Interesting to watch Jay Leno being interviewed by Oprah. She really got in there, as she is wont to do, but I think both of them are in the dark about why people are down on Leno.
As I said in yesterday’s Game Plan column about Conan, I don’t watch any of the late-night talk shows. At least not that genre. I’m all over Comedy Central or sitcom reruns late at night.
However, as an objective outsider, when the story broke about the whole NBC maneuver it seemed to me it was already a debacle. There was little or no mention of Conan’s poor ratings on The Tonight Show and the new scenario was presented as something that originated from Leno’s demise in prime time. Simple, really, why people took sides. By the time the news of Conan’s ratings seeped out, the frenzy was well under way and there was no way to get the genie back in the bottle.
That said, Oprah’s interview with Leno went a long way in explaining what TV folks in-the-know already seemed to get — that it came down to a business decision. And a poorly handled one at that.
Leno looked sad. I feel bad for him. I think he’s afraid to call Conan, because he feels bad about what happened. I think NBC screwed up. I’m glad to have seen Leno interviewed. I think he was as honest as he could be. I kind of thought he was the villain, too, before the interview. I love Conan. But I also think the telephone goes both ways, and I think it would be cool for Conan to defend Leno a little bit. I hope he goes on the Tonight Show with Jay, and the two of them do a huge roasting TOGETHER of NBC and its huge screw-ups. And even as I’m writing this, I’m wondering why I’m so worried about two incredibly rich, successful guys and not thinking about Haiti….
Really enjoyed your thoughtful response. Thanks for writing.