Jay Leno says people are going to bed earlier these days. Jay Leno says 10pm is the new 11:30.
Jay Leno is wrong.
Despite the headline, I seriously doubt Jay Leno intended to be deceitful even if it was good PR for being on at 10pm. I’m sure Mr. Leno believes what he said is true. But Leno is wrong when he says that people are going to bed earlier. It is definitely true that more people are watching TV at 10pm than 11:30pm, but that’s nothing new. People actually do go to sleep. But are they going to sleep earlier?
The Nielsen data when it comes to television viewing doesn’t indicate that people are going to bed earlier. In fact, it indicates that people are generally going to bed at the same time they always did, and if anything are staying up a little bit later now!
What the data shows is a decreasing trend of viewership between 10pm-11pm (not great news for Leno’s new timeslot), and increasing viewership between 11:30pm-12:30am. That holds true both as a one year trend and a five year trend.
According to Nielsen data, 6% fewer 18-49 year olds are watching TV between 10pm-11pm than were watching 5 years ago. 4% fewer 18-34 year olds are watching between 10pm-11pm than five years ago. If you want a broader view, looking at 25-54 year olds, viewing between 10pm-11pm is down 7% over the last five years.
Meanwhile, the trend is up for viewing between 11:30pm-12:30am over the last five years among 18-49 year olds (1% increase) and 18-34 year olds (5% increase) and is completely flat among the broader 25-54 demographic.
All data above is based on LIVE viewing only, but since the discussion was about whether people were going to bed earlier, bringing DVR viewing habits into the mix didn’t make much sense.
[edit] Some have made the case that the decreases in the 10pm hour mean that Leno is right. Obviously, I don’t think so. I attribute the decreases in the 10pm hour almost entirely to DVR proliferation. But sure, it could be a variety of things from videogames, reading, watching DVDs and yes, some people going to bed earlier. But if the trend of live viewing is up at 11:30pm, it’s hard to ascribe any merit to the notion that people are going to bed earlier overall.
Consider the source: MSNBC. The “networks of NBC” are all full of crap and so is Jay Leno. The peacock is in flames and they all know it.
@ JT: So THAT’S what their symbol is supposed to be…
Well, obviously the jury will be out on Jay Leno’s move until the show is actually on, but perhaps the audience that is tuning in to see Jay Leno because they like Jay Leno will tune in whenever he is on. I would think that is what NBC is hoping for.
leno’s good anytime. That loon Letterman is too political. His writers should write for SNL.
Yes, we go to bed early in my house. The three adults age 26 to 56, are in bed by nine thirty sometimes earlier.
If they would use heavy metal music in their shows instead of the baby boomer, hip hop, rap crap we might stay up to see what all the action is all about.
Well, I for one go to bed earlier. I’m 42 and just sleepier earlier now
I’m glad he is moving so I can watch!
What’s the big deal about late night tv wars? But everyone after leno/Dave is pretty lame so when Conan takes Jay’s slot at 10, I’ll be going to bed at 9 LOL
Yeah, I’m a wimp going to bed that early – I used to party!
Jay Who?
Who really cares?
I dunno, I can see his point. During difficult economic times, I think ppl work a lil harder thus turning in a lil earlier. Maybe the data doesnt show that; but its difficult to prove he is a liar because of his statement. Wrong maybe, but a liar?
Jason
Excuse me….how about people don’t watch BAD PROGRAMMING!!!! NBC has walked away from successful shows, choosing idiotic “reality” TV because it is cheap! We are not brain dead, I find the programs on cable outlets much more interesting and exciting. Leno is also an idiot, no Johnny Carson and unfunny.
Keep in mind that Jay’s average demo is 56, which means your numbers are not a straight comparison. Pull out those 18 – 49 year olds and get the 55 – 70 numbers in there and see if they are going to bed earlier.
Unless you think Leno has no idea who his audience is, which would be odd since he performs basically every week in front of his real demo at clubs and corporate events.
..could very well be a tactic to convince viewers that what “isn’t really happening”, is “happening”!…To sway their habits if possible. After all,each Nielsen swayed opinion =’s many hundreds,when they do the tally! Nice trick if it works.
Leno is good at any time. Letterman is losing the little bit of humor he once had. Leave political statement and editorial BS to the wacko pro’s we call politicians. With them we except and get uneducated dribble.
@Brian Woods, I have no doubt that there’s an opportunity for Leno to draw more 55+ viewers at 10pm than at 11:30pm. That’s certainly true. But I also have no doubt that the 55-70 year old audience won’t matter a lick in terms of advertising revenue. I think Leno is aware of that as well….
I find jay leno annoying. I hope Letterman stays on the air at least 10 more years. I love his show!!!
And I think the nielsen data is really accurate. Me (and most of my friends) go to bed at 1 AM. I never watch TV at 10pm. When I’m home I usually watch TV from 7 to 9:30 then go online. And then I go back to the TV set around 11, 12 before I go to bed. By the way I`m 21 years old
May Jay Leno have the same success as Rosie O’Donnell with her no-talent show
!
Like Leno cares. He’s got a twelve inch dick and is worth millions. Letterman is a bitter old man with a bum ticker. Conan is the only funny one. Fuck you all anyway. I heard they were bringing back Arsenio.
