Jay Leno on His Feud with Jimmy Kimmel
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
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A can’t miss conversation with the great Jay Leno, where Bill Maher and Jay share hilarious stories like Jay’s true feelings about his beef with Jimmy Kimmel, the time Jay took toilet paper as payment for a stand-up gig, why Jay hid in the closet and eavesdropped on NBC execs during the Tonight Show drama, what NBC told Jay when they fired him, what made the blind guy who climbed Mount Everest furious, and Jay’s dinner with Gorbachev.
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Finally, one of these guys gives Ferguson the credit he deserves. He was the true inheritor to Letterman, in terms of creativity, uniqueness, and risk-taking. To this day, he's the only other one of them who even tried to do something truly different. I still miss watching Craig and Geoff every night.
Craig Ferguson is still my favorite late night show. So underrated
Furguson was the only comedian that got a real laugh out if Williams.
I've always wondered why Letterman didn't get any shit for why Ferguson didn't get his show. If Letterman supposedly was Carson's heir apparent why wasn't Ferguson considered Letterman's? And btw Conan SUCKS. He never should've gotten the tonight show at all.
Yes, Ferguson actually had real conversations with his guests.
@@jefflandreneau7027 when letterman left they killed the show
I liked Craig, because he came off as actually trying to talk to the guest, rather than just ask the same questions. I loved that he just ripped up the blue card full of notes.
I feel like half the time I saw Craig with guests they didn't even talk about what they were there to promote, and that's great! Made me actually like the guest which in turn made me care about the thing being promoted.
Yeah before they talked he would rip up the notes
I was a Conan fan and the first time I came across Craig was when he was interviewing Kristin Davis and it was so light, funny and interesting- I immediately started watching Ferguson after that
Talk? He talked all over them, and just wouldn't shut the fuck up!
He would have someone in his show trying to promote their thing and ask them if they wanted to talk about that, some got confused, since that was probably the whole point, he said "we don't have to do that, unless you want to, or we can talk about anything you want", and often they did exactly that and you could see the genuine joy in their faces as they chatted about horses or pie or whatever.
Ferguson reinvented what it meant to be a late night host. I'm glad Jay said what he said because he did not get the recognition he deserved. A truly phenomenal show.
I've been rewatching Ferguson on youtube a lot lately. God I loved that show. Deconstructed the whole late night thing, just brilliant.
I always thought all these late night hosts were funny except him. He’s the only one I watched where I couldn’t even crack a smile.
@@johnrcornell It sounds like you like the normal stuff - nothing wrong with that.
I get why people like Ferguson but in no way at the time it would have made sense to put him over Conan. Conan is still thriving like crazy in podcasting but I don't hear much about Ferguson. Like Conan in his early career reinvented the talk-show, so did Ferguson but Conan is solid and earned it with it thru years. It's just crazy to watch a spike in Ferguson and cause all that commosion. The way people rallied for Conan to be swindled just proves that it should have been his as promised.
@@johnrcornell sounds like you dont have a sense of humor ....d0uche
I watched them all, Jay, Dave, Conan, Craig. I took them for granted. I didn't realize how lucky we were to have them.
Letterman and Conan are the two best in my opinion
i like jay the best, conan second. dave was annoying and turned into a curmudgeon by the end.
I'm still wondering why Jon Stewart didn't take over for Tom Snyder, because he was very well suited for that job the few times he was the guest host. Jon understood that show very well, and he was one of the few who could've taken over that show and kept Tom's version of it alive for awhile longer.
I used to watch every night, it really was great
@@qcrew2938 Carson stands alone above all of them. You think those guys were culturally significant? Compared to Carson, which was pretty much a national institution, they were straight up amateur hour.
Craig Ferguson was the one host that made me laugh, and by far the only one that didn't feel stale. He engaged with the guest and you could see him making them either weird them out or almost pass out by laughter.
Craig was amazing and I was super bummed when he ended up parting ways with the Late Late Show. He's just a very funny off the cuff comedian and perfect for those late show formats. It's kind of a crime that he was followed up with James Corden. Personally, I think Craig shouldve gotten a shot at the big job. Or just stayed with his old show. Either way, I miss seeing Craig every night.
@@jayg339 James Corden killed the show, he's just not funny at all. Craig could interview anyone without any writing or PR team telling him what to ask. Yeah he's missed.
There's no longer any tonight shows, just political mouthpieces.
Very under rated. I put him right behind Carson, O'Brien, and Letterman
Craig's biggest brilliance is that he knew, for himself, when it was time to go. And he went out of top. The guy ( and his entire crew) is a true legend of late night. I used to watch him and laugh with him every night.
Craig was the only host I watched as a teen. Easily the funniest and most outrageous.
i watched this guy called conan i think? maybe youve heard of him
that style wouldn't work at 11:30
They dropped the ball on Craig. Criminally underrated.
I missed that show while it was on unfortunately. But it couldn't last. It was apolitical, unpolished, improvised, and genuinely kind.
It was everything Hollywood hates because it doesn't have a specific formula an exec can take credit for and can't be used to sell whatever propaganda is the topic of the day.
Who's 'they'? Ferguson wasn't cancelled, he quit cuz he didn't want to do it anymore. So what r u talking about?
@@EclecticBuddha WTF are you talking about? "Hollywood" loves ratings - Craig had them but was burned out and wanted to leave.
Sadly, Craigs style of comedy was even more sexually charged than even Conan's, so if definitely wouldn't have played at 11:30.
Craig I think is one of the best. He is actually on the level of Conan as far as I’m concerned. It would be amazing to see Craig, Conan and Andy have a show together.
Holy f, this is first time IN MY LIFE I've seen someone actually acknowledge Craig. That dude is seriously the greatest talk show host there ever was and in my opinion, probably will be. So natural, smooth and funny.
Hes no talk show host and makes the viewer and guests feel so uncomfy.
Agreed, Craig Ferguson is easily my favorite talk show host of all time after Johnny Carson and no one else is even close. Nothing touches his interviews with Robin Williams, Russell Brand, etc. He had the talk show thing figured out and threw out the rules and just had conversations with his guests. GOAT.
