Jay Leno Clarifies Late-Night Changes

Ann Murray
Fancast.com

Jay Leno has clarified what his new role will be in 2010, when he helms a brand new 10pm show on NBC. “It won’t be necessarily comedy, Kevin Eubanks fake-laughing, comedy,” he said at a news conference, where he talked to reporters alongside NBC co-chiefs Ben Silverman and Marc Graboff. “More Kevin Eubanks fake-laughing, first guest, Kevin, second guest, Kevin, music.” Got it. We think?

What possessed him to make the decision? “After 17 years of ‘Tonight,’ I’m ready to try something new,” said the late-night host. “There were reports that I was going to go to ABC. But they were started by a disgruntled employee: Me. … When you go someplace else it takes you six months to get going, plus you have your old troops shooting you in the back on your way out. I tend to leave the dance with the person I came in with.”

When asked about the business implications of the transition, he smugly responded that those matters were of no concern to him. “What I like to do is write jokes, tell jokes and get checks,” he said, adding, “I enjoy making love, I don’t need to be a gynecologist.”

That’s way too much information, Jay. And also a very bad visual.

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