The author of the article likes to use hot button words. I am excited b/c jay is going to replace 1 of the 7 Law & Order shows that NBC likes to recycle. Wash, Rinse, Repeat, Wash, Rinse, Get Brainwashed!!!!
Rick Rolled!!
Neither Leno nor Letterman are worth the effort to stay up late. We always looked forward to entertainment with Carson, but these guys – NO. Leno can’t deliver a joke. Letterman is all about insults and personal attacks. We are in our 60s and no one we know watches these guys. Where’s their market ? Wasted advertising dollars for their sponsors.
As baby boomers get older I believe He’ll turn out to be spot on. I’ve been going to bed earlier and earlier myself. I seldom stay up after 9:30 pm and with the ability to record programs on cable I miss nothing. Actually I prefer recorded shows as the ads can be clipped.
I’m not persuaded by your statistics until you give the back up data that will allow us to interpret the numbers you gave.
How many with TV’s on at any given time are awake? Can you answer that?
11:30pm is not really that late. plus, in the CENTRAL and MOUNTAIN time zones “late night” shows air as early as 10:30pm
Face it: Leno (AND Letterman AND O’Brien AND the “comedy” writers of NBC (AND ABC AND CBS) just aren’t funny anymore.
People are watching reruns of “You Bet Your Life” and other classics because THEY really were funny.
Today’s comics and writers, for the most part, have their brains in their pants.
Sorry, Robert, I go to bed earlier and earlier these days and watch Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert the next morning on the Web!
What Leno meant was that his audience is going to bed earlier. In another 10 years, he’ll move to 6 pm.
actually, sometimes I can’t stay up past 8pm…I am always sleeping early if I’m not working late. and I am only 40.
Fuck Jay , who cares about these overpaid freaks.
I miss Johnny Carson!
Leno in Primetime is a bust in the making.
He’s a comedian. It was supposed to be a joke. Duh!
Leno lost me with his political crap before the election and I’m not ever coming back. I’d watch paint dry first.
Let me get this straight. The global economy is imploding, the U.S. President Elect is surrounding himself with very shady people and you are upset that Jay Leno said something about going to bed earlier?
Are you serious? Who cares?
NBC should just pack it in and go away. They have not had a decent show in years. The best thing they could do is sell off all their assets to their competitors and become nothing more than a bad memory.
The fact that this is considered news is sad. Who cares what time people go to bed.
No one watches Leno for news or facts anyway.
Could you please clean these comments up? I don’t want to read all this profanity.
Perhaps Leno is trying to salvage his show before Conan moves in for good. Leno gives up his show and his 1130 time slot, but has a new program at 10 pm. That would be my uneducated guess.
At 67, I guess I am considered a pretty old fuck, but so be it. Where I am, you either were or will be.
As for advertising dollars, which age group in this country controls the bulk of the wealth? Not 21 year olds!
In any event, I always have gone to bed very late, even when I got up early for work, and continue to do so in retirement. I enjoyed Carson, but never cared much for Leno beyond his monolog. Letterman has lost any appeal for me whatsoever. The newer guys are less than flat. If I watch TV these days, it is strictly cable, and then generally only news, the History channel, or an occasional movie. TV is in my opinion a virtual wasteland. There is so much more to life than boobing in front ot the tube.
Yeah Leno’s comment is just nonsense. I don’t think Leno’s able to face the fact that Conan is funnier and more creative than him, and appeals to younger demographics. This makes the 10PM move on the part of NBC all the more puzzling.
Sure do miss Carson, these twerps could never measure up to Carson, none of them. Conan isn’t so bad I guess but again, never filling Carsons shoes. The whole damn format ought to be tossed on the heap and forgotten until some talent comes along, a personality that can fill those shoes, until then, it’s HBO for this kid and I’m not crashing early either.
For over eight years, viewers of Leno and Letterman have been subjected to an endless barrage of “Bush is stupid” and “(insert latest Democrat here) is a genius and the Messiah” jokes. It takes virtually no talent or skill to come up with such witlessness and pass it off as humor.
Jay has become a sad parody of his former self and Dave is just a plain, mean old bastard who simply goes through the motions to collect a paycheck. The industry has passed them by long ago…
It’s the shows – they’re mostly boring and tend to make me yawn. Today’s programming has no substance and is filled with violence, so i hit the mute button and surf until I find something worth watching. Sometimes my dreams are better than the programming, so I tend to tune into that a bit earlier:).
Leno is right and you are wrong, jackass.
I think that Jay will do well. I think the main reason people my age don’t watch TV at that time is, because of what’s on: The News. I hate watching the news cause it is the only thing that is on during that time.
I think Jay will flourish during that spot, because he is different from what’s on the other networks.
You are a moron….Jay was obviously kidding. He’s a comedian..remember.
Leno is mean spirited and too one way politically and not so funny anymore, so I just quit watching but do not go to bed.
