What is NBC Thinking?

Despite announcing five years ago that Jay Leno would step down from "The Tonight Show" to make way for Conan O'Brien, NBC has decided the late-night talker wouldn’t be leaving the network after all. Instead, Leno will move into prime time with a new five-nights-a-week show at 9 p.m. What is NBC thinking?

Leno's new show, tentatively called "The Jay Leno Show" and set to launch next fall, will be competing against programs such as CBS' ratings powerhouse "CSI: Miami," and "Private Practice" on ABC. It will be the first-ever program of its type to air five nights a week on prime time U.S. TV and marking a shift in the way NBC programs the most lucrative period for TV advertising revenue.

The five-day format will help NBC reduce its prime-time development and production costs in a tough economy. I know economic times are tough and I realize that it would be much more cost-effective to put Leno on as opposed to paying for an hour of scripted comedy or drama programming. But do we really need a four-hour block of talk/variety television from a major network?

Think about it. This is what the lineup for the National Broadcasting Company will look like starting this fall:

9:00 p.m. The Jay Leno Show
10:00 p.m. Local News
10:35 p.m. The Tonight Show (Conan O’Brien)
11:35 p.m. Late Night (Jimmy Fallon)
12:35 a.m. Last Call (Carson Daly)

Wow! I don’t know about you, but that hardly qualifies as “Must See TV”. The only positive thing for me is having Conan on an hour earlier. I very rarely stay awake long enough to catch his show now, so the switch will give me a chance to do so.

As far as the rest of the shows go, none of them will be on my list of shows to DVR. Having always preferred Letterman to Leno, the only time I would tune in The Tonight Show is when a Heidi Klum or a Marissa Tomei was on the guest list. His “Headlines” bit is okay, but I enjoy Letterman’s brand of sarcastic humor much more. Leno’s style is too obvious and simple for my liking.

All I have to say regarding Jimmy Fallon is good luck! The only thing he has going for him is his close relationship with SNL executive producer Lorne Michaels, who was instrumental in choosing Mr. O’Brien for Late Night. That being said, I feel that Fallon will fall into the same heap as Will Ferrell, Jim Carrey and Adam Sandler, comics who cracked me up before becoming superstars. Having achieved stardom, they just annoy me.

I have even less regard for Carson Daly. I didn’t care for him when he was a VJ on MTV back in the day. When I saw that he has been hosting Last Call since 2002, I was stunned. Where do no talent bums with nothing to offer, like Daly and Ryan Seacrest, get off wasting valuable airtime? I guess if Kelly Ripa can make $10 million annually, there is a place on television for the likes of Carson Daly.

No, I doubt that this is what NBC envisioned happening back in the ‘50s when talented individuals like Steve Allen and Jack Paar first hosted The Tonight Show. And I am sure that late-night TV icon Johnny Carson is rolling in his grave with this recent turn of events. Can you say overkill? With this new programming, how many times will we have to see Tom Cruise, Kate Hudson and Jennifer Anniston? Enough is enough!

I know that economically, times are tough all over. NBC’s decision is proof of that, but it's like the automakers shutting down plants: It saves some money short-term, but what about the long haul? It will be interesting to see how this plays out, but I for one, believe that the days of “Must See TV” are over for NBC. Until next Time…