The news that Leno's talk/variety show would be airing at 10 p.m. Eastern Time - offering his rapidly aging audience a chance to catch his monologue before falling asleep with the television on - caught viewers and television executives by surprise.
"I think most people expected Jay to retire and fade into obscurity," said Dave Letterman, whose Late Show with David Letterman competes directly with The Tonight Show, but has the benefit of attracting a younger, hipper audience that likes to stay up past midnight.
But it raised more questions than it answered. Among them: will anyone watch Conan O'Brien when he takes over the Tonight Show from Jay? Is NBC shifting to an talk show/reality TV format? Is scripted television dead?
NBC seems to have put the last question to rest by estimating that the new Jay Leno show will only cost $2 million per week compared to $15 million per week for the dramas that will be replaced.
In establishing Leno's new show, NBC will be able to lock up the much sought-after "blue-hair demographic."
Asked whether CBS would be altering their lineup to counter the NBC move, CBS spokesman Art Manning said, "We have a full complement of CSI shows that are performing quite well, and, frankly, don't require much writing or production. So, if Jay wants to take on David Caruso's Horation Caine, I say, 'Try.' "
(c) Copyright 2008 All rights reserved
No comments:
Post a Comment