jay leno is not in the top of the rates

[bryan]

Posted: 9/29/09 at 6:55pm

he is not even on the top 25. of the rateing i guess nbc needs to bring back drama at 10:00 not comdey.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 9/29/09 at 6:58pm

That's because Jay Leno sucks.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 9/29/09 at 7:07pm

Does this come as any surprise? NBC gave Leno that spot just to give Conan a shot at getting up and running and from keeping Jay from running to ABC. We will end up seeing Jay getting a Sunday evening prime time hour long show and the 10 PM scripted shows coming back . That is my prediction.

Updated On: 9/29/09 at 07:07 PM

[clever name]

Posted: 9/29/09 at 7:59pm

Awful show.

[uncageg]

Posted: 9/29/09 at 8:12pm

I watched it once. Didn't care for him hosting the Tonight Show and don't care for his primetime show. Not a Conan fan so I don't even peek in on the Tonight Show even if there is a good guest. They advertise them here like crazy. Even during the evening news broadcast. Give me Letterman and Jimmy Falon.

[NYadgal]

Posted: 9/29/09 at 8:36pm

What are the 'rates'?

Are you a Jaywalking reject?


There are still many valid reasons for NBC to keep it on the schedule.


(eta: Sorry for the smarty-pants remark about the Jaywalking, but, I couldn't resist!)

Updated On: 9/29/09 at 08:36 PM

[NYadgal]

Posted: 9/29/09 at 8:45pm

Hey bryan,

I got your Private Message and would be happy to "name one reason why NBC should keep Leno on the air"

(proper punctuation my own)

...except you have your private messages turned off.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/29/09 at 8:52pm

I have never been good at predicting network behavior, I'm still waiting for the second season of The Ugliest Girl in Town from 1969. Having said that, I don't see them ditching Leno quickly because there really isn't that much scripted stuff around that isn't going to cable channels nowadays.

And the alphabet soup procedurals have surely reached saturation by now. The NCISVUL&OCICSILVNYCETC have pretty much reached their limit, no?

The Leno Show is the sort of thing that would gain prestige and a modicum of respect simply by virtue of sticking around. People aren't currently used to talk shows at this time of night, though in the syndicated Merv Griffin era his show was often on at 8:30 for 90 minutes a night five nights a week.

It could take time, but a show like Leno becomes the alternative when the programs opposite it begin going into a rerun every two weeks mode and day and time shifting. I think NBC will wait, and wait, and wait, and see.

[NYadgal]

Posted: 9/29/09 at 8:56pm

Yep. That's a very sound assessment.

Additionally, they have 5 fewer hours a week to program and pay higher production costs on, so they can afford to invest more in the other shows, in an effort to build ratings.

And, they've built some strong advertising partnerships in the Leno show, so they are not about to pull it off the air before the partnerships are fulfilled.

They are not anywhere close to pulling it off the air, and the upside is huge.

Updated On: 9/29/09 at 08:56 PM

[SNAFU]

Posted: 9/29/09 at 9:15pm

I Loved the Ugliest Girl in Town and remember the episode when she got Appendicitis and had the problem of having to go to the hospital and be found out!

I am not sure if Leno will hang around. We will see. It all comes down to ratings and advertising dollars. Yes, they have strong advertising dollars now but if the ratings remain low, who knows how long it will last? The television market is not what it was 15 years ago and the days of giving a show time to develop are fading fast. Even the folks on 30 Rock were antsy at the beginning because they had a hard time finding their audience (what made it harder was NBC switching their day and not really advertising the change) and there was a very strong threat of not being renued.
The networks are hard pressed now fighting against the cable networks that seem to be producing high quality scripted shows for viewers. We will see.

[NYadgal]

Posted: 9/29/09 at 9:29pm

Cable networks have the benefit of a dual revenue stream, and therefore more access to programming and development funds.

The network model is outdated, and it's conceivable that the model may cease to exist in the not-so-distant future.

That said, NBC has more to lose by taking Leno off the air right now. It's an interesting experiment, but the economics of the model are in NBC's favor at the moment.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 9/29/09 at 9:30pm

Addy, maybe Leno's tickets are the cheapest.

[NYadgal]

Posted: 9/29/09 at 9:30pm

ps... cool date and time stamp on my last post ^

[NYadgal]

Posted: 9/29/09 at 9:33pm

Tickets to see the show, Eris?

They generally don't charge for tickets to be in the studio audience. There are a couple of ways to obtain them, but I've never known there to be a charge.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 9/29/09 at 9:41pm

Leno's show is a lot cheaper for the network to produce than a scripted show, so the lower ratings offset that.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/29/09 at 9:53pm

I generally agree with what you're saying SNAFU, but the paradigm is upside down nowadays. I was a little shocked and dismayed to find out that last season 30 Rock was ranked 60th in the overall ratings! 60th!! So I don't think it can be said to have really found a significant audience.

Leno on the other hand is so relatively cheap to produce, the probably will save a ton just by leaving it on. This isn't the situation of even ten years ago where it has to get great ratings by episode 3 or be gone. They really have nothing but time to let it very slowly build an audience until it's an institution.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 9/29/09 at 10:04pm

They generally don't charge for tickets to be in the studio audience. There are a couple of ways to obtain them, but I've never known there to be a charge.

That's what the "rates" are so low then

[NYadgal]

Posted: 9/29/09 at 10:07pm

That's a rate the 'Little Night Music' fans could live with!

[SNAFU]

Posted: 9/29/09 at 10:46pm

I do agree that the network system is a dying format. Soon I believe here will be nothing left on network then reality shows and interview shows. We are seeing it it daytime television too. The soaps are dying. They have lost viewership over the past few years due to the fact there are fewer and fewer women staying home and being Housewives. One by one they are becoming too expensive to make. There are only a few left and they are gasping their last. AMC is scheduled to leave NY for LA around the end of the year, where some believe, it will ultimatetly fade away.
The network News programs too are suffering from the cable 24/7 News channels. Notice how Newscasts have become more infotainment in structure? How long before the Network News programs begin to be swallowed up by reality TV or repeats of shows licensed from HBO and Showtime?

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 9/29/09 at 11:00pm

I love Leno!

[Plum]

Posted: 9/30/09 at 12:23am

NBC doesn't care about winning the ratings race at 10pm as long as it makes a profit on each hour. Their corporate philosophy is also apparently on "branding" or something now instead of individual shows. I don't even know. They still have several good shows - 30 Rock, Friday Night Lights, Chuck, The Office, Southland, and possibly Community, but they have no idea how to leverage or promote that. The Jay Leno Show is them throwing in the towel on producing enough scripted work (or even reality!) to fill three hours a night.