Media outlets can spew political agendas disguised as “factual news” and they don’t have to worry about any backlash in their ratings. The American people are too stupid to question their propaganda as being anything other than objective and honest. That’s why all the NBC outlets are unsurpassed in ratings and Air America was a fantastic success. That’s why in the face of uncertain economic times, the New York Times stands confidently on a rock-solid financial foundation of devoted subscribers. That’s also why outspoken hollywood stars see their demand soar when they preach politics to the ignorant masses. Where would we be without these folks? Who would tell us what to think? How lucky we are to have an elite class do our thinking for us.
I am definitely going to bed earlier. It used to be 10:00-10-30 and it is now 8:30-9:00.
Great points, but remember that content is king. If good content is on at 10, people will watch at 10. So the decline in the 10pm hour can be reversed if the content demands it. Leno banking that people want to tune in to Leno, not necessary a 10 vs 11:30 show. He may just be right.
both leni and letterman are wat too political for me…..i grew up with yhe great johnnie carson and his light sense of humor…..these guys are just plain mean at times
I am 58 and stay up past midnight most nights. I never watch any of the late night shows hosted by people who thing they are funny. Leno hasn’t been funny in years and Letterman has never been funny. Conan is the silliest man on planet Earth. Leno should just retire and Letterman can do whatever the hell he wants cause he is just a dips**t with no talent. Wouldn’t waste the electricity for any of them.
Jay Leno is too nerve wracking for an evening show. I recently watched a Tonight Show with Johnny Carson from ‘73 when the Carpenters were guests – wow, what refreshing difference. Johnny could go for 10 sec without a Tee Hee of mindless disturbance and let the guests get comfortable and have some good conversation. What a classy act Carson was compared to Leno. Leno is what remotes are for.
My wife and I always watched Leno until this last election, when all he did was talk about how old McCain is and other mean “jokes” about him and Palin, and never ever gave an Obama joke. We shut him off, never to return.
Well, I think that moving Jay to 10 was a ploy to keep him at NBC, preventing him from bolting to ABC at the earliest chance. NBC knows that Craig Ferguson has caught Conan in the ratings and they are hedging their bets against Conan failing against Letterman. If (when) Conan flames out, they’ll bring Jay back to 11:30. Let’s face it, Conan has been getting less and less funny over the last couple of years and its doubtful that his schtick will go over with Leno’s audience.
Anybody but Letterman. What a liberal windbag!
Ummm…you just dissected a comedian’s joke. Half of what Leno says as ‘news’ is made up so he can get laughs.
Just like SNL, Letterman, Jon Stewart, etc etc.
It will just make it easier for him to show more material that he stole from Howard Stern. Leno is such a poser and there is nothing original about his show
Hey ZedsDead,
Conan is funny to high-school level mentalities. It’s no wonder you like him. When you grow up you’ll (maybe) understand. You can go on to bed now. Good night.
Jeez. What’s happened to the world?! Jay Leno is not now, nor has he ever been, funny. He’s uncomfortable, awkward, and has no comedic timing. His writing staff is a disaster.
Letterman, who IS funny, DOES have comedic timing, and DOES have good writers, became ridiculously political and preachy over the last 5 years. Back in the 80’s and 90’s, I didn’t even know his political bend. He was great them. I’m center-right, not one of these wacko conservatives, but I just got sick of him insulting my political beliefs everytime he spoke.
LATE NIGHT TELEVISION CAN REST IN PEACE!
Leno gave up his show, then realized maybe that wasn’t such a great plan after he’d already committed to it. But Leno being Leno, they created a new show for him. Any fluff you hear about his new time slot is just that, fluff designed to make it all appear orderly and planned.
Thanks Don Quixote. Keep fighting the good fight. Maybe Jay will change his mind with your brilliant analysis.
I think what he meant to say was that *his* audience is going to bed earlier and earlier. We have to remember that most of his audience eats dinner at 3-4 PM, takes a quick nap, watches Matlock then, if they can keep their eyes open, they’ll watch a little Leno before dosing off. Then they have to get up bright and early at 4AM and crank up the heater.
I used to watch Jay Leno but no longer do as that is the hour BBC News broadcasts world news and that is the only news broadcast left on television.
None of em are funny, unless you are a simpleton, so watch a movie or get some extra sleep.
Viewers going to bed earlier? Not the ones being laid off. Should do wonders for the late-night and late-late-night shows as they stare at the smarmy assholes posing as talk show hosts and wonder why there are commercials since nobody has money to buying anything.
Jimmy Kimmel needs to get cancer and die already!!
All Leno’s show is is a commercial for the latest movie.. stars included..do they pay him ? mayb he should pay us..
Nielsen numbers do not represent a majority of Americans. With the recession and people taking more jobs, Leno may (eventually) be right.
I don’t watch TV – although I do buy about $700,000 worth of time a year for commercials – so I know the high rated shows. I haven’t watched that crap for many, many years. I have better things to do with my time. I get up at 5 am to ride my spin bike, for example. On weekends I get up earlier and head into the mountains for some snowshoeing or hiking (in the summer).
Get a life!
