HOLLYWOOD, 6:53 AM, SUN JUL 6 | 0 POSTS IN THE LAST 24 HOURS | tips@defamer.com |

the return of late night, clips, jay leno, tonight show

Jay Leno Sees Letterman's WGA-Approved Monologue, Raises Him A Whiny Bit About Dave's Ability to Cut a Deal

Hoping to win back The Tonight Show audiences (who, let's face it, just want their nightly dose of Kevin Eubanks and could really give a fuck what the Writers League of America wants or needs), Jay Leno bounds over picket lines and back into our hearts with a heartfelt plea for the livelihoods of the 141 members of his staff not responsible for highlighting and dry mounting those funny little newspaper clippings sent in by viewers. Tragically, where his CBS nemesis succeeded in finding a workable solution with the Guild—which has had Leno's sympathy and donuts since the very start!—The Tonight Show could not, leaving the juiciest of cross-denominational bistro-patron set-ups punchlineless, for the time being at least.

WATCH VIDEO

9:30 PM on Wed Jan 2 2008
By Seth
4,467 views
5 comments

Comments

nojo at 10:26 PM on 01/02/08
Reply by Email
*
Connectedness Index: 62

Come by the coffeehouse tomorrow, and I'll call up Google News and riff on every headline for you.
Mark Graham at 11:00 PM on 01/02/08
Reply by Email
*
Connectedness Index: 184

Can't believe Jay didn't even TRY to grow a beard. Who does he think he is, Jimmy Kimmel?
TheStarterWife at 11:22 PM on 01/02/08
Reply by Email
*
Connectedness Index: 409

You know, there were some kinda funny and sweet moments in that strike-related monologue.

(Then again, I'm on my third vodka tonic.)
metal2000 at 02:22 AM on 01/03/08
Reply by Email
*

Jay and "The Tonight Show" couldn't come up with a deal, because they're produced in house by NBC Universal (aka one of the big baddies ruining television for everyone right now). Dave's company produces his and Ferguson's shows and then airs them on CBS, so they were able to get a deal struck because it was for them and only them, not the entire network.

Doesn't change the fact that "Tonight" was only slightly better than it normally is (yes, I preferred his show without writers), which is a solid 4 or 5 out of 10, and "The Late Show" was about the same as it normally is, which is about a 6 or 7. O'Brien and Ferguson were definitely the stars of the night.
metroville at 06:35 AM on 01/03/08
Reply by Email
*

Most entertaining part of that monologue? The ever-present reminder of "American Gladiators".