@@maxsavage3998 Nonsense.
@@maxsavage3998 you obviously never seen much, it's the complete opposite
@@redmint4894 Carson #1 -- Ferguson # 2 Conan # 3 Leno # 4 Letterman # 5
Craig Ferguson was the best late night host...his show made me laugh way harder than any other show
In the battle of the douches, he was the biggest douche
Why you tslking about craig who cares
Still watch Craig's clips on UA-cam. Loved that show!!!
............huh? Lol
Carson and Leno were the best the rest were just wannabes who thought they were funny including that poc stern
Ferguson was a BEAST. Incredibly funny, innovative and had the power to show the network execs his collection of avians.
Hey, hey, hey...let's not bring the damn birs into this whole thing!
Craig Ferguson is my favorite all time late night host
The NBC executives hated Letterman because since he started at NBC in the 1970s, he relentlessly made fun of them, live on air 😆
And when they asked him to host an event for the network, or tickets for an executive's son to come to a taping of his show, Letterman would turn them down. And yet he was shocked when *NBC* chose Jay as Carson's successor. Amazing how a guy that talented and smart could be so dense.
@@gallery7596NBC is corrupt you mean
and that why letterman went to cbs to host the late show
He made fun of CBS all the time too. But they happily paid him more than Leno ever got from NBC.
No way. There are stories of letterman behind the scenes. He is a nasty person.
Craig Ferguson was absolutely, hands down the funniest of them all.
Came across to me as a puppet show host.
i tried watching him many times. never found it funny. but, to each their own, I wasnt going to bash him for it.
Well... I don't know about "hands down"... Letterman, Ferguson, and Conan are all brilliant in their own ways. They all pushed the boundaries. Today? I think Kimmel tries to... and has grown to be a relaxed, excellent talk show host. He's not afraid to speak out and that lack of fear makes him pretty great, too.
I think maybe because I’m English/ Aussie I found Craig’s humour more relatable. He’s slightly insane and had such great interaction with his guests especially other comedians, it comes across as natural and unrehearsed, and makes me laugh uncontrollably. It’s a personal opinion and living in Oz we didn’t get a lot of Conan though I’ve seen snippets on the internet and he seems to have the spontaneity that is a little lacking in some of the other more scripted late night shows.
I still like to watch Crag Ferguson interviews, he's just so good at talking to people and making it funny for the audience
Still perhaps the only one constantly giving credit to Ferguson and recognising that he actually had become a real threat to the other hosts becuz he was simply so damn goood!!
A lot of people give credit to Ferguson. I think Letterman thought a lot of him.
I agree, Ferguson was a breath of fresh air in late night. Scratching my head as to why they didn’t move him into a Letterman’s slot, but I heard it was in his contract that when Letterman retired he took over or they would pay him a huge buyout, so good for Craig.
Funny how Leno forgets that he wasn't number one for years when he first got the Tonight Show. It wasn't till the Hugh Grant interview did Leno become number one. Conan had six months.
@@monotech20.14 The tv scene in 2008 was very different compared to 1992 when Jay took over.
Only one…huh? 😂
Craig Ferguson to James Corden has to be the biggest downgrade in the history of mankind 😂
FOR REAL🤣
here here
Falon is the worst
@@TheSkunkWhisperer hes better than corden that's forsure
Very good discussion - very relaxed. Great to get Jay's take on this.
Jay trusts Bill
Need to get Kimmel, Conan, Jay, Dave along with some old TV Execs to hash this out on live TV. Ratings would be bonkers.
No they wouldn't. Late nite is dead. TV in general is dying. Nobody gives a crap anymore.
Remember: don’t blame Conan.
@@ghostpiratelechuck2259 But really we can blame Conan.
I would watch that, ‘specially since I had no clue what was going on at the time. But I like history.
@@lcflngn Start by watching the movie, I think it was called 'Late Night'. it's about the time when NBC chose Leno over Letterman to be Carson's replacement; Jay is talking about it in the beginning of this video
I did infrequently watch the tonight show years ago but I was never a devoted fan. Having said that, I’ve always believed that Leno, at his very core, is a very good guy. I’m glad he addressed this because people have been making public statements and have shared their perspective on the shake up and Jay has never spoken about how things unfolded from his side; at least he hasn’t, to my knowledge. I sincerely wish him well. I think he’s one of the good ones and he’s lasted because he does his own thing and keeps to himself and leaves the chatter and the back biting to those who want to participate in it.
Completely agree. I think he may have an issue with saying 'no' when asked for a favor; and NBC really pushed that and left an unwarranted bruise on his legacy for their efforts. I guess people can argue that "Jay could've prevented a lot of this" - but so could have a LOT of other people involved. Just happens that Jay is the biggest & most successful of them all.
It was tough seeing such a genuinely nice guy just getting beat up constantly during that period just because NBC couldn't let go(or just be honest with Conan and tell him that they didn't want to give him the seat; NO BALLS from NBC execs though, they hid behind Jay...).
@@RyTrapp0 Exactly! Had Jay declined, NBC would have continued to try and find a better fit than Conan as the ratings took a nose dive after he took Jay's spot. Too bad Conan can't admit that. As much as he appears to treat his staff well by always mentioning them publicly, doesn't mean Jay didn't. Like you said, he's a quiet man and caught hell when it wasn't warranted. Him stating that his ratings were much better in that time slot wasn't a lie or grandstanding, which so many misconstrue.
Leno is a two-faced, lying POS……….good to see he has you fooled, too 👍If you’re just some guy on a park bench, he’s the nicest guy ever……….but if he feels you are even remotely funny or a challenge to him, then he’s a backstabbing a-hole!
Jay is acting dumb and pretending like he had no agency or ability to make decisions, and things just happen to him and around him. "Oh shucks I'm just a hick from a small town, I just do what these big boy Hollywood executives tell me to do, I had no idea what was going on or what would happen." I don't buy the act. He knew exactly what was going on, and what would happen. He made deliberate choices. Then acts like he can't be judged by his choices, and it is as if he was just a leaf on the wind and it's everybody else's fault.
