The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Network: NBC
Episodes: ongoing (62 minutes)
Show dates:
May 25, 1992 — present
Performers include: Kevin Eubanks, Edd Hall, Jay Leno, Branford Marsalis, and John Melendez.
Series Description: Having taken over from Johnny Carson, this late night talk and variety show is hosted by comedian Jay Leno. Following the basic format of its predecessors, each episode consists of the host’s opening monologue, a comedy routine, and interviews with notable celebrities. Various musical acts or stand-up comedians are also sometimes featured.
Series Finale
The series is still in production.
What happened next?
The series is still in production.
Behind the Scenes
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| • | On September 27, 2004, the 50th anniversary of The Tonight Show, NBC announced that Jay Leno will be succeeded by Conan O’Brien in 2009. Leno explained that he did not want to see a repeat of the hard feelings and controversy that occurred when he was named as host over David Letterman when Carson retired. |
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| • | Unlike his predecessors, Leno has very rarely utilized guest hosts. One of the few appearances of a guest host occurred on May 12, 2003. Today Show co-anchor Katie Couric guest-hosted as part of a publicity stunt that saw Leno co-anchor The Today Show the same day. |
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| • | In February 2001, the series held its own four-week version of the reality series Survivor. Eight celebrities who had survived “Hollywood Rerun Hell” were chosen to compete for the title of “Hollywood’s Ultimate Survivor.” They included Dawn Wells (Gilligan’s Island), Danny Bonaduce (The Partridge Family), Gary Coleman (Diff’rent Strokes), Alison Arngram (Little House on the Prairie), Florence Henderson (The Brady Bunch), Charlene Tilton (Dallas), Jerry Mathers (Leave It to Beaver) and Adam Rich (Eight is Enough). Mathers eventually won the competition. |
