News broke today that Jay Leno isn't leaving NBC after all. After the network essentially booted him from his own show to usher in Conan O'Brien to The Tonight Show's top seat in May 2009, many wondered what he would do. Go to ABC or Fox to compete directly with O'Brien and Letterman? Concentrate on stand-up? Wash his cars?
Leno signed a reported $40-50 million deal to host a nightly talk show - but here's the kicker - in prime time. In a thinly-veiled bit of foreshadowing, NBC execs mused this week that they might have to cut back their schedule due to costs. Lo and behold, they now have cut back the M-F block by one third. So what does that mean? Apparently, less failed dramas, fewer filler reality shows, and - gasp! - maybe fewer Law & Order spawns.
The move is unprecedented in recent decades of broadcast television. The question is, will people get sick of Jay, and will it save NBC?