@@mvprime8I thought jay would hide tape recorders in conference rooms to spy and try to get an edge during the late night wars. He’s definitely more culpable than he is portraying himself to be.
I always wanted a late night show hosted by Conan, where Norm Macdonald was always the first guest, and then there’d be another guest after that, I suppose…
Yeah, Norm and Conan was peak late night talk show.
Conan and bill burr are hilarious together too
Part of the story I think get's overlooked in the Johnny-Dave-Jay saga that Jay mentions here, is that Johnny was frequently gone in the last years. Jay was the "permanent" guest host and did over 300 episodes in the final years of Johnny's tenure. Some folks like to say it was always Dave's, but if you're a "permanent" guest host of a show for 300 episodes, why can't you make a run for it too?
It was never Dave's. He just thought it should be for some reason.
Johnny disliked Leno and was not HIS choice to take over the show.
@@Askadena213- Never heard that. Please back it up.
5:38 Answer: The Tonight Show has a legacy, has a huge audience and is considered the top spot. That's why he didn't go to Fox or anywhere else. It definitely wasn't loyalty.
You think Dave or Conan would have been as successful as leno at that time?
@@JJ-nu8qi No. They proved that. They both had their shot to be as successful and neither could pull it off. Leno got #1 about a year after taking over for Carson and never surrendered it. Letterman could out pull Leno with a decent guest but that was few and far between.
@@bechtoea Thats my point he was just more likeable for that time slot and audience.
@@JJ-nu8qi Jay was a lot more like Carson than the other two ever were. Those two wanted to host their own style of show. Jay ran his show like he was still guest hosting Johnny's show.
@@bechtoea Conan didn't get a chance. Leno's 10 pm show rapidly dropped off to become a ratings bomb. Leno took over for Carson, who had the only game in town for decades, and then years of benefiting from scripted dramas with good ratings as the pre-news lead-in. Conan had Leno's unwatched show and seven months. Not a recipe for success.
That said I'm honestly not sure if Conan would have ultimately succeeded at 11:35. For most of my life it's been the network time slot where comedy goes to die - played generally safe and extremely repetitive, often with the sensibilities of middle America in mind. Jay's existing audience certainly wasn't tailor-made for Conan. For the show to have found its ratings footing he would have needed time.
Jay was honest and had an interesting story. Bill Maher just likes listening to the sound of his own voice.
Ageist, much? He's a Boomer and you do not like it?? More importantly he's smoking weed and drinking besides. It's his show, his basement and he's high and chatty. Does his hatred of the Orange one bum you out or is it his newer hostility to woke and the Politically correct crowd?
always loved Conan . his Conan needs a friend podcast is great . he's just naturally funny .
100%
Yes indeed 😀
I’m Team Conan 100% too
Team Conan! 100%
Conan
Leno spends the whole interview denying Kimmel’s allegation that Jay was scheming to get his old show back, and then in the next breath he answers “let’s just play this out and see what happens” in regards to why he didn’t go to another network.
Yeah and I have seen interviews after this originally happened, I think the 60 minutes interview, where he keeps saying NBC wouldn't let him out of his contract. Now here he says he's loyal and let's see what happens? I am not saying Conan is all righteous and clean either, I know he lobbied for the Tonight Show and wanted Jay out, but you announced you were leaving, then stuck around to wait it out, went wherever they told you, then came back and took the Tonight Show again. Not one person in this whole debacle had any brains. It was a mess and NBC, Jay and Conan are all to blame. Conan less than the others, but still what a shit show.
@@watchreport RE: "but you announced you were leaving,"
But let's remember this wasn't his idea. *NBC* wanted Jay to publicly congratulate Conan.
RE: "...then stuck around to wait it out,"
Even when this plan was revealed in 2004, Jay couldn't just walk away. He was only half way through his then current contract. Now Conan could've left early in 2006 and had a show at *FOX,* but he chose to green light *NBC's* weird 5 year plan (something Jay was not even informed of until after the decision was made).
RE: "...then came back and took the Tonight Show again."
Conan chose to resign. Why should Jay not accept an offer to return to the show that Conan's deal originally took away from him?
Though this was primarily *NBC's* fault, Conan's at least as responsible for that debacle as Jay was.
@@gallery7596 Sure Conan chose to leave. NBC stabbed him in the back with Jay's help. He was promised The Tonight Show...not the Tomorrow Show. And having a 10PM talk show lead-in undermined Conan on The Tonight Show at 11:35. I am fairly certain the NBC execs were expecting this outcome from the beginning. I blame NBC for cooking up this scheme and also blame Jay for being a willing part of it. I find nothing that Jay has said here persuasive. And I don't see how you blame Conan...at all. He wanted The Tonight Show and made it known to NBC. NBC could have refused and told Conan he had a job on Late Night for as long as he wanted, but they wanted to keep Jay on the Tonight Show. Conan would have probably left NBC. That isn't his fault. Instead, NBC hatched this scheme to try to have it both ways. They knew Jay at 10:00PM wasn't going to work and it would only serve to tank Conan's ratings on The Tonight Show at 11:35. Jay knew it too. Either way it would give NBC what it wanted...Jay back on the air at 11:35. And they wanted Jay on at 11:35 more than they wanted Conan at NBC. What stinks here is the way NBC handled it. Jay knew what was going on and went along with it.
@@AllGrainHomeBrewingJay owes him nothing. Conan schemes to get Lenos #1 rates show and gets paid millions to go away after failing but Lenos the bad guy? Also, Leno could mean see what happens as far as maybe the prime time show would succeed.
@@watchreportConan is a hypocrite. He did to George Lopez worse than was done to him because TBS didn’t give Looez some free millions to go away. Conan wanted his way and made himself the good guy in gullible peoples eyes. Lopez isn’t great as a comedian or person but it’s wild he hasn’t done a Conan pity party since he has more reason.
Bill is so spot-on; thanks for bring up Ageism.
Everybody at the time thought broadcast TV needed to turn over to a new generation - nobody knew the truth that young people were leaving anyway and it wasn’t going to be a talk show host that brought them back.
Ageism, as some have coined it, is just biology. We are WIRED to see age as a dis-qualifier for certain things. It has its function, and is as natural as the air you're breathing.