I think the fact is that television has become totally boring. Who wants to sit and stare for hours a sleazy doctor shows like Gray’s Anatomy and all kinds of detective crap you can tell apart, but all featuring ghoulish autopsies with fake bodies, unrealistic reality shows and guys like Brian Williams who looks like he is going to burst into tears at any moment. And all complemented by local news where a snowflake is a crisis that calls for some “news” guy to appear in a parka that belongs in Nome to cry wolf about about another weather catastrophe. Why in hell wouldn’t more and more people abandon idiot video to go to bed, pull up the covers, snuggle in and read a decent book. TV has killed itself and so have newspapers. Listen to the radio if you prefer not to hang around gawking at the corpse of ineffectual, slanted, moronic media.
Dick Paetzke
Who the F*&K cares about this fossil anyway. I grew up watching Carson and literally quit watching The Tonight Show the day Lameo took over. I don’t watch any of the network stuff after 11. I watch a lot of cable. Hope this tanks, and they are really screwing Fallon on this as well.
Personally, I agree with Leno. I work 9 – 10 hours a day and along with all other activities, I try to stay in shape. If I work out in the evening, I don’t sleep well. If I work out first thing in the morning, it gets my heart pumping and jump-starts my day. So I get up at 5:00 a.m.(Central Time) every day. So there is no way I’m staying up to watch Leno, Letterman (who’s become nothing more than an old angry liberal who thinks that he is still funny), Conan or anyone else. While I tend to time-shift with Tivo anyway; I will admit that I’m more likely to watch Leno if he is on at 9:00 (once again, talking about Central time). Besides, it’s not like NBC has much else to offer in that time slot. (How much Law and Order can they repeat?) Then again, I’d like to go back to the days when I was a kid and they had true talent on for late night. We could really use another Johnny Carson right now. JMHO
i’m 47, i go to bed around midnight, i’m up at 0600, and who really gives a crap, get a life… i can’t believe i even read this article or the witless blog bantor… what the hell am i doing…
goodnight…
I, for one, welcome leno at 10:00. i don’t have cable in the kitchen and thats the time i’m cleaning up, getting ready for bed at 11:00. the crap thats on broadcast tv is unwatchable! crime and stunningly stupid reality shows. it will be refreshing to have a bit of comedy and variety instead. good luck jay!
Yep I agree with below, virtually all the dam media can only enjoyed by simpletons. It’s all boring, full of lies, spin, and generic bland crap,
and the news makes me want to puke.
I think the fact is that television has become totally boring. Who wants to sit and stare for hours a sleazy doctor shows like Gray’s Anatomy and all kinds of detective crap you can tell apart, but all featuring ghoulish autopsies with fake bodies, unrealistic reality shows and guys like Brian Williams who looks like he is going to burst into tears at any moment. And all complemented by local news where a snowflake is a crisis that calls for some “news” guy to appear in a parka that belongs in Nome to cry wolf about about another weather catastrophe. Why in hell wouldn’t more and more people abandon idiot video to go to bed, pull up the covers, snuggle in and read a decent book. TV has killed itself and so have newspapers. Listen to the radio if you prefer not to hang around gawking at the corpse of ineffectual, slanted, moronic media.
Dick Paetzke
This is a poorly written article. The repetitiveness within the first half of the article is astounding–is there such a thing as an editor anymore?
You know…..for all of you fools talking trash about Leno…think about it. He has a lot more cash than any of you and how do you think he made it? And one last thing. For folks who claim they NEVER watch him; you all sure know a lot about him!
The audience for late-night TV was built by Carson, and his many competitors, on the lifestyle of the Boomers, who used to stay up late, adn sleep late. The Boomers are older now, they go to bed earlier, get up earlier. Who’s the new king of “late-night?” (You know the answer…)
Don Imus.
Who cares about Leno anyway? Or the little dork who’s taking his place. They need to watch re-runs of their programs while they’re in bed. Then they’ll find out, watching those programs will make anyone sleepy.
Headlines are the only thing I watch Leno for, soon as hes done with those off he goes, all these late night libs suck,they all deserve Obama, too bad the rest of us are stuck with this commie.
You take the word of a comedian…How comical is that?
How on earth can anyone say Letterman is funnier then Leno. The Letterman show makes my throw up everytime I watch it. The guy is a hack. His humor is as dry as the Arizona desert. Give me a break.
How on earth can anyone say Letterman is funnier then Leno. The Letterman show makes my throw up everytime I watch it. The guy is a hack. His humor is as dry as the Arizona desert. Give me a break.
Reading these posts it’s amazed how obsessed some people are with politics. Political considerations seem to dominate every decision some of you people make. I would never stop watching a show because of political comments made by a stand-up comedian or a host of a comedy show. I would never put any credence into anything these people said. Don’t get me wrong, there is a definite liberal bias in about 80% of the mainstream media (sorry to burst your bubbles my compatriots but Fox News IS mainstream media) but you people just LOOK for some “conspiracy” against you EVERYWHERE. You all need to lighten up a little…..no actually a lot!!!!!!!!
