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::TV NEWS::
LE Newsletter - March 4, 2010
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Jay Leno Returns To Tonight Show
Source:
www.thestar.com - Rob Salem
(March 3, 2010)
What a difference a time slot makes.
Jay Leno
made a triumphant return to 11:35 on Monday night, reclaiming
his Tonight Show throne after a
brief abdication to Conan O'Brien.
I have never been a big Leno fan – at least, not of his hosting
skills. He is one of the great stand-up comics of all time and,
recent bad press notwithstanding, is still apparently the same
easygoing (perhaps too easygoing), car-crazy Average Guy his
fans adore.
But his Tonight Show was always too "vanilla" for me. I
can't forgive his network masters for choosing him over David
Letterman 18 years ago and for elbowing out Conan O'Brien a few
months ago.
That being said, Monday night's Tonight Show saw Leno
back at the top of his game – very much unlike his ill-fated 10
o'clock show, on which he was visibly ill at ease, inexplicably
unprepared and obviously embarrassed. All with good reason,
since, in the transition to the earlier time slot, his cadre of
high-priced writers seemed to forget that comedy tends to be
more effective when it's actually funny.
Leno said it himself, just a few minutes in, following the de
rigeur lemming-like standing ovation: "Isn't 11:30 a lot
more fun?"
It was for us and even more so for him. The guy was clearly
relieved and seemed to be enjoying himself.
Even the manipulated video and pre-taped segments – perhaps the
lamest part of the 10 o'clock show – seemed to have a new
vitality. Particularly when Leno, desk-less in the earlier
half-hour (and thus required, he cracked, to wear extra-long
socks), conducted surprise home invasions to check out other
people's desks, complete with tag-along guests including the
always-irreverent Adam Carolla.
Leno's inaugural in-studio guest was Oscar and Grammy winner
Jamie Foxx, an odd and underwhelming choice, with nothing in
particular to plug. As if to compensate, Foxx spent most of his
excessive air time bouncing off the walls, inciting audience
chanting, spraying champagne and knocking stuff off Jay's desk
in his over-abundant exuberance.
"Why don't you take an Ambien and we'll go to commercial?" Leno
kidded.
I would suggest that perhaps Foxx was taking the title of his
Grammy hit, "Blame It (On the Alcohol)," a bit too literally.
Leno's follow-up guest, U.S. Olympic gold-medal skier Lindsey
Vonn, was a more traditional choice, albeit in a sequined
miniskirt that was frankly more Lindsay Lohan.
She was charming, interesting, inspiring and humble. She even
brought her twin medals, which she let Foxx and Leno get their
fingerprints all over. And I couldn't help but notice, before
bringing out country star Brad Paisley to close out the show,
that Leno never did give that medal back.
Perhaps he thought he deserved it. And who am I to argue?
Millions of Leno fans can't all be wrong. His Monday-night
audience of 6.6 million viewers scored a whopping 80 per cent
over CBS competitor Letterman and the Nightline/Kimmel
combo on ABC.
The ratings bump spilled over into the 12:35 a.m. slot, with
Jimmy Fallon celebrating his first anniversary on Late Night,
topping Craig Ferguson by 40 per cent.
Of course, the curiosity factor propelled the debut of the 10
o'clock Leno Show to a record viewing audience of 18
million, which five months later ended up pulling in barely a
third of that.
Still, with Leno now back and buff at 11:35, Letterman may never
regain the lead he gained during the abortive O'Brien regime.
The more things change ...
BUTT SERIOUSLY, FOLKS The numbers are in for Monday night's
domestic double debut of Hiccups and Dan for Mayor
on CTV, starring Corner Gas grads Nancy Robertson and
Brent Butt in the former and their ex-Gas co-star Fred
Ewanuick in the latter.
And the ratings were, according to CTV, beyond outstanding: 1.9
million viewers each, beating out House, The Bachelor
finale, and CBC's 18 to Life and Little Mosque
comedy block to win not only the 8 to 9 hour, but the highest
numbers of any debut of any scripted Canadian show this season
(not all that wide a field, but still).
That's well behind Corner Gas at its peak – the series
finale was watched by nearly 3 million – but it beats Gas's
2004 debut of 1.1 million.
On the other hand, it's still a little shy of the 2.3 million
U.S. imports Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang
Theory each pulled in at 9 and 9:30 on CTV.
Of course, the real test will be to see who tunes in again next
week. I know I will. |
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::LANGFIELD
ENTERTAINMENT:: ENTERTAINMENT NEWS WITH A CANADIAN TWIST::
