Jay Leno to host new NBC show weeknights at 10pm

[redsfan1966]

I just dont get the late night show thing---do people really make an effort to be in front of the tube for Leno, Letterman, Conan, etc.??? The amount of money that is thrown to these guys is amazing for what seems to me is a small return. Spike Ferensten on Fox Saturdays is ok and Letterman was a fave of mine before CBS...but other than that, I just dont get it....the Leno to 10pm thing is obviously a sign of things to come---cut costs by eliminating scripted programming...

By the way, the best talk show was the Larry Sanders show...

[Larry Schuler]

Sometimes people do things.

[remdog]

I just dont get the late night show thing---do people really make an effort to be in front of the tube for Leno, Letterman, Conan, etc.???

Naw. People of my age tend to wake up about that time after falling asleep around 8:30 with the TV on. Which show you watch (when you're not in the bathroom) is fully a function of what channel you were on when you conked out.

Rem

[Ravenlord]

Conan is sometimes funny. i absolutely love Craig Ferguson. Leno and Letterman bore me most of the time.

[Ravenlord]

I just dont get the late night show thing---do people really make an effort to be in front of the tube for Leno, Letterman, Conan, etc.???

since i'm going to be awake at hat time, i do so for Craig Ferguson.

[macro]

I just dont get the late night show thing---do people really make an effort to be in front of the tube for Leno, Letterman, Conan, etc.???

I rarely sit and watch minute by minute, but it is my habit to have Leno on the TV while I get online at night, after everyone else has gone to bed. It just makes for comfortable background noise. If I overhear something interesting, I'll give it my attention for a time and then go back to what I was doing.

Other than that, I'll check the program guide to see who the guests are going to be for all three shows at the beginning of the week, then DVR the ones that include people I'm interested in hearing/seeing, which usually amounts to about two or three episodes per week. Sometimes I'll watch the monologue and opening skit, but if I'm pressed for time I'll just forward to the guest.

Late night will never be like it was in the days of Carson, when cable offerings were limited or (even further back) when there was only the big three networks. But apparently the audience for these shows is not insignificant.

[Unassisted]

Is the Tonight Show audience really ready to watch Conan do this?