>>Letterman, who IS funny, DOES have comedic timing, and DOES have good writers, became ridiculously political and preachy over the last 5 years. Back in the 80’s and 90’s, I didn’t even know his political bend. He was great them. I’m center-right, not one of these wacko conservatives, but I just got sick of him insulting my political beliefs everytime he spoke.<<
I agree *totally*. I nearly idolized Letterman in college, when he was edgy and irreverent to guests. At CBS, he has turned into a celeb ass-kisser and now seems to be targeting 70-year-old Indiana ladies instead of college students with his cornball midwestern “humor.” Fine, but Dave really lost me with his political crap. You think people are turning in to hear your ignorant lib BS Dave? Not I, you have lost me. Being a lib is one thing; wearing it on your sleeve and rubbing my nose in it is another.
I can only hope Conan doesn’t change like Dave did at 11:30.
Not that anyone gives a crap but we go to bet at 10:30.
JUST WATCH CHELSEA LATELY ON E! AT 11 3O ITS EXTREMELY FUNNY
I recall reading somewhere that a senior exec at NBC said they might reduce programming due to the loss of advertising revenue. Seems to me that this was an no-brainer for NBC – keep around a low-cost show with a guy who wants to be there. I give it 1 chance in 10 of actually working out, but if your NBC, why not try. It’s got to be better than infomercials!
Seems that Leno’s comments were just a bit of creative promotional license. Of course he and everyone else at NBC knows it’s nonsense. But, you can’t really be truthful about it what they’re doing – you need a bit of hype and showmanship to get people excited.
I like Leno but I go to work earlier than most people and I go to bed early.
I am actually up later than usual but saw this and had to respond but doubt if I will stay up to watch him.
Letterman stinks and has forever, who watches that puke?
$1000 DOLLARS TO ANYONE THAT CAN TELL ME WHAT HOSPITAL AND DOCTOR DELIVERED OBAMA!!! $1000 DOLLARS
$1000 DOLLARS TO ANYONE THAT CAN TELL ME WHAT HOSPITAL AND DOCTOR DELIVERED OBAMA! $1000 DOLLARS
Leno just realized how bored he would be without a job. I got fired a year ago and believe me I have no plans on retiring after this stint in stasis. Very, very, very boring.
Much Ado about NOTHING.
congrads…your crap article made Drudge.
For years I never missed Letterman, and then he became a mouth piece for the liberals, and quit being funny. Leno got the Tonight show gig, by being a liar, a phony and a cheat. He knew good and well what his manager was up to at the time. Duh. Have never watched him. Craig Ferguson is my choice now and I am over 60. I have always been a night owl and will watch him as long as he remains witty and funny. Even Jimmy Kimmel is better than Letterman, Leno, or Conan. I think it is really entertaining to watch a 40 year old man jump up and down and act like he is 4—Not.
None of these ‘comedians’ could be anywhere near as entertaining as Steve Allen. He makes them all look like high school amateurs.
Yeah, poor Jay, if people don’t watch him fluff up other media whores. Good Lord, he might have to sell a single car, to keep up his multi-million dollar lifestyle. Shi*!!! Wake up, people, civilization is tanking, and “News” like this is just part of the BS sideshow.
Actually, I think the data you site may support Jay’s point. The data seems to show that a substantial number of people who used to watch tv between 10 and 11:00 are no longer doing so. At the same time, the data show that a growing number of people are watching tv after 11:30 PM. It seems unlikely that these are the same people, and that they are staying up, but just turning off the tv for an hour or so, and then turning it back on at 11:30. Rather, it would seem that a large number of people are turning off the tv and going to bed at before 11:30. At the same time, other people are now being attracted to tv shows after 11:30 (perhaps due to increasing quality or competition of the late night shows, increasing interest in political and news events, changes in people’s work schedules with more people doing later shift work, etc.). In any case, Jay may be absolutely right that lots of people are going to bed earlier, and those people might be persuaded to stay up a little later if their favorite late night talk show starts at 10 instead of 11:30.
Who cares when he is on, we watch Family Guy at 11!! And I am in the 35 yr old demographics.
Tony, I understand the angle you’re coming at it from, but I disagree. If more people are watching live TV at 11:30pm, it’s hard to make a case for people in the aggregate going to bed earlier.
Could it be true that the 10pm-11pm decline is people going to bed earlier? It could be, but a.) if that’s the case, Leno probably needs to move to 7pm to play it safe, and b.) it doesn’t explain the increases at 11:30pm.
I’d chalk the decline during the 10pm hour almost entirely up to increased DVR usage, but Internet, video games, increases in reading books, watching DVDs and yes, going to sleep could all play roles. But none of those things, including people going to bed earlier can explain the trend with the 11:30p-12:30am hour.
My demo is not included since I represent the old farts over 65+. We can see that Leno is anti old poops but in a few years he will be trying to tell jokes with his false teeth, hearing aid(s) and cane trying to stand erect.
PS. His jokes are for the west coast and Letterman is for the east coast.
Jay is RIGHT. If Conanunfunny follows him I will be sleeping or watching video. Conass looks like Howdy Dudy on Slim Jims. He is the most unfunny, most unappealing sh– I have ever seen on tv. I love Jay but if he is up against a fav show I will have to DVR him. He should have gone to another network up against Conanunfunny and kicked his a–. This is a big mistake for Jay and NBC for replacing him with Uglybutt. does NBC stand for nothing but crap? Jay has said so for years so why doesn’t he leave these loosers. Thank goodness for cable.
