''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American
late-night talk show
A late-night talk show is a genre of talk show popular in the United States, where the format originated. It is generally structured around humorous monologues about the day's news, guest interviews, comedy sketches and music performances. It i ...
hosted by
Jay Leno that first aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009. It resumed production on March 1, 2010 and ended on February 6, 2014.
The fourth incarnation of the ''
Tonight Show
''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. The show has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2009 and 2010 ...
'' franchise debuted on May 25, 1992, three days after
Johnny Carson
John William Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American television host, comedian, writer and producer. He is best known as the host of ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' (1962–1992). Carson received six Pr ...
's retirement as
host of the program. The program originated from
NBC Studios in
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank has a population of 107,337. The city was named after David Burbank, w ...
, and was broadcast Monday through Friday at 11:35p.m. in the
Eastern
Eastern may refer to:
Transportation
*China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai
*Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways
*Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991
*Eastern Air Li ...
and
Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
time zones (10:35p.m.
Central
Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object.
Central may also refer to:
Directions and generalised locations
* Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
/
Mountain
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...
time). Unlike Carson or his predecessor
Jack Paar, Leno only once used a guest host, preferring to host the series in person.
The series, which followed the same basic format as that of its predecessors (an opening monologue followed by comedy routines, interviews and performances), ran until May 29, 2009, after which Leno was succeeded by
Conan O'Brien.
NBC signed Leno to a new deal for a nightly talk show in the 10:00 pm ET timeslot. The primetime series, titled ''
The Jay Leno Show
''The Jay Leno Show'' is a talk show created and hosted by Jay Leno. Premiering on NBC on September 14, 2009, the program aired on weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ET/ PT through February 9, 2010. The program was modeled upon the format of a late ...
'', debuted on September 14, 2009, following a similar format to the Leno incarnation of ''Tonight''.
Neither
O'Brien's version of the program, which premiered June 1, 2009 nor ''The Jay Leno Show'' generated the ratings NBC had expected. The network decided to move a condensed 30-minute version of Leno's show to O'Brien's time slot, and O'Brien's ''Tonight Show'' a half-hour later. This decision met with opposition from O'Brien, whose stint on ''The Tonight Show'' ended January 22, 2010, after which he began his own talk show, ''
Conan'', on
TBS. ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' then began its second incarnation, the sixth of the franchise, on March 1, 2010. Leno left ''The Tonight Show'' for good on February 6, 2014, and on February 17, was succeeded by ''Late Night'' host Jimmy Fallon, at which time the series returned to New York for the first time since 1972.
History
Succession from Carson
![Jay Leno (1993) by Alan Light](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Jay_Leno_%281993%29_by_Alan_Light.jpg)
Johnny Carson retired from ''The Tonight Show'' on May 22, 1992, and was replaced by
Jay Leno.
David Letterman wanted to move into the earlier time slot from his late night spot after ''The Tonight Show'', and he was also considered by many as the natural successor (despite Leno having been Carson's permanent guest host for several years). Carson always favored Letterman; notably, Carson, who had been interviewed by Letterman, made two appearances on Letterman's rival CBS show, made no mention of Leno during his final shows and regularly sent Letterman monologue jokes in his final years. With his heart set on the earlier time slot, Letterman left NBC in June 1993 and joined CBS that August. ''The
Late Show with David Letterman
The ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the The Late Show (franchise), ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by ...
'', airing in the same slot, competed against ''The Tonight Show'' for the remainder of Leno's run. Leno would outdo Letterman in ratings for the majority of the show's run.
Conan O'Brien slid into the late night time slot vacated by Letterman in September 1993.
First end of Leno on ''Tonight''
On September 27, 2004, the 50th anniversary of ''
The Tonight Show
''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. The show has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2009 and 201 ...
''s debut, NBC announced Leno would be succeeded by O'Brien, in 2009. Leno explained he did not want to see a repeat of the hard feelings and controversy that occurred when he was given the show over Letterman following Carson's retirement.
It was announced on July 21, 2008, that Leno would host his final episode of ''The Tonight Show'' on Friday, May 29, 2009, with O'Brien and
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, havi ...
as his guests. O'Brien took over hosting duties commencing the following Monday, on June 1, 2009.
On December 9, 2008, it was announced Leno would be hosting
a new nightly show in September 2009, which aired at 10 pm ET, during the network's prime time period. ''The Jay Leno Show'' ended after a short run on February 9, 2010.
Second incarnation
On January 7, 2010, multiple media outlets reported that effective March 1, 2010, ''
The Jay Leno Show
''The Jay Leno Show'' is a talk show created and hosted by Jay Leno. Premiering on NBC on September 14, 2009, the program aired on weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ET/ PT through February 9, 2010. The program was modeled upon the format of a late ...
'' would move from the 10 pm (
Eastern
Eastern may refer to:
Transportation
*China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai
*Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways
*Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991
*Eastern Air Li ...
/
Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
Time) weeknight time slot to 11:35 pm and O'Brien's ''
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
''The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show that featured Conan O'Brien as host from June 1, 2009, to January 22, 2010, as part of NBC's ''Tonight Show'' franchise. O'Brien had previously hosted NBC's ''Late N ...
'' would move from 11:35 pm to 12:05 am.
On January 12, 2010, O'Brien publicly announced in an open letter that he intended to leave NBC if they moved ''The Tonight Show'' to 12:05 am ET/PT to accommodate moving ''The Jay Leno Show'' to 11:35 pm Eastern/10:35 pm Central, due to poor ratings. After several days of negotiations, O'Brien reached a settlement with NBC that allowed him to leave NBC and ''The Tonight Show'' on January 22, 2010.
