Million Dollar Idea #3

You could surely do a lot worse with just three dollars than going to Amazon.com and buying a copy of Bill Carter's book The Late Shift: Letterman, Leno & The Network Battle For The Night.

If you haven't already read it, then maybe you saw the HBO movie that was made of it featuring an actor with a huge, obviously fake chin playing Leno and another guy playing Letterman who inexplicably kept throwing a ball at an archery target. (?)

"But, Bean," you are exclaiming, probably internally because nobody talks out loud to a blog, "that topic is so 1995. Why bring it up now?"

Because the Network Battle For The Night Part 2 may be happening behind closed doors in Hollywood and New York right now.

Peep out the latest article from Mr. Carter, who writes about television for the New York Times here.  If you don't care to read it, here is the gist of it in the opening paragraphs,

"The Jay Leno chase is on.      

Four years ago, NBC made the comedian the lame-duck host of “The Tonight Show,” announcing with fanfare that he would be succeeded by Conan O’Brien in 2009.

Today, Mr. Leno is still the champion of late-night ratings, with no apparent desire to do anything else but continue on top. “What I do,” he has said on several occasions to colleagues, “is tell jokes at 11:30 at night.”

And so, nearly two years before he can officially be courted, suitors including two networks, ABC and Fox, and at least one television studio, Sony Pictures Television, are beginning to circle, doing everything they legally can to make sure Mr. Leno knows that they will make it possible for him to continue doing just that..."

Me now: Okay, so if I'm NBC and I've already announced that Conan takes over the Tonight Show in 2009 and now have to worry about the King of Late Night ending up being new competition against me on Fox or ABC, here's what I do. Put on The Jay Leno Show every weeknight at 10:00.

You get a guaranteed hit in prime time five nights a week. which raises the ratings for the affiliate 11:00 news and, in turn, the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien too. NBC has already proven, more than any of the major networks, that they can't come close to fielding 15 hours of prime time hits a week. With this plan they wouldn't have to anymore. 

Sure, there are a few niggling details that you could counter and some legal and logistical snags that might have to be worked out but it sounds like a winner to me. Networks are bleeding viewers. New hits are hard to find, afford, and promote. It counter programs well against anything else on the dial at that time.   

Boom goes the dynamite.

 

   

Comments

[Raul]

Nice...a boom goes the dynamite reference!

I agree with the 10:00 pm time slot or I'd even go with 11:00 pm...if on ABC you can't go later than that because of Kimmel.

[me! =)]

ok, seriously, how can he be the king of late night?! just because he gets all the "good" celebrities?! ugh.....maybe its just for the simple reason i was raised to despise him but he is SO untalented!!! it would interesting to see if he could do well somewhere else & have to basically work from the bottom up like jimmy & conan had to do! highly doubt that would happen cuz they're probably going to kiss his ass & give him anything & everything he wants! ugh.....

me.

[Steve Schroeder]

Raul, 11pm wouldn't work on ABC for sure cause they do local news at that time (which I would be so pleased if they took off the air permanently). 11 might work on Fox cause they do 10pm local news.

me!, Leno is the king of late night because he has ruled the ratings world for about 15 years. He is what America is used to and people would continue to watch him if he was still on TV. He is a powerful brand and worth a lot of money to companies.
I also think he is less than awesome, though.

Your idea is a very strong one, Bean. Call up Brandon Tartikoff, Too soon?

[db]

meh...we should just steal another TV idea from the British and move into a New Late Night format. The monologue-desk-chair-band formula is archaic.

[Fleiter]

This might bode ill for Kimmel. His ratings ain't great. I live in the 20th largest TV market in the country and our local affiliate doesn't even carry the Kimmel show.

Steve- yeah, I know his ratings are strong but what I dont get is WHY they're so strong but you actually answered that with "americans are used to him"....I think that answers any question on the intelligence for most of the people in our country.....boo to that! =(

And seriously, I have always loved Jimmy! He has REALLY stepped up his game in the past year or so and I truly hope everything works out for him! I do think Jimmy does need to read or watch "The Late Shift" to remind him of what happens when you get too close to Leno....

me =)

[Steve Schroeder]

I would be somewhat surprised if Jimmy was cancelled because it seems like he has slowly and surely organically growing an audience organically. He seems to be at this point the place to go for actual comedy on the late night scene, even more than Conan at this point. His show must be a money maker (I'm sorta assuming it is easier to produce than other late night shows) or it would've been gone by this point.

This will be interesting.

I miss Craig Kilborn.

[Fred G]

Jay Leno tells jokes?

[Kings Fan]

Leno hasn't said anything funny since his cameo on Good Times in 1976. And I don't think he had any lines then.

[Noah kussin]

stop blogging now i hate your blogs