For my money, Craig Ferguson is the best late night host we’ve had since Johnny. Craig is even over Sullivan.
1. Letterman. (He paved the way. He was the master). 2. tie between Ferguson and Conan. (Conan took some time to get there... but when he's on, he's top shelf). 3. Kimmel (went from Man Show flunky to actually being an unafraid, impactful presence.) .... I do not include Jon Stewart and his disciples in this list... they were different and BRILLIANT. The Daily Show and The Colbert Report were legendary shows.
@@johnmavroudis2054 I gotta disagree on a few points. I couldn’t stand Letterman, I just never found him really funny except for the interviews he did with Harmony, the director of Kids, those were hysterical. Jay wasn’t really my cuppa tea either. For my money it’s Carson, Ferguson, Norm, Leno, Conan, Letterman. I could watch Carson interviews all day long on here. Conan just gets way too annoying for me at times with the voices and stuff, but when he would interact with his staff, that was always good stuff. Ferguson was just brilliant imo, from Geoff to his flirting his way thru interviewing unrealistically gorgeous women to the way you could tell when the guest was a dud, but Craig turned it into a funny as hell talk. The original original Daily Show was ok, once it got overtly one sided politically, I lost interest real quick. Colbert is just awful, his Neo con character was pretty good, but he would take it too far, and now it’s just sad. Kimmel is a bigger joke than Fallon. Talk about overtly political with Kimmel and Colbert now, it’s like they are funded by the DNC and the DNC gets script approval. Going after politicians is good, it’s what they should do, but they treat the Ds like angels who do no wrong while the GOP are all racist scumbags. Then there’s the chunky Brit. Why he’s on TV I’ll never understand.
Letterman >>>>>>>
@@KelticTim If you didn’t find Letterman funny, that disqualifies you from voting.
@@johnmavroudis2054 Good for him, it's meaningless!
I used to stay up late when I was a teenager so I could watch the late late show,Craig will be always be my favourite talk show host
Kimmel couldn't hold Fergusons jock strap. Should be Craig at that spot
"There were a lot of executives that did not like Letterman" thats a true mark of distinction. This just makes me miss Dave even more
Letterman went from a good host, to just an annoying old fart with a chip on his shoulder because he got caught cheating on his wife.
yep. often when people are really good at what they do, or at the very least are very true to themselves, others wont like them. because they are "difficult"
Yet. Jay year after year beat Letterman in the ratings. What idiots those execs were.
Not staying for "The Tonight Show" was the best decision Dave ever made. He wasn't going to have an easy time of it at *NBC.*
@@patricklemire9278 Woah he beat him in cable ratings?
Cable which is now dead?
Cable which is now looked at as irrelevant slop for low brow goons who shouldn't have freedom of choice beyond their pre-approved channels?
Yeah, shut up.
David Letterman is and always will be an original and a legend.
Jay Leno is a hack
This is such a great episode
No one seems to have commented, but Jay thought of his crew and saw an opportunity for them to keep their income for at least two more years no matter the outcome of his 10pm show. For some on his staff that might have been enough time to make it to retirement, or for others to double their income for a time to save enough for a down payment on a house, or pay for their kids collage education. Plus in the end, that staff ended up working several more years than the 2 year guarantee tell Jay retired a 2nd time. It was a good business decision for his staff for sure.
Jay took a multi million dollar pay cut once so that his staff cutbacks wouldn't happen and they could all keep their jobs.
Thats a guy who actually thinks of others instead of the usual self. Getting rare in Hollywierd today I am sure.
yet he copes all the blame for nothing. All I see is Letterman and Conan having a sook like little girls
That’s true, and Conan has done just as much for his people as well.
Jay didn’t seem to care about Conan’s team that relocated to the west coast and then had a garbage lead in.
I'll be honest... I was a conan guy. Him and Craig were on at the same time and I made my choice. Now that conan is off the air I can go back and watch Craig Ferguson clips. He was great. They both were.
Jay Leno should have a been a bit more honest and basically say that he is a businessman first and he made a business decision. Case closed
In other words, it sounds like if he were a golfer, he'd be playing on the, 'Liv and Let Die,' tour
@@buckchile614 You wouldnt?
it's not show friends, it's show business 100%
He fought for the tonight show and won. Letterman also fought for it but was seen as a worse choice. He never wanted to leave the tonight show and filled in when Conan's run ended. I don't know why he is considered some villain. The only sketchy thing was hiding in closers and spying on meetings.
@@muximus2771 In my present situation, probably. But, I'm not well off enough, like those that chose to go. Greed is a sin too, although Fox only recognizes envy. Again, w/ only half the story
Ferguson was the best guy at that job since Johnny Carson.
Also hands down the best interviewer on any talk show ever.
I love Conan but unless he knows the guest he kinda goes into autopilot during every interview, most guys do.
Conan is still the best with comedians
It's all the same.. bring someone on and talk to them
Nah that's Conan. Ferguson was really godo or a foul asshole. Little in between
@@calholli yeah but some are funnier than others. Amber heard would be good at it
@@kendallandrews8691 I don't think she would make it, her dog did step on a bee you know.
It's actually quite interesting to hear Jay's perspective on this whole thing. I've only ever heard Letterman's.
He only recently started talking about it. I wish him and Conan would reconcile at some point.
yeah it's riveting when Jay runs it back.
Jay was in fact the winner and the most reasonable too. He could have stayed longer or could have signed with a competing network and received a 50million dollar signing bonus but he remained civil and gracefully retreated
It was refreshing to hear Jay's take on the various skirmishes over The Tonight Show. I was a Dave fan. But I have to admit Jay kept that show at Number 1 and took it back to that spot upon his return. I only wish him well.
Also interesting how stupid Maher is when he is high.
Thing is Jays shows aren’t something you want to rewatch. Unlike the others.
I think that's open to debate.
*House Carpenter:* "I’m sure it is"
Then House Carpenter probably shouldn't be saying Jay's shows aren't something you want to rewatch. Makes House Carpenter sound like he/she is speaking for everybody.