On January 21, 2010,
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
announced Leno would return to ''The Tonight Show''. Jay Leno began his second tenure on March 1, 2010, after the
2010 Winter Olympics
)''
, nations = 82
, athletes = 2,626
, events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, opening = February 12, 2010
, closing = February 28, 2010
, opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean
, cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy GreeneWayne Gretz ...
. The show moved to Stage 11 in Burbank, the former home of ''
The Jay Leno Show
''The Jay Leno Show'' is a talk show created and hosted by Jay Leno. Premiering on NBC on September 14, 2009, the program aired on weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ET/ PT through February 9, 2010. The program was modeled upon the format of a late ...
'', with a similar set and theme song of ''The Jay Leno Show''. ''The Tonight Show'' bandleader
Kevin Eubanks
Kevin Tyrone Eubanks (born November 15, 1957) is an American jazz and fusion guitarist and composer. He was the leader of The Tonight Show Band with host Jay Leno from 1995 to 2010. He also led the Primetime Band on the short lived ''The Jay Le ...
announced on April 12 he would be leaving ''The Tonight Show'' on May 28 after 18 years with Leno. Eubanks' replacement was former ''
American Idol
''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...
'' musical director
Rickey Minor
Rickey Minor is an American bass player, music director, composer and music producer. He was the musical director and bandleader on ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' from 2010 to 2014, taking over after Kevin Eubanks left.
Minor worked as mus ...
. Minor composed a new main theme when he took over.
On July 1, 2010, ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' reported that only six months into its second life, Leno's ''Tonight Show'' posted its lowest ratings since 1992. By September 2010, Leno's ratings in the adults 18-49 demographic had fallen below those of O'Brien when he had hosted ''The Tonight Show''. NBC ratings specialist Tom Bierbaum commented that due to the host being out of late night television for a period of time and the subsequent
2010 ''Tonight Show'' conflict, Leno's ratings fall was "not a surprise at all". In October 2010,
David Letterman beat Leno's program in the ratings, for the first time since Leno returned to hosting ''The Tonight Show''.
By May 2011, Leno's ''Tonight Show'' regained the lead and held it since then. However, by August 2012, the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' was reporting that ''The Tonight Show'' was in serious trouble for a number of reasons, most notably that NBC was losing money. While Leno offered to take a pay cut, at least 24 members of his staff were laid off. By March 2013, there were rumors that NBC would have
Jimmy Fallon, who had been hosting ''Late Night'' since 2009 when he succeeded O'Brien, become the next host of ''The Tonight Show'' when Leno's current contract ended in 2014 and NBC would move the show back to New York for the first time in over 40 years. On May 13, 2013, during its fall "upfronts" presentation, NBC confirmed Fallon would take over as host of the ''Tonight Show'' beginning on February 17, 2014;
Seth Meyers, in turn, would leave ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
'' (where he was the anchor of ''
Weekend Update
''Weekend Update'' is a ''Saturday Night Live'' sketch and satirical news program that comments on and parodies current events. It is the show's longest-running recurring sketch, having been on since the show's first broadcast, and is typic ...
'') and take over Fallon's time slot.
Leno's final episode of ''The Tonight Show'' aired on February 6, 2014. Per the terms on his deal with NBC, his staff was paid through September 2014. Leno wrapped up the night before the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, which began on February 7. Fallon took over ''The Tonight Show'' on February 17.
![The Tonight Show with Jay Leno - orange logo (2010-2014)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/The_Tonight_Show_with_Jay_Leno_-_orange_logo_%282010-2014%29.svg)
Leno himself would later appear multiple times on Jimmy Fallon's version of ''The Tonight Show'', such as a June 15, 2016 appearance in which Leno not only appeared as a guest, he delivered part of that night's monologue, commenting on the 2016 US election campaign.
(Leno came out to do the monologue after Fallon faked an injury.)
Production
From 1992 to 2009, the show was shot in Studio 3, but since 2009 to 2014 in Studio 11 at
NBC Studios (now The Burbank Studios).
On April 26, 1999, the show began broadcasting in digital
HDTV
High-definition television (HD or HDTV) describes a television system which provides a substantially higher image resolution than the previous generation of technologies. The term has been used since 1936; in more recent times, it refers to the g ...
1080i
1080i (also known as Full HD or BT.709) is a combination of frame resolution and scan type. 1080i is used in high-definition television (HDTV) and high-definition video. The number "1080" refers to the number of horizontal lines on the screen. ...
, becoming the first American nightly talk show to be shot in high definition. The show was recorded in
two channel stereo sound and shot with ten
Sony
, commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...
HD cameras including four
Sony HDC-700A, three Sony HDC-750A, and three Sony DXC-H10
point of view
Point of view or Points of View may refer to:
Concept and technique
* Point of view (philosophy), an attitude how one sees or thinks of something
* Point of view (literature) or narrative mode, the perspective of the narrative voice; the prono ...
cameras in
16:9 aspect ratio in the year 2000. The show was directly fed to
network affiliates
In the broadcasting industry (particularly in North America, and even more in the United States), a network affiliate or affiliated station is a local broadcaster, owned by a company other than the owner of the network, which carries some or ...
through
SBS-4 satellite and NTSC feed was sent to New York via
AT&T fiber and was uplinked by New York to its affiliates.
Finances
During the last year with Leno as host, ''The Tonight Show'' cost about $1.7 million a week to produce.
With 45 weeks of annual production, that amounted to about $76.5 million, excluding the salaries for Leno and the show's "top producers".
In that same period, the show had been generating an estimated $30–$40 million a year in profit, down from the $150 million a year the franchise once made."
