Broadcasting & Cable, The New York Times and others are reporting that NBC will give Jay Leno its 10-11pm time-slot every weeknight beginning next fall.
From B&C:
In a surprise move, Jay Leno is taking over the 10 p.m. slot on weeknights on the network.
The move would be a cost-effective manner in which to essentially cut down the amount of hours it must program with fare from the entertainment division. Jeff Zucker foreshadowed the move at a UBS media conference Monday, saying that NBC has to look at options including programming less primetime hours.
It would be a much-needed victory for struggling NBC in the wake of a massive round of layoffs and a re-organization of the entire way the network and studio are structured as the network continues to languish in fourth place.
From the NYTimes:
No broadcast network has ever before offered the same show in prime time five nights a week. Such so-called “stripped shows” have been a staple of daytime broadcasting.
The offer of a new weeknight show for Mr. Leno at 10 p.m., an idea that NBC executives said Monday came from the NBC chief executive,Jeff Zucker, not only allows NBC to retain Mr. Leno’s services, but also means the network may be able to greatly reduce costs of developing and producing other prime-time shows.
It looks like Jeff Zucker was serious about throwing in the towel. Quite a vote of confidence in the capabilities of your entertainment division programmers. Looks like all the NBC Entertainment jobs freed up this week by firings might not need to get filled after all!
Just remember, you read it here first!
Update: Even Jay's in on the joke!
And as Leno becomes the lead-in for the late local newscasts, he joked that he might be getting his own lead-in from NBC's increasingly expanding morning show: "Where I am coming on at 10, I will be on right after the last hour of the new today show."
Yet another Update: NBC is officially throwing in the towel:
“We are not trying to compete,” Mr. Graboff [Marc Graboff, co-chairman of NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios} said.
Update: If you'd like to do a bit of theorizing about the potential ratings for the new Leno at 10 show, consider that during the just completed November sweeps, these were Leno's numbers at 11:35pm.
Total viewers: 4.9 million
Adults 18-49: 1.3 rating / 5 share
Those are pretty close to the season to date averages for the show as well.
Can Jay double that 18-49 rating airing 95 minutes earlier (and with a 60 minute show)? I'd say it's certainly possible. That would beat 3 of the 5 shows NBC put on at 10pm last week. And one of those shows that it didn't beat, ER, is in its last season.
It’s hard to know what to think about this. I’m tempted to think it’s a good business move, but I think Leno will fail at 10 pm. Yes, he beats Letterman at 11:30, but I don’t think it’s going to work at 10.
For a change you were kinder than I. I might have titled it “Ben Silverman loses 23% of primetime.” I’m sure Ben won’t take a pay cut, but I’m not sure he’ll be employed by NBC Uni in September.
Given the overall numbers for NBC, it just looks like taking the path of least resistance and given performance I’m not sure I fault them. Also since this was reportedly Zucker’s move directly, I completely agree with you about the vote of confidence…
I’m beginning to think I should skip applying to NBC for a job.
Julia, because of the way bureaucracy works the chance that NBC reduces its broadcast TV corporate overhead by 23% is precisely 0%!
Lets look at what will happen:
NBC will think, “hey we filled our schedule pretty well.” Let’s all go skiing. (http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/when-going-gets-tough-ben-goes-skiing/)
They won’t work on any new projects.
Flash forward. Fall 2009: Leno fails. Between Leno, Conan, Fallon, and Daly, they ran out of Celebrities promoting things. People will realize Leno isn’t that funny when they’re not really tired. People will realize that Leno isn’t that funny without first watching horrible stories on the news to depress them. People will realize that Leno isn’t that funny.
NBC will have nothing in the tank to replace 1/3 of their schedule.
NBC fails. GE refocuses on light bulbs.
Wow…
NBC is so stupid, this will make the 10pm shows of CBS/ABC even stronger.
btw, Variety is saying that Jay Leno will make 40-50 million a year with the new deal.
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117997051.html?categoryid=10&cs=1
Why not just have the Tonight Show move to 10 PM? Conan still gets the earlier time slot he craved while being able to keep all of the personnel to which he’s become accustomed. Meanwhile, Leno doesn’t need to make a transition either. Move Carson Daly to Conan’s old slot, and voila, problems solved.
What does this mean for NBC’s primetime shows? Are they not going to renew 5 hours worth of shows next fall?
DeM, trying to find 5 hours of NBC shows to renew would be much more difficult than finding 5 hours to cancel.
The whole point of Conan taking over for Leno was because Leno was leaving, right? Now that he’s just on a different time will anyone bother to watch Conan aside from the people who watch Conan right now?
I’m a bit surprised at this move from NBC really, is Leno really that funny that they feel people want to see him at 10 every night? I don’t personally, but then again I’ve never thought Leno funny myself.
NBC just needs to do one thing to get things back on track. Stop making crap shows!…It’s so simple. Rosie Live!…God, wake up! How dumb can you get?
Curious indeed. I suspect this is NBC’s attempt to be more like Fox? In a direct comparison, Leno will compete against local news, Univision, and two broadcast nets. Perhaps they are seeing more Fox-like programming focus in the 8 and 9pm hours then? Hopefully they can find their next Law and Order or ER-like megahits to anchor a couple of nights at 9pm. One sitcom night, one “ER” night, two “L&O” nights, and Friday reality…there’s the five day week. I can see how they’re putting it together, but I have to say I don’t think the average Nielsen family (or any average family) is ready for such a change. Unless Fox has really gotten us used to no-scripted-stuff at 10pm, more than we realize…
Leno was fired people. But this can’t be worse than anything else NBC has.
NBC needs another show to come along and revive its television line-up like the Cosby Show did in the mid 80s.
Eddie – or Seinfeld in the 90′s. They need their “must see TV” line up. They need an anchor. I hate to say it, but in terms of Nielsen ratings, any anchor program has got to be more mainstream than Heroes, and less quirky than Office or 30 Rock. ER, and the L&O incarnations, are their last somewhat mainstream hits. Comedy, drama, or one of each – they need those mainstream anchors to achieve Nielsen success.
Wow. What a stunning move.
I would nominate this as the most stunning programming move since Fox got the NFL. That’s 15 years ago.
I’m blown away. And I don’t necessarily doubt that this is a good business move. NBC will pay at most $1m per hour for over 200 hours of year-round primetime original programming. Probably even less than that. That’s an incredible bargain and a low ratings bar to clear for this to be a success.
Network TV as a storytelling medium really is dying isn’t it? The NBC 10-11pm hour, which has housed some of the greatest shows ever produced, will no longer be home to scripted storytelling. Truly the end of an era.
Les Moonves must be pissing himself with excitement.
NBC just handed CBS an engraved invitation to dominate both 10-11 AND 11:30-12:30
I like Conan but he’s on too late. Id rather watch at 11:35, and hopefully this will allow Conan to stay in NY.
Also, I agree with the Other matt, unfortunately GE will start investing in the Electric Car. They will air a one hour infomercial every week on thursday at 9 on the production and benefits of this car. And it will win the Night.