Prime-Time Jay Leno Experiment Blows Up in NBC's Face

(Jan. 11) -- Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien started taking jabs at NBC in their monologues late last week as rumors about their fate swirled. Now that the network has decided to drop Leno's prime-time show, it will be interesting to see how the comics play the news for laughs.

A revolt among affiliate stations unhappy with the weak lead-in the 10 p.m. "Jay Leno Show" was giving their local newscasts forced the network's hand -- even though NBC Universal Television Entertainment Chairman Jeff Gaspin had hoped to give the program a full year to build an audience. Leno's show, which debuted in September -- four months after O'Brien replaced him as host of "The Tonight Show" -- was designed to keep the veteran comic on NBC and save money. The hourlong entertainment show is much less expensive to produce than scripted programs.

Julie Markes, AP

If only they'd known then ... Conan O'Brien visits Jay Leno on "The Tonight Show" April 26, 1993.

Now Gaspin has decided to move Leno back to 11:35 p.m. for a half-hour show -- to be followed by O'Brien's "Tonight Show" at 12:05 and Jimmy Fallon an hour later -- after the network's coverage of the Winter Olympics ends late next month. While Leno is willing to return to his old time slot, even for a shorter program, O'Brien hasn't agreed. He's reportedly talked about moving to Fox to do a new late-night show, but The Huffington Post's Michael Russnow questioned why O'Brien thinks he would do any better competing in the same hour against both Leno on NBC and David Letterman on CBS.

CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler noted that Letterman has been beating O'Brien in the ratings regularly, and she predicted his "Late Show" would do well against the return of Leno at 11:35.

Jerry Seinfeld -- once seen as a potential "Tonight Show" host himself -- praised NBC for having "the guts to try" the Leno experiment in prime time. He called it "the right idea at the wrong time." Seinfeld also dismissed suggestions that moving "The Tonight Show" back 30 minutes would hurt O'Brien -- if he decides to remain as host.

"There's no rules in show business, there's no refs," Seinfeld said -- slipping in a subliminal plug for "The Marriage Ref," a reality show he's created that will premiere Feb. 28 on NBC.

The network, which was accused of hurting the industry by cutting back on scripted shows when it moved Leno to prime time, is ordering pilots of series from some big-name producers to fill the five hours of programming that his return to late night will open up.

As NBC scrambles to "get back to basics," as Gaspin put it, The Wrap's Sondra Lowell is offering some tongue-in-cheek advice in an open letter to Jeff Zucker, president and CEO of NBC Universal. Put Leno and O'Brien together -- as equals -- on one program. Like Rowan and Martin or Martin and Lewis. Call it the "TwoNight Show."

"Trust me," Lowell promised, "this will be a laugh-a-minute show, and Conan's fans will come to love Jay as they never dreamed they could, while Jay's fans will finally get Conan's sense of humor."

Very funny.