Format
The show follows an established six-piece format. After
the announcer announces the opening credits for the show, the first segment is a ten-minute
monologue by Leno, with jokes about current events and brief comedy sketches occasionally mixed in. The second segment is a full comedy sketch, such as a mini-documentary by a "''Tonight Show'' correspondent" (e.g.,
Ross the Intern or
Mikey Day
Michael William Day (born March 20, 1980) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He is the host of the Netflix show '' Is It Cake?'' He joined ''Saturday Night Live'' as a writer in its 39th season, became a featured player in i ...
), or a trademark of Leno's, such as
Headlines
The headline or heading is the text indicating the content or nature of the article below it, typically by providing a form of brief summary of its contents.
The large type ''front page headline'' did not come into use until the late 19th centur ...
.
The first guest appears, with the interview is divided into two segments, then followed by an interview with the second guest in the fifth segment. The sixth and final segment is typically a performance by a musical guest or stand-up comedian.
Immediately following the last performance segment, Leno walks on camera to thank the performers, bid farewell to the audience and recommends watching ''Late Night'' which immediately follows ''The Tonight Show''. As the closing credits roll on-screen, the closing theme, composed by bandleader
Rickey Minor
Rickey Minor is an American bass player, music director, composer and music producer. He was the musical director and bandleader on ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' from 2010 to 2014, taking over after Kevin Eubanks left.
Minor worked as mus ...
plays the show off the air.
Bandleader
Branford Marsalis
Branford Marsalis (born August 26, 1960) is an American saxophonist
The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed inst ...
was the original bandleader of the show from 1992 to 1995, leaving the show after feeling displeased with his role on the show, what he called being an "ass-kisser".
Kevin Eubanks
Kevin Tyrone Eubanks (born November 15, 1957) is an American jazz and fusion guitarist and composer. He was the leader of The Tonight Show Band with host Jay Leno from 1995 to 2010. He also led the Primetime Band on the short lived ''The Jay Le ...
, who was the guitarist in Marsalis' band, moved up to bandleader forming ''
Kevin Eubanks and The Tonight Show Band
Kevin Eubanks and the ''Tonight Show'' Band was the house band of ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno''. It previously served as the house band of ''The Jay Leno Show'' and was the house band of the first incarnation of ''The Tonight Show with Ja ...
'' and remained with ''The Tonight Show'' and ''The Jay Leno Show'' until 2010, leaving the show for unclear "personal" reasons.
Rickey Minor
Rickey Minor is an American bass player, music director, composer and music producer. He was the musical director and bandleader on ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' from 2010 to 2014, taking over after Kevin Eubanks left.
Minor worked as mus ...
, former ''
American Idol
''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...
'' music director, replaced Eubanks, forming ''
Rickey Minor and The Tonight Show Band
Rickey Minor and ''The Tonight Show'' Band was the house band of ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' from 2010 until 2014. Minor took over ''The Tonight Show'' Band after Kevin Eubanks and his band left the show on May 28, 2010 after spending 18 ...
''.
Announcer
Edd Hall served as announcer on ''The Tonight Show'' from 1992 until 2004. Hall occasionally appeared in skits during the opening monologue. These skits often involved slapstick injury to Hall (by using a stunt double, dummy, or film clip), such as vehicles running him over in the studio parking lot. Unlike his predecessors on ''Tonight'' (i.e. McMahon with Carson, Hugh Downs with Jack Paar), Hall did not serve as a sidekick for Leno during his tenure on Leno's incarnation of ''The Tonight Show''.
Hall was controversially replaced in 2004 by ''
The Howard Stern Show
''The Howard Stern Show'' is an American radio show hosted by Howard Stern that gained wide recognition when it was nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio from WXRK in New York City, between 1986 and 2005. The show has aired on Howard 100 a ...
'' staff member
John Melendez
John Edward Melendez (born October 4, 1965), also known as Stuttering John, is an American radio personality, comedian, singer, actor, television writer, announcer, and podcast host.
He is best known for being on ''The Howard Stern Show'' from ...
in what many perceived as a thinly veiled attempt to attract a younger demographic and nonsensical considering his "stuttering" moniker. The hiring of Melendez which was carried out by Leno without Stern's knowledge, prompted a rift between Stern and Leno. Stern launched into tirades on his show for many weeks on saying Leno was "ripping him off", citing previously "lifted" material from his show such as "Jaywalking" ripping off Stern's "homeless game"; for example, stating "To an 18- to 25-year-old male, Jay Leno is gay. He might as well put a dress on." Since the move to ''
The Jay Leno Show
''The Jay Leno Show'' is a talk show created and hosted by Jay Leno. Premiering on NBC on September 14, 2009, the program aired on weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ET/ PT through February 9, 2010. The program was modeled upon the format of a late ...
'', Melendez was replaced as announcer, but remained on the writing staff.
Wally Wingert
Wallace Eugene Wingert (born May 6, 1961) is an American voice actor. His roles include Almighty Tallest Red in ''Invader Zim'', Renji Abarai in ''Bleach'', Kotetsu T. Kaburagi / Wild Tiger in '' Tiger & Bunny'', The Riddler in the '' Batman: ...
would be the only off-camera announcer for Leno's second ''Tonight'' tenure, carrying over his duties from ''The Jay Leno Show''.
Recurring segments
Notable episodes
* On May 25, 1992, ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' debuted on NBC. The first show featured Leno's guests;
Billy Crystal
William Edward Crystal (born March 14, 1948)On page 17 of his book ''700 Sundays'', Crystal displays his birth announcement, which gives his first two names as "William Edward", not "William Jacob" is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. ...
,
Shanice
Shanice Lorraine Wilson-Knox (née Wilson; born May 14, 1973) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and dancer. Shanice had the ''Billboard'' hit singles " I Love Your Smile" and " Silent Prayer" in 1991 and " Saving Forever for You" in 19 ...
