Incoming host Conan O'Brien will appear on Jay Leno's last episode as host of "The Tonight Show" tonight. It marks the end of an 17-year run that saw Leno's overall popularity skyrocket while his respect amongst comedy aficionados plummeted. While O'Brien figures to bring a much more AST-centric edge to "Tonight" when he takes over on Monday, Leno will embark on an all-new show for NBC that will run five nights a week at 10:00 pm.
Viewed in the most optimistic sense possible, the new, 10:00 pm Leno could result in a return to form for the Boston-based comic. A CNN.com article from earlier this month alludes to a renewed emphasis on comedy on Leno's show that debuts in September, including the last 30 minutes devoted exclusively to comedy:
"When I was a kid, there was comedy all over TV, and it was fun to watch, whether it was Carol Burnett or any of the sitcoms," he said. "You'd have a whole night of comedy, and now everything is very serious and it's all murder."
The new show will have famous guests, but they will not drive the ratings, Leno said.
"It's all about the joke material," he said. He will "try to keep it moving" with a longer monologue with dozens of jokes, he said. The last half-hour will be filled with comedy, he said.
CNN.com Article
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