BTW Jay was much funnier when his writers were on strike. FIRE THE WRITERS!
Did anyone notice when the writers ame off strike all the jokes were about sex. Two notes on this were they just jacking off all the time or are they all so lame they can’t get laid. I vote on both. Comedy is best left to comedians and the writers are not funny. They are just lame old farts who wish rhey were saying the crap they write but it still would not be funny. Hollywood sux…give me the old movies anytime over the crap they put out now. If we are lucky they are all bankrupt now thanks to PONZI.
Leno who?
Likely, Leno’s earlier time will do well in the 10:00 hour. It may also aide the news that follows but it may actually hurt Conan. Sitting through 30 minutes of news after Leno may actually hurt Conan. While it wasn’t a problem with Leno in that hour, Conan won’t have the same pull at any hour and many will have had their fill of Leno and not in need of a fill of Conan as well if it means sitting through their crappy TV news.
Maybe it’s because most TV shows now just suck and are unpopular, while live late-night shows are more attractive to viewers. Leno’s new time slot may very well increase the number of viewers at 10pm significantly.
Late night talk / comedy shows lost me at the same timt the early morning talk / news shows lost me. It was when I realized that the guests are the same ones, over and over again. Whomever has a new movie / book / album, etc coming out are recycled from one show to another. Enough, already !!
Add to that the political bashing by all, Conan’s nasty props, the sophomoric locker-room level of Letterman and his never-ending stupid top 10 lists, and the inevitable final segments by musical guests … I mean, really !!
Oh, and the rush-to-the-finish line cooking segments on the early morning shows together with the full blown regurgitation of the latest grim health topic press release … ugh.
Nothing fresh, innovative, humourous, or interesting across the board.
“Nothing fresh, innovative, humourous, or interesting across the board.”
Can’t believe I misspelled “humorous.” Sorry, everybody. No, I’m not a Brit.
Man this blog is full of old fart right wingers. I cant believe it. Leno is still funny as hell. Conan does all that silly stuff on his intro and if he doesn’t change it when he gets Leno’s show the ratings will tank bad.
As far as political humor Bush deserves to be the butt of every joke. He spent the last 8 years destroying this country. Those of you that relate so well to Palin tells me a lot about you. Palin is the biggest joke to ever walk on a political stage. The networks wish she was out there every day because she is such easy material, what a moron.
She being elected as the governor to anything is beyond me and tells me just what the people in Alaska must be like. It also saddens me to think there are so many folks in the lower 48 that are such hey seeds.
No wonder Rush and Hannity have have large followings. Leno’s humor is miles above their heads.
I can’t quite remember when Letterman went from being not very funny to not funny at all. Before he changed networks I think. I never watched him at all for a long time and then tried to start again a few times and could not believe how the studio audience was laughing at the most sophomoric crap. I met Jay Leno once when he came to look at my friend’s 1912 Mercer Raceabout in the early 90’s. He was a down to earth guy. And I loved his monologue. He gradually became more vulgar. And vulgar is lazy. Or as the quote goes “vulgarity is the lack of wit”. It seems now that he just reads what the writers write and collects the paycheck.
Hey NBC is still cool!!! Heroes, 30 Rock and SNL are great! Not to mention that SNL is finally giving Democrats crap too. I love SNL!!!!!!!!!!!
My TV stays OFF more and more every year! The trend network television has been taking the past decade just doesn’t inspire me to watch anything! Yeah – I’d RATHER go to bed early… or read a book… or find entertainment on the Web! Why? Network TV has decided to trash character-driven TV-series, with excellent storylines – that would keep me interested and tuned in – in favor of boring talk-shows, silly sit-comes, excruciating contest shows, or contrived situation shows called “reality TV”! They air more and more junk that I don’t care to watch, and cancel good Stories! When they get one – they don’t promote it properly and don’t give it the time to gather a decent following! It’s like placing your horse in a race, and then shooting him in the first stretch if he’s not the very first one out of the starting-gate! Look at all the “new shows” that started last Fall and this Fall that were cancelled after a short run? What happened to TV-series being given two or three years to give them a decent chance? If a show’s not pulling 50 million viewers in the first two weeks – it’s canned! If that’s what they plan on doing with TV from now on – I’m quitting TV watching. How do they add up people who no longer watch TV on the Nielsens??? THAT’S why the numbers drop across the board every year! We get fed-up and quit!
@Robert Seidman
Nikki Finke said: Leno 2.0 may only cost $2M a week and result in 46 weeks of original shows, compared to the average $3 million per episode pricetag of scripted primetime dramas that air on average 22 original weekly episodes. But the real question is whether the 58-year-old can attract more eyeballs than just the 4.8 million he averages now on The Tonight Show — measly by primetime standards, especially in the advertiser-coveted 18-to-49 demographic. But Jeff Zucker will try to explain this away by repeating his mantra that he’s managing for margins instead of ratings in this lousy economy.
That sounds to me like basically, the risk vs reward is pretty much stacked in favor of success even without 18-49.
Nielsen, when have they taken a thorough poll on this. Where were their rating from? I bet it was the heavy metro areas, not the rural America where you go to bed early to get up at 4:00 to get you but off to work.
