Jay Leno’s Final (But Not Really) Show: Highlights
The last episode of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno aired last night on NBC. Leno’s returning to NBC, so it wasn’t that emotional or important, but not on this stage, which is why to some people – maybe – this was important.
Most notable was the clip of a jittery Conan O’Brien – who was Leno’s final guest on the show – coming out on NBC for the first time in 1993, when they announced that O’Brien would have his own show. Watch as Jay Leno screws with “the kid” way back in the day.
The rest of the interview was Conan discussing the strangeness of being hunted by TMZ cameras, and Jay being encouraging and supportive of his efforts. Which is boring! Why didn’t they roast each other? It probably would’ve been more fun, and they’ve had all this time to glad hand each other in the press. It was nice, however, and Leno’s never really been known for his bombast. But his bad one-liners, we’ll always carry with us. Like this one, for the road:
Finally, Leno took to the children, for sentimental effect: after naming a few staffers who’ve hooked up over the years from jobs on The Tonight Show, Leno’s grand finale was busting out the kids of all the staffers who’ve been born over the course of Leno’s tenure on the show. It was sweet, cute, and kind of inspired. Credit where credit’s due: to not be a grandstanding, pompous asshole after years of being a proficient late-night host, might be an accomplishment in it of itself. Or maybe Johnny Carson just set the precedent.
Also worth noting: Billy Crystal (with help from Hairspray remake director Marc Shaiman) doing a hammy musical tribute to Leno Thursday night.
My favourite Tonight Show moment – tough between the “Hugh Grant/prostitute” saga, but Michael Jackson jokes (so old school!) win out: Leno can’t tell any because he’s a witness in the 2005 Michael Jackson trials, so he brings out a bunch of other comedians to do it for him. Later, a judge cleared him to tell the jokes. Anybody else? You find ‘em, throw ‘em in the comments, please.
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Comments (AU Comments | US Comments)
@Cecil's Wielder: Amazing, wasn't it. Can't decide if young Conan was more preppy or farmboy. Today's Conan needs to eat a sandwich.
I found the married with children finale pretty sappy, but then I've never been a big Leno fan. I couldn't help but wonder how many divorces and horror-show childhoods were also part of Jay's Tonight..
@Tart of Darkness: Conan starts on Monday.
Cecil's Wielder
Oh sweet, baby faced Conan...
Cecil's Wielder
Meh. Didn't think he was particularly gracious. After Conan said something funny, Leno would talk right over any laughter. Maybe that didn't really mean anything, but it seemed to me to have a mean-spirited air to it.
Our long comedic nightmare is over.
Awesome X
Leno's leaving "The Tonight Show" reminds me of the "Seinfeld" episode when they all pitched into buy a chair or television for their friend as an engagement present and then something happened so they spent a lot of money for no reason and got screwed again.
How can you get sad about someone who is going from a 1.5 hour show to a 1 hour show 1.5 hours earlier in the evening?
Are people really going to turn on their TVs Monday night at 11:30 or whatever to what will probably actually be a Jay Leno Tonight Show rerun because the new season with Conan O'Brien (G_d help us all) won't start until the fall and say "I miss Jay so much!"
Or in the Fall, are they going to watch Leno's 10 pm show, then the 11pm news and then when O'Brien's Tonight Show comes on say, "I miss Jay so much!"?
To rephrase the old tried and true country western song "How can we miss him if he won't go away?"
He did a good job at consistency and added a few touches within there. But Leno is interesting, if nothing else for the fact that a guy married 17 years to the same woman, who has no children, ends his show focused on the children of all his staffers and - as he mentioned - Union shop. THe children-factor offered a nice number and in a way, justifies being happy with consistency. But I could just imagine a comedian coming in with a zinger about now showing how many affairs occured in the same time period...
A121Author
god i'm glad conan is taking over. leno blows.
jellycream
Um, James Taylor was pretty good.
mackensie
It isn't like it is Carson. They would be better off airing classic episodes with Johnny then awkward Conan.
The end made me cry, it was so sweet. I'm a Jay junkie and I don't care who knows it.
@Awesome X: Amen.
@Cecil's Wielder: Conan is so not funny to me and never has been. I faithfully watched "The Daily Show" for years and then "The Colbert Report" but my interest waned specifically when they had that horrible "feud" involving Conan O'Brien. It's hard to see comedic talents (Stewart, Colbert) stoop to such jejeune crap. It made me feel old even though I am not much older than Stewart.
@Tart of Darkness: Dang. I'm an ignorant twit. So do you think that people will watch Conan on Monday and think about how much they will miss Leno?
@Tart of Darkness: ... The Tonight Show's only an hour long.
user_21938
You'd think Jay would have gotten used to being the least funny guy in the room by now.
If I could stay awake past 11:30, I would totally agonize over whether to watch Letterman or Conan.
dezeinstein
@pistachionut: I agree. Leno was not gracious at all. He barely laughed at anything Conan said and his "gracious remarks" sounded forced and obligatory. Conan, interestingly, appeared pissed at Jay.
@Tart of Darkness: the show hasn't been 1h30 long since 1980, big Tart of Darkness! but thanks for your expert analysis!
@trojanjustin:
I totally agree with you, Jay is a class act and before he did the show he was a really funny and edgy comic. Maybe if so many people in this country weren't so stupid he could have done a less dumbed-down show. Whatever, he's been number one forever so the stupids win. As usual.
Imnotatnbc
Say what you will about The Tonight Show and Jay Leno, but I worked over there for a couple years and have been back to visit many times since. Jay is always the nicest, most gracious guy possible. He sees a couple of new people walking through the hallway, he truly goes out of his way to be courteous and say hello. He's never mean or nasty, or even shows an ego, just always professional and polite. Yes, his humor is pretty broad but that's what you have to do in the 11:30 slot. It's an older demographic.
My only complaint, his "welcome" spiel to the studio audience was ALWAYS the same. No variation at all. At least change that up every now and then. He was still telling an Ashley Simpson joke last week (to illustrate that the musical guests actually sing while performing on his show).
trojanjustin