@@gallery7596 I’m sure it is
Multiple applicants for a job, 1 winner, rest are bitter about losing the job. Company hires new manager, realize it doesn't work out, ask the old manager back to right the ship. It's just business.
Craig was the best, funniest and most entertaining late night show. I miss Craig.
Holy shit! Finally someone with credentials gave Craig Ferguson his over due props ! That dude was fascinating! A lady killler……chicks went lo lo over him and he was sharp funny and kick back……
That dude had a mind that worked even faster than Letterman. Which is incredible. I didn't want to like him, but damn! Watching him doing shit gameshows is too depressing. What a waste.
And he was Scottish.
The lady's flirted with him something fierce. It was awesome.
As much as I dislike Bill, I appreciate that he gave Jay a chance to explain what really went down. Jay was made out to be the bad guy in the “Late Night Wars” and he wasn’t. As far a giving Jimmy Kimmel a follow up call, I imagine it had more to do with being uncomfortable having to explain to Jimmy it wasn’t going to work out. Jay should have made that call.
Leno needs his own denim brand
Feud with Kimmel, Feud with Conan, Feud with Stern, Feud with Letterman. Arsenio Hall and Carson never spoke his name once they went off air.
Leno didn't have a feud with any of those guys. It takes two parties to have a feud.
@@stretch54 okay yes you're correct...Leno was too busy counting his $450 million
the common lenominator
Watch Jay's interview with Howie Mandel. Howie is basically livid with Jay on why Jay never explained the real truth about all the Tonight Show drama. The real story with Dave and especially Conan is completely backwards from the narrative accepted by the public. Apparently Jay never wanted to pour gas on the fire, so he never publicly defended himself.
Jay can't help it that these guys never stacked up to what the broadcasting company wanted. Jay gets blamed because the brass wanted Jay and or other people for the 12:30 slot. And stern was an ahole till his new style of interviews after seeking theropy, he was funny but in a total douche kinda way.
I was always a devoted fan of The Tonight Show when Carson hosted, but strayed when Jay took over. I only tuned in when he had a guest I wanted to see. Jay was never my cup of tea...a little too corporate, slick, over-polished and safe. He wasn't edgy. When he retired I started watching his Jay Leno's Garage online and absolutely loved it - and came to admire the guy for being a real genuine person - not the network TV show host he formerly was.
That's fair enough. To this day its sad Conan wasn't really given a decent chance on Late Night as he's been the only host, along with Dave and Craig, who have been able to truly make me laugh out loud and watch their stuff again and again on UA-cam.
Craig Ferguson was the funniest and most talented host out of them all. The only thing with Craig is sometimes he had a lot of dead space in conversation because he didn’t follow a Question Card at all, and he had way too much sexual innuendos. But If Craig refined his style a bit and got some more Production on his Show I think he would’ve surpassed even Johnny Carson as the GOAT!
all Ferguson did was hit on his female guests, which was 90% of his guests
I mean he kinda teaches you free game. Women like him.
No one will ever surpass Johnny; it's just not possible!
That’s what made his show so cool, you called him the funniest and then tore down his two best qualities. That’s what most real conversations with strangers are, awkward and unpredictable.
@@rishwiz9 I didn’t tear him down at all, I love Craig and his sex innuendos and awkward silences, it’s super fun! I’m saying if he had some prepared questions and lightened up on the innuendos, and got more production he could have been more mainstream, for all audiences, and maybe even topped Johnny! 🙂
Never got Jay or Bills humor, no disrespect to either. No one in my opinion could ever replace Carson. Actually I couldn't care less about all these multimillionaires
I LOVED Conan in the 90’s, but it got stale in the 2000’s, and then I found Craig Ferguson. Pure genius. Never cared for Jay Leno, but he is a class act who has been painted as a villain.
Ferguson was a nothing. Kimmel isn’t funny, and Jay was a corn ball and backstabber. Conan and Lettermen were the only post Carson talents. I won’t even mention that little mouse on NBC. I will say this Kimmel is the worst of the bunch.
Conan was the best in the 2000’s
@@Paul-dw2cl I dunno. All those classic bits dreamed up in the 90’s were never rivaled after Andy Richter left in 2000. Pimpbot, Masturbating Bear, In the year 2000, Driving his desk, Triumph the insult comic dog, Staring contest, Fake Arnold Schwarzenegger in the live feed. When Richter left, some of that comic chemistry magic went with him. I can’t think of a 2000s era bit that’s as memorable as those early days. Ferguson had amazing chemistry with his guests and a fast wit.
Jay’s a douche.
I’ve always liked Leno. He seems like a stand up guy
Dadum- tiss
2 shaves and a haircut.
Conan might not agree
@@DedicatedSpirit8 shave and a haircut, two bits 🤡 2 shave and a haircut would be four bits and that’s not funny
@@lorcansavage1550 what about 6 shaves and no haircut?
@@DedicatedSpirit8 That’s just barberism. datum-tiss!
Craig Ferguson for me was the funniest guy ever! say for example Craig Ferguson was not a comedian or in showbiz, the man would still be super funny. Thanks a lot to youtube that I am able to view all of Craig’s late late show episodes whenever I want. No one else even comes close.
This is such an odd take. It’s like saying if Lebron didn’t play basketball, he’d still be an amazing ball player 🤔
@@RoamingHeathen well being funny isn’t activity like playing basketball per say. Craig is naturally a funny guy. I am sure there are people who might be as good or better than Jordan in real life who never made it pro
The explanation about not moving Letterman into the TS in order to maintain a hit at 12:30 is a good one - I don't know if it's true but it's one of the best reasons I've heard
*NBC* just didn't like Dave, so it was easy for them to pass on him as Carson's successor.
@@gallery7596 it also helped if Jay was able to maintain the ratings that JC had.
This really adds information to all of the speculation from this time period. I wish he would've come out much sooner with this.
"The War For Late Night: When Leno Went Early & Television Went Insane" by Bill Carter is an excellent account of what happened during that period.
Yeah, take it with a grain of salt. Leno was forced to come back? Hardly
@@JohnSmith-oe5kx To 11:35, you mean? When they proposed doing 30 minutes and bumping Conan to 12:05am, Jay asked if he could get out of his contract. *NBC* told him no. So, he couldn't just ealk away, and nobody can possibly expect Jay to risk being taken to court for breach of contract to suit the guy whose decision cost him "TTS" in the first place.