Making fun of people must be funny to a lot of people until then are the ones being made fun of. We are suppose to be uplifting. Putting people down is not humor but just playground bully tactics, so I to go to bed early, it does nothing for my mind, so i read if i stay up late.
i’m over the age of 60 and have noticed all the sites which have space for comments….it seems to me that no matter what the subject is…such as Jay Leno…the majority of responses consist of bad grammar, bad spelling and filthy language…perhaps we all would be better off if we just turned off the tv and read and learned to write and spell
They should replace Leno with ALL the Johnny Carson shows re-run from day one!
Jay Leno is right, consider Jay Leno’s age and whom he may be talking to. He’s rapidly approaching seniorhood and If anyone ever asks many of our seniors what time they go to bed, the answer would match jay’s answer…..spoto demographico…there you are, the metamucil, viagra, crowd…..this age crowd has the easily available bucks unlike other age groups and Jay’s letting the focus advertisers know this is his targeted audience….heads up folks…..his show aint gonna be for the under 55 crowd if he’s saying the 10 pm bedtime unlwess it’s 8 year olds and younger as well.
Letterman has terrible writers. Conan will ruin The Tonight Show. Conan is not even funny. Why they want to replace Jay with Conan is bizarre.
If I was Jay, I would simply say, “Screw y’all, go ahead on and take your sorry asses to bed. I have at least 5 tons of money, and the coolest freakin’ garage on the planet, and you don’t, and I’m gonna go play in it. Adios, emeffers !!
indeed Jay can laugh all the way to the bank. NBC can pay Leno $50 million a year, spend even more on the production and even with lousy ratings, in the short run it will still be more cost effective for NBC than trying to produce scripted content for those hours.
TV, for a large part, has become the joke of the century.
Music Television (MTV) is full of movies, commercials, etc EXCEPT music videos. As it used to be said, “Hey! Where’s the beef?”
Prime-Time shows used to havea variety of creativity at all levels. Now its just all Law and Order and CSI type shows.
I didn’t think it would be possible for comedy shows to be any lamer than Steve Urkel in the past. Lame Comedy shows should be an olympic sport!
Finally, reality shows that all got started with Survivor a few years ago? Get real! Who wants to ordinary americans get humilated on tv when enough of that happens in the workplace.
No wonder people don’t really deal with basic tv anymore. There’s much more to life than the boob tube.
Hey, maybe people are tired of cheap, easy, and hurtful jokes about people. Tired of jokes about one political side. Maybe we’re tired of talentless writers and crusty old humorless never-where’s who call themselves comedians. I miss Carson. I miss Hope, Benny, Gleason, Allen. I miss Seinfeld…you know, funny, original, and fun. Leno and Letterman are loaded now and so they think it works. Boys…you stink. If those paying you had any class, you wouldn’t be where you are. Craig Ferguson…now he’s funny…so there’s hope.
May 22, 1992: the day The Tonight Show died.
Just watch Fox News, there is all the comedy you need. I can sit and laugh for hours about our current and future political and economical state.
Ever since Johnny Carson’s departure, there has been NOTHING to watch on late-night television. But if there was something to watch, it would be on Leno. Letterman lost his appeal a long time ago, in the same way Rosie O’Donnell did, by becoming too liberal.
My God, some of you really freakout about the political stuff. Your upset that the late night guys make fun of Palin and McCain? How could they not? They’re a satirist’s wet dream.You say Letterman is liberal when 3 nights a week he’s recycling 10 year old Monica Lewinsky jokes. These guys go for the easy laugh. It hardly makes them liberal. How easy everyone forgets when Clinton was in office it was attack, attack, attack 24/7 with these shows. Lighten up. The truth is they lost their luster. They’re old school. Ferguson, Stewart and Colbert are the future of late night. Although I still think Letterman’s good on occasion.
Face it… The mainstream media is finished and these old dinosaurs like Leno and Lettermen are part of the dyeing machine. I say not soon enough… No more control. They are like 2 year olds throwing a fit. It would be laughable if it weren’t so absurd… Don’t tell me they are entertainers either. They are political hacks just like their friends at PMSNBC.
Who doesn’t use TIVO? I TIVO Leno and Conan now. I could care less when either show comes on. Get a life and buy a TIVO.
Leno has more cars in the corner of one of his garages and more cash under the cushions of his couch than anyone posting here will accumulate in a lifetime. Accordingly, I’m certain he will read and consider his critics’ comments, especially those written by the younger contributors to this forum, as carefully as they deserve.
“If I was Jay, I would simply say, “Screw y’all, go ahead on and take your sorry asses to bed. I have at least 5 tons of money, and the coolest freakin’ garage on the planet, and you don’t, and I’m gonna go play in it. Adios, emeffers !!”
And good for him and all others that are shallow enough to value money over moral principles. For society to value a political hack disguised as a late night comic and then pay him a “ton of money” to do it is immoral.
Go play in your cool garage Leno. It may be full of toys but and I suspect most like your kind you are an empty shell of a soul. Money helps in this life but character and integrity are a lot more valuable in the long run. A rich sellout of the hate America left is not something I care to watch.
