Why Hollywood Wants Leno to Fail

E Street Band drummer won't be moving to TBS with Coco

(NEWSER) - Conan O'Brien is moving to TBS this fall, but Max Weinberg isn't, reports Movieline . The bandleader and drummer for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, who has been with Coco since his late-night debut in 1993, recently approached Jay Leno about replacing the outgoing Kevin Eubanks —but that betrayal isn't the only reason for the ouster. "Now he can play with Springsteen whenever he wants," music insider Al Kooper tells City Pages . More»

Late Show host calls infidelity 'stupid behavior'

(NEWSER) - David Letterman is dead set on repairing his marriage after the infidelity that led to an extortion attempt last year, People reports. Appearing on Live! With Regis and Kelly, Letterman likened the events of last year to "an explosion," saying, "You're looking at the shards and you say, 'Well, can we put this back together?' And by God, maybe you can put it back together. And maybe it won't be the same, but maybe it will be different, and maybe it can even be better in a different way." More»

Critics left cold by victorious host's Tonight Show return

(NEWSER) - Jay Leno made his triumphant return to the helm of the Tonight Show last night. Critics say it was like he never left, although they're split on whether that's a good thing:

• The back-to-the future Tonight Show had "neither pop, nor sizzle, nor surprise, and no amount of cheerleading from unconvincingly hyper-first guest Jamie Foxx could make it seem otherwise," complains Steve Johnson in the Chicago Tribune.

Tonight Show ad implies Conan O'Brien never belonged there

(NEWSER) - NBC aired the first promo for Jay Leno’s return to the Tonight Show last night, and it seems to include an underhanded dig at Conan O’Brien. The ad, a sequel to last year’s Super Bowl promo for the Jay Leno Show, shows a “10” decal flying off Leno’s sports car to reveal a new one: “11:35.” The mean part? The Beatles sing, “Get back to where you once belonged” in the background. More»

Host expected to mention return to Tonight Show March 1

(NEWSER) - The last episode of the Jay Leno Show will air tonight, with little fanfare—it certainly won't include the equivalent of Bette Midler serenading Johnny Carson as he ended his run on the Tonight Show. "The weird thing about Jay saying goodbye this time is that he's not really going away," a TV historian tells the Los Angeles Times —and Variety notes the low-key approach is purposeful, as NBC continues Leno's image rehabilitation. More»