Craig has always been my fav. Nice to see him being mentioned again.
Can we get conan and letterman on now to tell their side of the story?
What’s been keeping THEM quiet? 😄
If they had a more interesting version they’d have told it by now.
Letterman has told his side many times, despite trying to act like he's too cool to do such things. And he did it publicly on the Late Show, for everybody to see. He's sh*t on Leno repeatedly and with great enthusiasm.
@@JustSomeCanadianGuy and Conan literally made a documentary about it.
@@JustSomeCanadianGuy I meant on the show with Bill just like Jimmy Kimmel told his side.
Yes please
Hope Jay Leno is recovering fast after that car fire prayers for him
Yeah he didn’t learn huh. Motorcycles are a lot more dangerous. He isn’t 20 anymore
@@fedfreds832 He seems to be doing alright
Bob Saget? Are you commenting from heaven?
fire prayers usually do the trick
I started watching Jay Leno because 2pac mentioned him on a song
I like how Bill shuts up and lets his guests talk.
I notice a lot of talk show hosts aren’t big fans off Leno. Maybe there’s a reason for that.
YES !......they are ALL Leftists back added jackasses tho Conie Baloney, Mr "Leano AND Fallon are ALL reasonable along w/the Scotsman
Cuz leno was and still is better than them. Except Ferguson.
@@andrew66862 yep true
@@polygaryd that’s not remotely true. Leno was bland and his middle-of-the-road humour didn’t offend, so old people liked him.
Yes. Could be a little jealousy.
I always watched Letterman over Leno but the whole thing is a bit silly. They are all really good. It took me 10 years to even think about watching Jimmy Fallon over Jimmy Kimmel but I've done it a few times lately. The only ones I couldn't really get into was Craig Ferguson and Colbert but I respect all of them. It can't be easy to entertain 5 days a week
I gave up on late night TV after Conan called it quits. Kimmel and Colbert hardly do jokes, it's just a hard lefty monologue every night. Fallon is annoying and Seth Myers is a bad interviewer.
Fallon and Kimmel are horrible
Letterman was my guy too. Craig Ferguson was a breath of fresh air imo. Can't say anything good about late night today. They're all too political now. You got Gutfield for the right, and the rest for the left. They're all awful by my standards.
Kimmel is horrible. At least Fallon is a decent human being.
@@monabouknight5134 Fallon would get a lot of crap during his SNL days from cast members for intentionally tanking skits by fake laughing to draw attention to himself. I think it was Tracey Morgan who got fed up with it and warned Fallon not to do any of that crap when they were in sketches together which Fallon apparently took notice and stopped breaking character when they worked together.
I would not call Fallon a decent person, he's more selfish.
All these other guys talk trash about Leno, but when you hear him tell his side of the story, it actually makes more sense than the versions slamming him. I'm not even a Leno fan, he's kind of a corn ball to me, but I think he's a decent guy, plays it basically straight. For example, when he was being pursued by ABC, he didn't have to consult w/ Jimmy K. That was a courtesy. He consulted with Conan on the various moves. It IS a ratings game.
It makes sense to you that Leno would stay loyal to the people who fired him, all the while knowing it would be a huge pain in the ass to his successor? Come on.
Nah. When they asked him to go back to 11:30 there was no reason to say yes, other than to screw Conan.
Regarding Conan, what you folks are saying may be right. But Letterman always acted like an injured party, and on that score I think he was just whining.
@@RileyRampant I agree on that one. Many comedy fans wanted Dave to get it, and apparently so did Carson, but that was fair game between Dave and Jay. In the end, Jay was probably the better commercial choice.
Leno’s explanation for NBC made a no sense. We have a hit at 12:30 so let’s not give Letterman the Tonight and lose him to CBS
The truth is Dave didn't like the *NBC* executives, and they felt the same way about him. It's no surprise they didn't want to hand their flag ship late night show to a guy who when asked to do something for the network, would usually say no. He shot himself in the foot.
Get Conan and letterman on to tell their side, Kimmel’s dislike for Jay is deeper than just being a “letterman guy”
Kimmel just hates Leno because his best buddy Howard Stern hates Leno too.
no one cares anymore. all of that squabble and bs happened too many years ago for the majority of people to gve a shit about.
In fairness, they have been telling their side of the story for many years. Jay has stayed largely quiet as he usually does. At the end of the day, it was NBC making stupid decisions at the top and then trying to reverse them. A lot of people were mad at Jay because he took back the role of tonight show host for a few years after Conan was let go. However, I've not seen many claim Conan did well on the tonight show. He didn't. There was something off, like they couldn't get going and the writing was on the wall fast. There was a reason NBC let Conan go in the end that can't be blamed on Jay.
In hindsight, it worked out because Conan on TBS was fantastic!!! He was so comfortable there and produced some of the best skits and interviews in the past decade+ of late night TV. He bounced back hard, while Jay retired from hosting and spends his time doing stand up and working on his cars. It worked out lol.
@C L What did Kimmel help Jay with?
It's arrogance. He's one of many comedians who look down at Jay, they think he sucks but can't comprehend that he always was no.1 in ratings.
...when you watch bill Maher, you realize just how amazing Kyle dunnigan is at impressions
...and how bad Bill is at taking a joke lol
@@muximus2771 or just how awful of a comedian he is lol. I’ve never seen someone try so hard to be edgy and hip.
@@waltersreads You arent wrong. Still take him over most of the douchebag latenight hosts but thats a pretty low bar.
Dann l hahahaha ! Good ONE ! PLUS Little silly Willy billy BIG NOSE sour Maher is so il-informed and low level logic w/low level intellect and comprehension
@@muximus2771 Notice how he turns on a fuc***g dime when his lame-ass jokes go bad? Like the audience are as*hol*s...
Leno did not deserve all the hate got. The network will do what they want. Leno is a nice guy, and he's loyal too.
Amen
He deserved it.
Jay is a good guy! AND he is funny!
Amazing to think these late night wars were such a big deal. Feel like ancient history.