, and
Robert Krulwich
Robert Louis Krulwich (born August 5, 1947) is an American radio and television journalist who currently serves as a science correspondent for NPR and was a co-host of the program ''Radiolab''. He has worked as a full-time employee of ABC, CBS ...
.
*On May 20, 1993, ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' traveled to the
Bull & Finch Pub in
Boston, Massachusetts, to celebrate the final episode of ''
Cheers
''Cheers'' is an American sitcom television series that ran on NBC from September 30, 1982, to May 20, 1993, with a total of 275 half-hour episodes across 11 seasons. The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions in association w ...
''. This is the first time that ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is taped on the road.
*On May 9, 1994,
Bobcat Goldthwait
Robert Francis "Bobcat" Goldthwait (born May 26, 1962) is an American actor, comedian, director and screenwriter, known for his black comedy stand-up act, delivered through an energetic stage persona with an unusual raspy and high-pitched voice. ...
appeared on ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'', where he set the guest chair on fire. Leno throws a cup of
coffee
Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulant, stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world.
S ...
, and tells Bobcat to sit down.
*On August 22, 1994, Leno eulogized his father, who had recently died. After his monologue, Leno sat behind his desk and told the audience about his father's life and how his father had supported him in his career. Leno noted a moment when, upon Carson's disapproval at Leno being his successor, his father had encouraged him and told him to "fight the good fight". Leno ended the tribute saying, "You know, it really is lonely at the top. You have no idea. But... we'll fight the good fight, Pop."
*On July 10, 1995,
Hugh Grant
Hugh John Mungo Grant (born 9 September 1960) is an English actor. He established himself early in his career as both a charming, and vulnerable romantic lead and has since transitioned into a dramatic character actor. Among his numerous a ...
appeared in public for the first time after his arrest on lewd conduct charges the previous month. Leno famously asked him "What the hell were you thinking?" In response, Grant told Leno, "I think you know in life what's a good thing to do and what's a bad thing, and I did a bad thing...and there you have it." The appearance was the first episode in which Leno beat CBS rival David Letterman.
*On November 30, 1995,
Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern (born January 12, 1954) is an American radio and television personality, comedian, and author. He is best known for his radio show, ''The Howard Stern Show'', which gained popularity when it was nationally syndicated on terre ...
, who had made two highly rated appearances in 1992 and 1993, appeared with bikini-clad porn stars
Nikki Tyler and
Janine Lindemulder
Janine Lindemulder is an American nude model, former exotic dancer and retired pornographic actress. She is best known for her work in American pornographic films (typically credited mononymously as Janine) during the mid-1990s and since a 200 ...
, attempting to show "the Tonight Show's first lesbian kiss" and encouraging Leno to spank one of them. Stern and the women remained during
Siskel and
Ebert's segment, where he began to suck one of their toes, to raucous applause and behavior from the crowd. Leno was visibly uncomfortable during both segments, repeatedly telling Stern "it will all be edited out", and hastily trying to interview Siskel & Ebert while the crowd went wild at Stern's antics. Leno ended the show early by walking off the air, which was edited out when it aired a few hours later, as revealed by Stern when he went on the air (on the ''
Howard Stern Show
''The Howard Stern Show'' is an American radio show hosted by Howard Stern that gained wide recognition when it was nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio from WXRK in New York City, between 1986 and 2005. The show has aired on Howard 100 ...
'') the following morning. Despite the situation, Leno called into the show that morning claiming Stern had "gone beyond the acceptable standards". Stern said Leno should not have "been so uptight" and he had a "real" reaction to the situation which was great. Stern recounted Leno had yelled at his producer
Gary Dell'Abate
Gary Patrick Angelo Dell'Abate (born March 14, 1961), also known by the nickname Baba Booey, is an American radio producer who has been the executive producer of ''The Howard Stern Show'' since 1984. His autobiography, '' They Call Me Baba Booey'' ...
saying Stern had "'s-d' in his house" and supposedly "grabbed his crotch" and yelled "Pussy, Pussy, Pussy! That's all it is with Howard" which Leno denied but agreed he had been angered by Stern.
*On March 13, 2000, New York Giants quarterback
Jason Sehorn
Jason Heath Sehorn (born April 15, 1971) is a former American football cornerback who played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Giants from 1994 to 2002 and St. Louis Rams in 2003. He played college football ...
came onstage during Leno's interview with his girlfriend, ''
Law & Order
''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment, launching the '' Law & Order'' franchise.
''Law & Order'' aired its entire run on NBC, premiering on ...
'' star
Angie Harmon
Angela Michelle Harmon (born August 10, 1972) is an American actress and model. She won ''Seventeens modeling contest in 1987 at age 15, signed with IMG Models, and appeared on covers for magazines such as ''Cosmopolitan'' and ''Esquire''. ...
, surprising her by proposing in front of Jay, the audience, and musical guest
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
. Harmon tearfully accepts, and Elton performed after the break. One night later in the monologue, Leno crack up the audience by saying the episode was like every date he had in college. ''"The pretty girl ran off with the football player, and I was left alone listening to Elton John!"''
*In September 2000, with California in an energy crisis that forced blackouts, Leno did an episode in the dark using only candles and flashlights known as "The Tonight Show Unplugged".
*Following the
September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercia ...
