Leno's Ratings Tumble

Is talk show helping NBC, or destroying it?

(NEWSER) - Jay Leno’s primetime takeover has sparked furious debate in the TV business, as its ripple effects begin to be felt. Shows that thrived at 10pm, like Law & Order SVU, are dying in other slots; at least one, Southland, has been canceled outright. Anonymously, producers are calling the move a “complete calamity” and “utter disaster,” the New York Times reports. 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»

Network to produce 20 pilots next season

(NEWSER) - Now that NBC is nearly past the Jay Leno-Conan O'Brien fiasco, the network is refocusing on the job at hand: correcting a 5-year slide in ratings. The Leno gambit, which CEO Jeff Zucker described as an experiment in the "economics" of network television, represented the network's hope that Leno could draw viewers with a show that cost much less than scripted programming. Now NBC is taking the opposite approach. More»

O'Brien contract talks delayed; late night trashing continues

(NEWSER) - As the late night hosts’ jabs at each other and NBC go on…and on…and on, the severance deal between Conan O’Brien and NBC continues to be delayed. TMZ reports the hold-up is over how long O’Brien will be barred from slamming the network—which he did last night...in Spanish. He also wants $600,000 added to the severance pot for his staff, which currently stands at $12 million. Still, sources say a deal should be finalized today. More»