Jay Leno Ratings: Losing His Job Despite Beating His Rivals

Thewrap ^

[chessplayer]

One of NBC's reasons for replacing Jay Leno with Jimmy Fallon on "The Tonight Show" is its hope that Fallon can compete with Jimmy Kimmel for younger viewers.

So Kimmel must be trouncing Leno in that demographic, right?

Actually, no.

Leno is being shuffled from "Tonight" despite leading in the 18-49 demo most important to advertisers, in the 25-54 demographic most often used to gauge late night audiences, and in total viewers.

[autumnraine]

Well, after the treatment Conan got.. karma’s a, well you know the word.

[Zetman]

This is not the first time this has happened. Around 1970 or 1971, the networks began cancelling rural-based comedies (such as Green Acres, Mayberry RFD, etc...), and other such wholesome fare, to replace them with more “edgy” shows that would appeal to younger, hipper, urban-types - shows like “All In The Family”. It is known as the “Rural Purge”. In the space of a few years, the entire face of Network TV was radically altered by New York-based Network Execs who did not like what they saw. Many of the shows cancelled were still highly rated, but they were cancelled anyway. Yet another “fruit” of the 1960’s liberalism that was gaining ascendancy in our culture. This Wikipedia article is actually a good summary (surprise of surprises!!), and makes for interesting (and relevant) reading:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rural_purge

[EQAndyBuzz]

I don’t think Fallon is funny. I also don’t think Leno is funny. I watched his monologue the other night. God awful!

Aside from Kimmel, who I thought was great with Adam Corolla, late night TV is a waste. I watch repeats of Seinfeld as my sleeping pill.

[Don W]

Oh puhleez! He’s been wanting to retire for at least five years. He actually DID leave, but nobody took to Conan O’Loser, so he picked up and carried Johnny’s torch until now.

He was pretty good, and he has wanted to leave for a LONG while. How long would YOU keep working when you could both afford to leave and wanted to?

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

[Venturer]

Leno has more money than he can spend in his lifetime. It’s time he quit and enjoyed his hobbies.

[grey_whiskers]

Thanks, bookmarked for later.

Cheers!

[duckman]

“...Jay will end up with Fox News, and take his crowd with him.”

I have read this before on a previous posts. What is he going to do at Fox News?

[trebb]

Along with being likable, Leno is actually smart. Can’t have that on TV these days...

[usconservative]

News is that Steve Carells new movie Mr. Wonderblaster or whatever the heck is a total bomb at the box office, despite having Jim Carrey as a wingman.

Never thought Steve Carell was very funny, and Jim Carey hasn't been funny since "In Living Color" went off the air. Just my humble opinion on that one.

[usconservative]

Leno has more money than he can spend in his lifetime. It’s time he quit and enjoyed his hobbies.

Agree. I stop watching after the monologue is over and go to bed, sometimes I stay up for the "headlines" segment which is pretty funny. Other than that, not so much.

Another poster commented the other day that once Leno leaves the tonight show, perhaps he should do a classic car show on History Channel or something. I thought that was a great idea. Leno's a car guy, he'd be credible on a show like that, specially with the collection of cars he has.

Check out his youtube channel...

[Yo-Yo]

The reason Lenno is getting the boot is the same reason why older workers everywere are displaced by younger workers. Fallon will be paid 1/10 of what Lenno is currently pulling down.

[Yo-Yo]

Another poster commented the other day that once Leno leaves the tonight show, perhaps he should do a classic car show on History Channel or something.

He already writes a car article for Popular Mechanics.

[usconservative]

Didn't know that, I don't get/read Popular Mechanics. Ok, so he's got some street cred on the topic already! Kind of bolsters the case for a classic car show I guess.

I think Leno's a likeable guy, just don't think he's very funny most of the time. Him doing a car show I'd watch.

[1010RD]

Who’s only half as funny as Mike Tyson:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwpJtEMsr48

[oh8eleven]

Have not watched any late show since the king retired.

[bgill]

Maybe twice a month, I’ll tune in to his opening monologue and headlines but switch the channel to some rerun when the moronic celebs come on.

[Hardastarboard]

Carell is another one who never amused me. He’s rude, he’s self-absorbed

I've seen little that Fallon has done, but he doesn't strike me as amusing. Agree that Carell isn't funny, but he doesn't strike me as rude or self-absorbed. Others who are not funny - Will Farrell, Jack Black, Queen Latifah, John C Reilly, and pretty much most of everybody else right now who's making a living in professional comedy. It's sad, really.

[Nip]

I have to wonder where the “big bucks” are these days.

What is the actual employment rates for the two demographics under discussion? The last I remember is that the younger the demographic the higher the unemployment. And it has been this way for the last several years and shows no immediate signs of reversing.

Bearing that in mind it does smell a lot like Chicago politics.

[exit82]

I really dislike Jay Leno as the host.

He constantly talks through his punchlines with inane comments, as if he was afraid the punchline would not generate the laughs.

As a regular guy,as an interviewer, he’s fine. But that annoying unnecessary habit of his turns me off to his monologue.

[LostInBayport]

Have not watched any late show since the king retired

Yep. I watched Leno intermittently after Johnny retired and then I drifted away...Leno was ok but not "appointment television". Letterman was okay for a bit when he followed Johnny at 12:30 (before he rapidly devolved into the outwardly bitter, twisted leftist maggot he is today). Carson was in a class by himself. Admittedly, I was a teenager during his last decade and not into politics, but I do recall him taking shots at politicians of all stripes. That was one key to his success; he played to the entire audience, not one facet of it.