, ''The Tonight Show'' was off the air for about a week, as were most similar programs. The first post-9/11 episode began with a still image of an American flag and a subdued opening without the usual opening credits. Leno's monologue paid tribute to those who lost their lives and to firefighters, police and rescue workers across the US. Leno had questioned whether a show that regularly poked fun at the government could continue after the attacks, but in his monologue he explained that he also saw the show as a respite from the grim news of the world, akin to a cookie or glass of lemonade handed to a firefighter. He also told a story about himself as a 12-year-old Boy Scout, which Leno said he was not a very good at because of his dyslexia. His scoutmaster gave him the task of being the "cheermaster" of the troop, in which Leno told jokes to the troop to keep their spirits up. Senator John McCain and the musical group
Crosby, Stills, and Nash
Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN) were a folk rock supergroup made up of American singer-songwriters David Crosby and Stephen Stills and English singer-songwriter Graham Nash. When joined by Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young as a fourth member, ...
were featured guests. Leno also organized an auction for a
Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson, Inc. (H-D, or simply Harley) is an American motorcycle manufacturer headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1903, it is one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depressi ...
motorcycle signed by celebrities (he signed his name on-stage), with the proceeds going to 9/11 support organizations. For an extended period after the attack, a short clip of a large American flag waving was shown in between the announcement of the musical guest and Leno's introduction during the opening montage.
*On May 12, 2003,
Katie Couric
Katherine Anne Couric ( ; born January 7, 1957) is an American journalist and presenter. She is founder of Katie Couric Media, a multimedia news and production company. She also publishes a daily newsletter, ''Wake Up Call''. From 2013 to 2017, ...
hosted ''The Tonight Show'' for a day. Couric's guests on that night's show were
Mike Myers
Michael John Myers OC (born May 25, 1963) is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. His accolades include seven MTV Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2002, he was awarded a star on the Hollyw ...
,
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality, entrepreneur and record executive. He is the creator of ''The X Factor'' and ''Got Talent'' franchises which have been sold around the world. He has judged on t ...
, and
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, and achieved commercial success after launching a solo career in 1996. His debut stud ...
.
*On August 6, 2003, actor
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...
appeared on ''The Tonight Show'' and confirmed he would be running against California governor
Gray Davis for the
2003 California gubernatorial recall election. Schwarzenegger won the election on October 7.
*On January 24, 2005, Leno had a special episode that paid tribute to ''Tonight Show'' predecessor Johnny Carson, who had died the day before. During the opening credits, the guests of that show were simply announced using pictures from when they were on Carson's ''Tonight Show'', and the monologue simply gave condolence to Carson. There were no segments used; however, Leno played clips from ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' before commercials. All the guests were people who had worked with Carson, and had been on his show, including Ed McMahon, Drew Carey,
Don Rickles
Donald Jay Rickles (May 8, 1926 – April 6, 2017) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. He became known primarily for his insult comedy. His film roles include ''Run Silent, Run Deep'' (1958) with Clark Gable, Carl Reiner's '' Enter La ...
, and Bob Newhart.
*On July 20, 2006, as
Colin Farrell
Colin James Farrell (; born 31 May 1976) is an Irish actor. A leading man in projects across various genres in both blockbuster and independent films since the 2000s, he has received numerous accolades including a Golden Globe Award. ''The ...
was being interviewed by Leno, Farrell's
stalker, Dessarae Bradford, evaded security, walked on stage as cameras were rolling, confronted Farrell, and threw her book on Leno's desk. In front of a silent, stunned audience, Farrell escorted her off the stage himself, told the camera crew to stop filming, and handed her over to security. As Bradford was led out of the studio, she shouted "I'll see you in court!" Farrell's response was simply, "Darling, you're insane!" Outside the studio,
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
security handed her to
Burbank police, who eventually released her. While waiting to begin filming again, a shocked Leno sarcastically called for "a round of applause for NBC security" from the audience. After Farrell apologized to the audience, describing Bradford as "my first stalker", the show then continued filming and the incident was edited out of the broadcast aired that night.
Farrell later requested a restraining order in court against Bradford.
*On July 24, 2007, the monologue was animated by
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the American animated sitcom ''The Simpsons''. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared, along with the rest of his family, in ''The Tracey Ullman Show'' short "G ...
. Simpson gave a short monologue to the audience, and was "kicked out" by Leno. This sketch was to promote ''
The Simpsons Movie
''The Simpsons Movie'' is a 2007 American Animation, animated comedy film based on the long-running animated sitcom ''The Simpsons''. The film was directed by the show's supervising director David Silverman (animator), David Silverman and star ...
''.
*On January 2, 2008, ''The Tonight Show'' (along with ''
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. The nightly hour-long show debuted on January 26, 2003, at Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywood, Los ...
'' and ''
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien. NBC aired 2,725 episodes from September 13, 1993, to February 20, 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and music ...
'') returned to air without writers, with the WGA still on strike. This was in response to the deal by
David Letterman's production company
Worldwide Pants
Worldwide Pants Inc. is an American television and film production company founded and owned by comedian and talk show host David Letterman.
The company was formerly headquartered at the Ed Sullivan Theater building in New York City, but has sinc ...
and
CBS Paramount Television
CBS Studios, Inc. is an American television production company which is a subsidiary of CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global. It was formed on January 17, 2006, by CBS Corporation as CBS Paramount Television, as a renaming of the o ...
with the WGA to allow ''
Late Show with David Letterman
The ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the The Late Show (franchise), ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by ...
'' and ''
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish actor and comedian Craig Ferguson. This was the third iteration of the ''Late Late Show'' franchise, airing from January 3, 2005, to December 19, ...
'' to return with writers. Leno's guest that night, Republican presidential candidate
Mike Huckabee, was criticized for crossing the WGA
picket line
A picket line is a horizontal rope along which horses are tied at intervals. The rope can be on the ground, at chest height (above the knees, below the neck) or overhead. The overhead form is usually called a high line.
A variant of a high l ...
to appear on the show. Huckabee would go on to win the
Iowa caucuses
The Iowa caucuses are biennial electoral events for members of the Democratic and Republican parties in the U.S. state of Iowa. Unlike primary elections in most other U.S. states, where registered voters go to polling places to cast ballots, ...
the very next day.