Larry Sanders hands down best late night show host ever. 😊
Hey now!
@@stormbringercoming8105lol. You stole my comment!!!!
You Can Tell Jay Was Very FIRED Up About This Topic, You Could Definitely See The FLAMES In His Eyes When Discussing About Kimmel. Don't Get So HEATED Leno, We Love You Dude(: Wouldn't Wanna See You All BURNT Out Over A HOT Conversation.
Don't *quit* your day job, drunk.
@@gallery7596 Thank You Thank You😄 & I'm Pretty Sure You Meant "Quit" & Not "Quite"
@@drunkpunk313 Oh, yeah. My bad. I'll rephrase.
Your attempt at humor was kind of nauseating.
Cheers, drunk. :)
@@gallery7596 Thank You! I Do Dabble Into Crass Humor QUITE Often, But Anyways Cheers To You As Well Awesome Person(:
I loved Jay Leno!
Yesss
“So, this is how I pitched it…I mean how it happened”. Jay Leno
It must be extremely exhausting to talk to Bill when he is that baked :D
i despise kimmel. i stand with Leno forever.
I disagree with Kimmel. When it comes to this Conan business, Jay has been unfairly judged by people who've made mistakes of their own.
@@gallery7596 agree 100%. leno has always been transparent too. kimmel is hollyweird puppet.
Craig Ferguson interviewing Kate Mara was pure gold.
Maher needs to be quiet and let his guests talk without being interrupted.
Bill is really having a hard time getting older. He wears it on his sleeve. Age happens to all of us. I’m approaching 50 in 6 months and I am scared as Hades. Bill, be grateful. It’s a blessing to be healthy, old, and rich instead of sick, old, and poor.
He looks fine to me
Bill is a pot head. They all get paranoid about getting old. And from what I can tell he doesn't read anymore than Trump
How do YOU look ?
Are YOU "stoned" ?
@@douglasknoll3500 What difference does that make?
You barely get to hear Leno speak openly and when you do is transparent/legit/even good! He should done that back in the day. Displaying substance goes a long way
See, I always liked Leno, Kimmel, Ferguson, Carson, Conan...I like all these guys. I think the media made this far worse than it had to be.
Jimmy Kimmel is a political moron. He has no conscience about belittling people he hates. Carson and Leno were a lot smarter and refrained from letting their hatred show. 🧐
BEST Talk Show Hosts: Carson, Letterman, and a tie between Conan and Ferguson for 3rd. Legends all. But Kimmel is moving up, too.
None of these lists include Jon Stewart who belongs on any top-shelf discussion in legendary TV hosts. What he did (and the spin offs like The Colbert Report) was absolutely BRILLIANT.
Agree. What I also notice is that not one single person has mentioned the current TS host Jimmy Fallon. I’m not shocked . Really never got him on SNL and think he’s just as out of place on the talk show Carson ruled .
@@Askadena213 The SNL cast would apparently get annoyed at him for intentionally bombing skits by fake laughing to draw attention to himself. It was an easy way to get a laugh from the audience but would draw attention away from the actual skit and rest of the cast.
On the TS I see he still does that fake laughing thing.
Carson was king but Leno damn good as well. I miss each of their shows.
Always loved your show Jay an also Letterman 😆😘 they were the Best ‼️❤️💙💞🇺🇸
Thanks to Leno for the shout out to Craig Ferguson.
Leno doesn't owe anyone an apology
If Jay went on tonight show today it would be #1id bet on it
God bless Jay Leno and God bless Craig Ferguson, true gentleman, and genuinely funny men of late night television.
Craig Ferguson was the best interviewer on late night - his monologues were meh but when he had guests it was just fantastic. Loved it when he had Michael Clarke Duncan on and that trip to Scotland was funny!
Respectfully, hands down Graham Norton is the best on television. His ability to talk to several guests and they all talk to and with each other …. Just fantastic.
British talk shows just don’t work imo. It’s an American medium and not a natural part of our culture.
Norton is just celebrity wankery most of the time, Ferguson had real conversations
@@Cenot4ph The difference is that Graham Norton could chat with several people and keep them all engaged.
Norton is gay
@@thedude5449 Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Better the devil you know, than the devil you don't know - that is the attitude I felt Leno had when he was offered the chance to leave NBC for another network.
Pretty much what he said in this video.
Wow. Different time. I don't even watch TV anymore, apart from during NFL season. Every TV is running a streaming service in our household. Lol.
Late night talk show has become irrelevant in the age of influencers and everything on demand. Between being too one sided and not funny there's no unique offering in terms of interviews anymore since all celebrities have dozens of interviews or content put up on UA-cam. Couple that with so many movies coming out with nothing new there's no big "it" thing to make it must watch vs streaming your own choice on demand.
What's shocking is that Bill is friends with both Kimmel and Leno and in both interviews it is apparent how little he knows about this subject.
Jay was the last of a dying breed. He made fun of both sides, it wasn’t vitriolic.
Uh, almost everyone on late night makes fun of both sides when they deserve it, actually. The left gets flack for their over wokeness (rightly). The right just gets far more ridicule because they are OBJECTIVELY more ridiculous. This is the party that nominated Donald Trump, Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger for high level government positions all while “hating Hollywood elites” 🤣
@@Skankhunt42.... you’re an insane person if you think the late night shows today are anything more than propaganda and one sided. It is what it is, I don’t watch. But it’s nothing like it was when it was Leno, Letterman, and Carson
@@captdad41 lol. I’m a sucker for a giant chin, what can I say
Dave constantly attacking the NBC executives on air didn't help. I'm not sure how Letterman thought they would actually give them the primetime slot after what he was saying about them.
they loved being roasted - that wasn't it. other reasons. including some that were Dave's own undoing.
@@moaningpheromones Nonsense, watch the video when Dave has Norm on right after he was fired from SNL and how Dave trashes all of the executives. Its idiotic to pretend that it was appreciated by them. ua-cam.com/video/Ki6z4ohppbE/v-deo.html
Jay explains everything very clearly. Haters never understood.
God Jay sounds completely full of shit. He acts like he had nothing to do and he just stood around waiting for everything to flesh out around him.