I say we tax the TV junk food like Leno and Letterman… They want to tax everything else and its ok? Start going after these guys and you will see how fast they squeal like the pigs they are.
Who cares about this crap? If Leno and Letterman both die tomorrow, would it really matter? We live in a country now where more people can tell you who Madonna is sleeping with or what Britney ate for lunch than can identify their own Congressional representatives. Then the masses turn on something like the Today Show and watch their “news” for the day filled with stories about squirrels that can waterski, pie recipes and a woman somewhere that cooked a pancake that resembles the Virgin Mary. Good grief, people. Is it any wonder we end up with politicians selected merely because they look good and can tell a funny story?
Leno has become too political also! And his joke writers stink. I hope when he moves, he lets go of his writers and the band.
Leno was much funnier when he wasn’t political, and when the writers were on strike.
And stop the “Jaywalkers”, I hate seeing such stupid people, makes me wonder what has happened to our schools and colleges!
NBC? Hmmmm….they’re still in business? How interesting. Haven’t watch them since they begin biased news reporting decades ago.
If it’s true people are staying up later…why, so…the push for so many of the WB’s and Fox’s of the world to launch late newscasts at 10 PM? The commercials these TV stations air all talk about the “convenience” of these 10 pm newscasts to allow the viewer to go to bed earlier and get more sleep.
Particularly in “shift” towns, it’s routine now for people to get up at 3 and 4 am to be at work by 6 or 7. Maybe not in California, of course….
We turn the tv off at ten because the news is boring and too full of crap. We get our news online. We turn the tv on again later to watch the better programming.
I just simply don’t watch TV as much as I use to because there is too much embarrassing sex and innuendo’s on primetime TV. One is afraid that their teenage child may view it and be influenced because they (Hollywood/NY) always glorify the wrongdoer. They have no regard for the sensitivities of others who believe in old fashion American values that are part of their Christian heritage. As a matter of fact they even try to destroy it or ridicule it.
Maybe Jay’s going to bed earlier now and maybe so are more of his friends. . . Geez, I bet if you looked at the stat’s for people in his age group he’d be right and by his own standards this “author” would be the lying, lier.
Ok, so 10-11 is down, But 11:30-12:30 is up… those are percentages. What are the actual numbers? Does that mean that the total number of viewers is higher later than earlier? Really? That’s where we need to look at the actual data, and not the damn lies (statistics).
If the numbers are larger at 10, but trending down, it makes sense for NBC to try and bolster that slot for ad revenue. If the numbers are trending up later, the actual number of viewers needs to be taken into account… if the numbers are still lower, then I can see moving Leno earlier to try and boost the numbers in prime time.
What I’m getting at is that percentages don’t mean a damn thing without the actual viewer numbers thrown in (and I’m not hunting for them right now).
The only thing I watch on NBC is Sunday Night Football with Al and John. So, as long as Leno doesn’t take that time slot it matters little to me.
If you’re surprised at the political rants surrounding this article concerning a TV programming decision, it is because the Drudge Report linked to this and all the right wing wack jobs feel obliged to trash their imaginary liberal media.
I, for one, used to be a late night TV watcher. But the gap between prime time and the start of late night is too long for me now. If I can watch the 10 p.m. news instead of the 11 p.m. news, I will. Now Leno has solved my problem. I can watch late night at 10 p.m. and still get to bed by 11 (or 11:30 if I watch the news). What’s so hard to understand about that?
Uh huh. Oh my god! Who even cares! TV is not so important as to waste ones time in such a debate. Get a life!
I love these comment pages. 100 people who really don’t know much about the topic giving such strong opinions.
You want a real reason to stay up late to watch TV? CRAIG FERGUSON!!!
The man has incredible talent and a comedic gift that Letterman used to have and Leno could only wish he had.
Long live the American Scotsman!!!
People will watch Leno at 10pm…. they watched him during the writers strike…even then he beat the ratings crap out of Letterman. The statistics given are meaningless since they have such huge age ranges. Those in the 18 – 22 range may still be in college with no reasons to get up in the morning. So, even if youngsters stay up later…us oldsters often make a lot more money! Frankly, If I’m up that late I’m usually watching Scrubs on WGN America. My guess is O’Brien’s ratings will not match Leno’s but only time will tell.
10 PM is just right for me. I go to bed before 11:00 PM now. After 11, it was hard for me to get up for work. I’d rather watch Jonny Carson, but Jay Leno monolog is the only thing I watch anyway.
Uhhh…we’ve all become Republicans, and we don’t appreciate the BDS. See you in Hell, Jay!
Adult swim is the reason people don’t watch the late(?) night network shows.
The late night talk format has been unchanged since Jack Paar in the 1950s. A monologue, then a funny bit of some kind followed by guests there to promote their latest whatever. Now, back in the days of three networks, that format could work. That it has survived at all is amazing but the world has caught up with it.
Now it’s play a game, or watch an old movie on DVD, or catch up on the email. No one needs to sit in front of any given broadcast now.
Greg Ferguson is better than all the others but on too late.
the ideal late talk show would be pat sajak and vanna white. maybe neither one of them are comedy geniuses but neither are leno or letterman nor conan.,nor was jack paar.