*On June 13, 2008, Leno delivered the news of
Tim Russert
Timothy John Russert (May 7, 1950 – June 13, 2008) was an American television journalist and lawyer who appeared for more than 16 years as the longest-serving moderator of NBC's ''Meet the Press''. He was a senior vice president at NBC News, Wa ...
's death to his audience during his monologue, and set aside some time in it to remember his old colleague. Leno then stated that he would continue the show as normal afterwards.
*On March 19, 2009,
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
appeared on the show. This marked the first time that a sitting President of the United States appeared on a late night talk show. President Obama came under fire for a remark made about the
Special Olympics
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities, providing year-round training and activities to 5 million participants and Unified Sports partners in ...
, which he made in reference to Leno's congratulations to Obama's low bowling score.
*On March 1, 2010, Leno made his return to ''The Tonight Show'' with a re-written version of ''
The Jay Leno Show
''The Jay Leno Show'' is a talk show created and hosted by Jay Leno. Premiering on NBC on September 14, 2009, the program aired on weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ET/ PT through February 9, 2010. The program was modeled upon the format of a late ...
'' theme song and a renovated Stage 11. Leno's guests were
Jamie Foxx
Eric Marlon Bishop (born December 13, 1967), known professionally as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He became widely known for his portrayal of Ray Charles in the 2004 biographical film ''Ray'', for which he won the A ...
, Olympic Gold medalist
Lindsey Vonn
Lindsey Caroline Vonn ( ; born October 18, 1984) is an American former World Cup alpine ski racer on the US Ski Team. She won four World Cup overall championships — second only amongst female skiers to Annemarie Moser-Pröll — with three ...
, and musical guest
Brad Paisley
Bradley Douglas Paisley (born October 28, 1972) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Starting with his 1999 debut album ''Who Needs Pictures'', he has released eleven studio albums and a Christmas compilation on the Arista Nashvil ...
. Leno also did a segment searching for a new desk, an element which was not implemented into his primetime show.
* On November 18, 2010, former President
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
made his first appearance on a late night talk show since leaving office.
*On November 23, 2010, former bandleader
Kevin Eubanks
Kevin Tyrone Eubanks (born November 15, 1957) is an American jazz and fusion guitarist and composer. He was the leader of The Tonight Show Band with host Jay Leno from 1995 to 2010. He also led the Primetime Band on the short lived ''The Jay Le ...
returned to promote his new album ''Zen Food''.
*On March 2, 2011, the 4,000th episode aired.
*On February 6, 2014, Leno hosted his final show, which featured several pre-taped well-wishes (and humorous advice) from a variety of celebrities ranging from
Steve Carell
Steven John Carell (; born August 16, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He played Michael Scott in ''The Office'' (2005–2011; 2013), NBC’s adaptation of the British series created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, where Ca ...
to President Barack Obama, who offered Leno an ambassadorship to
Antarctica
Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...
("Hope you have a warm coat, funnyman."). Appearing as Leno's final guests were
Billy Crystal
William Edward Crystal (born March 14, 1948)On page 17 of his book ''700 Sundays'', Crystal displays his birth announcement, which gives his first two names as "William Edward", not "William Jacob" is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. ...
(Leno's first guest in 1992) and
Garth Brooks
Troyal Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962) is an American country music singer and songwriter. His integration of pop and rock elements into the country genre has earned him popularity, particularly in the United States with success on the co ...
. Crystal surprised Leno by leading an on-stage sing-along of "
So Long, Farewell
"So Long, Farewell" is a song from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 1959 musical, ''The Sound of Music''. It was included in the original Broadway run and was first performed by the Von Trapp children, played by Kathy Dunn, David Gress, Evanna Lien, M ...
" from ''
The Sound of Music
''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, ''The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. S ...
'', with lyrics for the occasion performed by special guests
Jack Black
Thomas Jacob Black (born August 28, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is known for his acting roles in the films '' High Fidelity'' (2000), ''Shallow Hal'' (2001), ''Orange County'' (2002), '' School of Rock'' (2003), ''E ...
,
Kim Kardashian
Kimberly Noel Kardashian (formerly West; born October 21, 1980) is an American socialite, media personality, and businesswoman. She first gained media attention as a friend and stylist of Paris Hilton, but received wider notice after the s ...
,
Chris Paul
Christopher Emmanuel Paul (born May 6, 1985), nicknamed "CP3" and “The Point God”, is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Paul is widely regarded as one o ...
,
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, pop, country, folk, and blues. She has released eleven studio albums, five compilations and three li ...
,
Jim Parsons
James Joseph Parsons (born March 24, 1973) is an American actor. From 2007 to 2019, he played Sheldon Cooper in the CBS sitcom '' The Big Bang Theory''. He has received various awards, including four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead ...
,
Carol Burnett
Carol Creighton Burnett (born April 26, 1933) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and writer. Her groundbreaking comedy variety show ''The Carol Burnett Show'', which originally aired on CBS was one of the first of its kind to be hosted ...
, and
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954), or simply Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', br ...
; Brooks performed his touching song
"The Dance" (at Leno's request) before closing out the show with the rousing "
Friends in Low Places". In closing "the greatest 22 years of my life," Leno turned emotional in his final remarks, calling himself "the luckiest guy in the world... I got to meet presidents, astronauts, and movie stars." Leno also thanked the audience as well as his staff, who "became my family" after the deaths of his parents and his brother early in his ''Tonight'' tenure.
Reception
Critical reviews for the show were mixed, with a
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
score of 49 out of 100, based on 9 reviews. In a negative review, Robert Bianco of ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' wrote; "Monday's opening monologue, supposedly Leno's strong suit, was tired, lame and unfunny. In other words, typical of the real Leno, rather than the Leno of public-relations imagination."
