liar with a persecution complex. This has been rumored to be true for decades...now it's out in the open. What a bum. Either he's completely delusional or he's a machiavellian operator under the guise of a blue collar everyman (despite his $800 million dollar networth). Oh yeah, one more thing...he tried to gain pity from Oprah saying he lives off the income he makes as a stand-up comic. All the Tonight Show money goes to the bank or to some charitable foundations he runs. Cry me a freaking river.