@@cainpitt "The War For Late Night: When Leno Went Early & Television Went Insane" by Bill Carter. 👍
Its not hate its jealousy and ego
His hair is amazing
I remember being part of the hateful young and dumb generation. Yea we hated Leno(Probably someone who is in the 1% of least hateful people on the planet) But we were told too by our Gawd, Letterman and Conan as they represented the youth much more.
So glad most people catch onto that shit as they grow older. And always beware the people who say you don't grow wiser as you grow older. These people have the same mentality they did when they were 10 and 15.
Yes, it seems like for many in Team CoCo, it's still 2010. They just can't accept that what happened was mostly due to *NBC's* mismanagement, and that Conan really was at least partially to blame. For them, it's just easier to put it ALL on Jay.
For myself and many I know it wasn’t about David Letterman, it was the fact that the Doritos guy shouldn’t get Johnny Carson’s spot. He was the most safe, corny and least funny choice of an era of comics that could have changed television. Instead…Safe.
@@ToneTraveler The shock and disappointment was understandable. But we now realize that Dave getting "The Tonight Show" would not have been good. *CBS* was a way better home for Dave than *NBC* where he would've likely been the one getting ousted for a younger host, and probably a lot sooner than they did with Jay. He dodged a bullet there.
nah, its just you that didn't have agency. Most people didn't like Leno then on their own, b/c of the facts of the situation (there were docs on these stories) and/or his old-fashioned jokes. Not b/c someone told them to. It's sad and dishonest to attribute your own follies to others.
@@LittleAriel Don't even comprehend that statement. I wasn't a fan of the Tonight Show, but only morons don't understand that the last person to Rule Late Night was Leno(both times). He tapped into Middle America and they loved him.
Plus you are being dishonest only with yourself. Yes both Letterman and Red whined and hated on Leno tirelessly.
Time for you to pick up that banana peel you keep slipping on kid.
Jay Leno has more class in his little finger than Kimmel has or will ever has in his entire being
Ferguson was actual, uncut late night. He'd pick up on his guests, talk shit right to their faces, and get some of the guests completely weirded out by the insane stuff he said out loud. How he's not the king of late night with these other three delicate wisps is beyond me
Him and Conan were very similar that way, they had their own off-beat style of comedy that was infinitely entertaining to watch, and always very engaging with the guests. Jay tho, it beats me how he was number 1 for so long with his pompous attitude and lack of real humour or identity. It was truly enjoyable watching Kimmel grill Jay on his own show lol. One of the few times I've laughed at and applauded Kimmel.
I can’t stand the coward Kimmel
Jay is victim to being around so long you become the villain when it comes to this late night stuff. Beyond that, he’s a great stand up, comic’s comic and a good guy. I feel sorry he’s had to even deal with the Letterman nonsense his entire career. People forget these guys have bosses like everyone else, there’s a lot of money and politics involved.
I am with you. Listening to this, it just seems like Jay is looking out for Jay and just making professional moves. And if it was working it was working. I would say yes if my bosses asked me to do something too.
Ambitious people often resent it bitterly when the biggest prize goes to someone who didn't sell their soul to get it. Leno earned the job and no one could win it from him, so it gripes them that he could leave it so casually. Their problem, not his.
@@daveconleyportfolio5192 "if conan went to twelve would you do a half hour at 11:30?" "I said talk to conan, if he'll go to 12 i'll do a half hour." "And ofcourse Conan didn't want to do that. And then they put me back in and we became number one again." Noone is doubting his ratings, everyone thinks he's a dick for exactly what he says here. It's nothing about selling your soul to the big companies, it's about stabbing someone in the back.
@@Ookkii But what loyalty did he have to Conan? Of course, Leno looked after himself, but he wasn't out to get anyone. He was just ambitious and went after what he wanted, the same as them. And in this world, you get burned if you don't do that. A lot of the hate is from people who don't understand that looking out for yourself is critical to success, and it is typically idealists and kids who don't realize that.
@@scratchpenny You can call me names all you want. But they agreed that conan would work for 5 years at nbc and refuse all offers with the promise of getting that timeslot. Conan did the years and they still took it from him. And you could still say well that's nbc being dicks, not jay. But let me phrase it more obvious then. "They asked me if i would fuck his wife." "I said talk to conan, if he'll accept i'll fuck his wife." "Ofcourse conan said no, so i fucked his wife and i was feeling great.". I hope it's clear that although he didn't steal anything by law, it isn't just looking out for himself, it's still sticking a knife in someone's back. I mean i don't have to be friends with the guy to know it's a bitch move to fuck his wife. It's typical selfish cunts and narcisists who don't realize that.
Late night wars - A handful of rich white guys with tv shows complain about not having exactly the tv show they wanted . Life can be so cruel😢
That Czar line cracked me up.
Is it just me or has Leno not really aged in about 20 years?
It’s because he has Benjamin Button Chin Disease
Yes, he turned 70 at 50
he has aged like crazy
He doesn't drink or smoke weed or anything
Poor lighting.
Bill might be a little too stoned here lol.
I don’t care what anybody tries to say… Jay was the funniest talk show and was #1 every year. Many comedians preferred letterman but the People preferred Jay… Personally I loved them both and wouldn’t be caught dead watching Colbert or Kimmel
Conan was pretty good
Yeah Conan is good. He was the only watchable late night show. But Conan was not as good as Jay and that’s why he was replaced. Conan and Letterman could never pull Jays ratings.
@@nathantibbs4602 David Letterman was the goat and honestly as much as I like Jay I would take Conan over Leno
Actually Johnny Carson may have been the best
No doubt, Carson was the best. We can agree on that… If Conan was better than Jay, Then the people could have watched him… They didn’t because They preferred Jay… same with Letterman, I personally liked them all… Colbert is garbage, Kimmel is garbage, Fallon is ok but not great. Nothing is watchable anymore now that Conan is gone
There's something really authentic about Jay. I could listen to him all day.
Is it the part of him that hides in closets listening to execs so he can fuck others out of a job? He's as fake as they come. No responsibility for anything he's done, wants to be liked but also steps over people.