The show was nominated for an Emmy Award in the Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series category ten times between 1993 and 2005. It won the award in 1995.
Ratings
The 10th Anniversary special, broadcast on April 30, 2002, drew in 11.888 million viewers.
On September 22, 2006, ''The Tonight Show'' led in
ratings for the 11th consecutive season, with a nightly average of 5.7 million viewers – 31% of the total audience in that time slot – compared to 4.2 million viewers for ''
Late Show with David Letterman
The ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the The Late Show (franchise), ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by ...
'', 3.4 million for ''
Nightline'' and 1.6 million for ''
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. The nightly hour-long show debuted on January 26, 2003, at Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywood, Los ...
''. Two events helped Leno gain and keep the lead: a new set brought Leno closer to the audience and
Hugh Grant
Hugh John Mungo Grant (born 9 September 1960) is an English actor. He established himself early in his career as both a charming, and vulnerable romantic lead and has since transitioned into a dramatic character actor. Among his numerous a ...
kept his July 10, 1995 scheduled appearance, despite having been arrested for seeing a prostitute, where Leno famously asked Grant, "What the hell were you thinking?"
[Hirschberg, Lynn.]
Heeeeere's . . . Conan
''The New York Times Magazine
''The New York Times Magazine'' is an American Sunday magazine Supplement (publishing), supplement included with the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times''. It features articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted man ...
'', May 20, 2009. The final telecast of the first incarnation of ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' had the show's highest overnight household rating for a Friday episode in the comedian's 17-year run as host of ''Tonight'', averaging an 8.8 rating in metered-market households.
For at least six weeks following his return to ''The Tonight Show'', Leno's program beat Letterman in the overall ratings each night, though with a reduced lead in comparison to his first tenure. By mid-2010, ''The Tonight Show'' was receiving its lowest ratings since 1992, an average of 4 million total viewers, though he remained ahead of Letterman, who experienced a coinciding decline in ratings. In September 2010, ''The Tonight Show'' posted its lowest numbers on record, with Leno averaging 3.8 million viewers. This was a 12% increase in total viewers over O'Brien at the same time the previous year, but still 23% below O'Brien in the coveted 18–49 demographic. For the first time in almost 15 years, the show slipped to second place in its time slot being consistently beaten by ''Nightline''. In October 2010, Letterman beat Leno's program in the ratings, for the first time since Leno returned to hosting ''The Tonight Show''.
In the May 2011 sweeps period, all of NBCs late night programming had increased viewership. ''The Tonight Show'' received a 15% increase in viewership compared with the first 36 weeks of last season. In that process, it outlasted rival late night talk shows ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' on ABC, as well as ''Late Show with David Letterman'' on CBS. Both of Leno's lead-in, ''
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by comedian Jimmy Fallon.[ About pag ...](_blank)
'' and ''
Last Call with Carson Daly
''Last Call with Carson Daly'' is an American late-night television series that was broadcast by NBC from 2002 to 2019. Hosted by former MTV personality Carson Daly, the series was initially formatted as a late-night talk show in line with ''T ...
'', also received increased viewership. For the season, in the 18–49 demographic, ''The Tonight Show'' had 4 million viewers, compared with ''Late Show'', which had 3.5 million, and ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'', which had only 1.9 million. ''Nightline'', though, still beat Leno in the May 2011 sweeps, with 4.4 million viewers.
Series high
:
Weekly highs
:
''The Tonight Show'' in other countries
Australia
The show was telecast in Australia by
The Comedy Channel
The Comedy Channel (promoted on air as comedy) is a defunct Australian subscription television channel available on Foxtel, and Optus Television. The channel ceased broadcasting on 1 September 2020.
History
A joint venture between Artist Serv ...
before being discontinued in July 2010, shortly after Leno's reinstatement as the host of ''The Tonight Show''. The channel had been airing versions by the various presenters under the title ''Late Night Legends''. Currently, ''The Tonight Show'' is one of the few late-night television shows that cannot be viewed on Australian television. The only shows available are ''
Late Show with David Letterman
The ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the The Late Show (franchise), ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by ...
'' on
Network Ten
Network 10 (commonly known as Ten Network, Channel 10 or simply 10) is an Australian commercial television network owned by Ten Network Holdings, a division of the Paramount Networks UK & Australia subsidiary of Paramount Global. One of five ...
, ''
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by comedian Jimmy Fallon.[ About pag ...](_blank)
'' on
The Comedy Channel
The Comedy Channel (promoted on air as comedy) is a defunct Australian subscription television channel available on Foxtel, and Optus Television. The channel ceased broadcasting on 1 September 2020.
History
A joint venture between Artist Serv ...
, ''
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish actor and comedian Craig Ferguson. This was the third iteration of the ''Late Late Show'' franchise, airing from January 3, 2005, to December 19, ...
'' on
Eleven and ''
Conan'' on
GEM
A gemstone (also called a fine gem, jewel, precious stone, or semiprecious stone) is a piece of mineral crystal which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments. However, certain rocks (such as lapis lazuli, opal, a ...
.
Brazil
From 1991 to 2000 the cable channel Superstation showed both ''The Tonight Show'' and ''Late Show'' in daily bases, one week after airing in the United States. From 2011 the show was broadcast on
Record News
Record News (formerly known as Rede Mulher) is the first 24-hour free-to-air terrestrial news channel in Brazil, and the third Brazilian news channel to be launched after GloboNews and BandNews TV. It is owned by RecordTV.
History
In 1953, ...
with Brazilian Portuguese subtitles at midnight (local time), two days after airing in United States.
Canada
Canadian viewers watched the show on
CTV 2
CTV 2 is a Canadian English-language television system owned by the Bell Media subsidiary of BCE Inc. The system consists of four terrestrial owned-and-operated television stations (O&Os) in Ontario, one in British Columbia and two regional cab ...
and
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
.
CNBC Asia
For many years, ''The Tonight Show'' episodes from the week ran back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday on CNBC Asia, available to Brunei, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand – but since October 2011, they have been replaced by ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon''.
CNBC Europe
CNBC Europe confirmed they would show ''The Tonight Show'' when
Conan O'Brien took over from
Jay Leno in June 2009. After Leno returned, they have been showing ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno''. From Monday April 19, 2010, until the show's conclusion under Leno, CNBC Europe aired the show on weeknights from 12.00 am CET in a one-hour format, with double bill re-runs on Saturdays/Sundays from 9:00pm-9:45 pm & 9:45pm-10:30 pm CET. The show aired on a one-day delay from original transmission in the US.
Finland
In Finland, ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' was broadcast by MTV3 MAX from Monday to Friday with a three-night delay.
India
The show was originally broadcast on CNBC. Starting in 2006 it was telecast on
Zee Café
Zee Café is an Indian pay television channel owned by Zee Entertainment Enterprises. The channel mainly syndicates popular American and British television shows to appeal to the English-speaking population of India.
History
Zee English was ...
at local time 10:00pm with a one-night delay. It was later shifted to
Zee Trends in 2011, which was subsequently discontinued after a short run. Now ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is telecast on Comedy Central at 11:00pm every weekdays.
Israel
In Israel the show was aired during the 1990s on
NBC Europe
NBC Europe (formerly Super Channel, and later NBC Channel) was a satellite television network based in the United Kingdom that broadcast across Europe, and it was picked up by various European cable systems where available.
The network was base ...
, which was included in Israeli cable (later called the "
Hot
Hot or the acronym HOT may refer to:
Food and drink
*Pungency, in food, a spicy or hot quality
*Hot, a wine tasting descriptor
Places
* Hot district, a district of Chiang Mai province, Thailand
**Hot subdistrict, a sub-district of Hot Distric ...
" company), though this channel was pulled from cable in Israel towards the end of the 1990s. Soon after, the show began airing on the Israeli popular cable channel
Hot 3
Hot 3 (styled as HOT3; he, הוט 3; also available in HD as HOT3 HD) is an Israeli television channel of the cable television company ' HOT'. First introduced as The Family Channel in the early 1990s and later simply as Channel 3, it was one o ...
(then simply called "Channel 3") until 1999. Since 2000, the show is broadcast in the Israeli satellite company
yes (which launched in that year) in various channels, the current being
yes stars
Carried by the Israeli satellite television provider - ''Yes (Israel), yes'', yes TV Shows Channels (formerly stylized as yes stars) is an Israeli group of television channels which broadcasts American, British and Israeli television shows. As of ...
comedy.
Italy
In Italy (with Italian subtitles) from 2003 to 2007 when
RaiSat Extra cancelled the program.
Philippines
In the Philippines, channel
ETC
* Etc. or et cetera, a Latin expression meaning "and the other things" or "and the rest".
ETC or etc may also refer to:
Companies and organizations
* ETC (Chilean TV channel), a Chilean cable television channel
* ETC (Philippine TV channel), a P ...
broadcast ''The Tonight Show ''from 2004 until 2007, when the show was turned over to sister channel
JackTV
Jack TV (stylised as JACK TV) is an online web portal owned by Solar Entertainment Corporation and based in Mandaluyong, Metro Manila. It was known as a Philippine pay television network mainly offering multi-genre programming from the United ...
and
Talk TV.
Portugal
In Portugal, the show was first shown on
SIC Comedia until the channel was off the air by the end of 2006. The show was switched to
SIC Mulher
SIC Mulher (lit. ''SIC Woman'') is a Portuguese basic cable and satellite television channel owned by Sociedade Independente de Comunicação (SIC) and launched on March 8, 2003. Its target audience are women.
Programming
*''Alas Smith and Jon ...
until Leno moved to prime-time.
Sic Radical used to broadcast ''The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien'' following the demand from their target audience to O'Brien's humor, after
Jimmy Fallon took over ''Late Night''. The contract that both NBC and SIC had was not expired by the time ''The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien'' got cancelled, so the network received the rights to exhibit ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno''.
Sweden
In Sweden,
Kanal 5 started airing ''The Tonight Show'' every night Monday to Friday with a one-week delay in 2000. In 2008, Kanal 5 chose to replace it with ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'', and moved ''The Tonight Show'' to their sister channel
Kanal 9
Kanal 9 (''Channel 9'') is a Swedish free-to-air television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It targets the 25-59 age group, which is a slightly older age group than the sister channel Kanal 5. The channel launched on 25 February 2007. ...
, with a rerun aired the next day on
Kanal 5.
Turkey
''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' was broadcast by
CNBC-e
CNBC-e was a Turkish free-to-air television channel operated in Turkey by CNBC Europe and the NTV Group. The channel shares its name with a co-owned magazine about CNBC-e. The economy-related morning and afternoon programmes of CNBC-e are in ...
and e2 on weekdays at 00:00 with a one-night delay.
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The
Leno, Jay
Jay Leno
1992 American television series debuts
2009 American television series endings
2010 American television series debuts
2014 American television series endings
1990s American late-night television series
2000s American late-night television series
2010s American late-night television series
1990s American sketch comedy television series
2000s American sketch comedy television series
2010s American sketch comedy television series
1990s American television talk shows
2000s American television talk shows
2010s American television talk shows
1990s American variety television series
2000s American variety television series
2010s American variety television series
American television shows featuring puppetry
English-language television shows
NBC original programming
Primetime Emmy Award-winning television series
CNBC Europe original programming
Television series by Universal Television
American television series revived after cancellation
Television shows filmed in California
Burbank, California
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Series winners