I just read the rumors that NBC is moving Jay Leno back to his previous late night slot with a half hour show, pushing Conan O’Brien back half an hour and continuing his one-hour show.
I could have told NBC it was a mistake to move Leno up to where he had to compete with primetime dramas and other fully scripted programs. In fact, it was so obviously a bad idea that I assumed it was just NBC’s first step toward easing Leno out the door. Conan is the younger, fresher talent and I think it’s grossly unfair to him now to push him back, especially after he moved clear across the country to do the show from LA.
For my money, Leno should just be dropped for not making a success of his new time slot. Or be rescheduled after Conan, who has earned the slot he has now. Maybe we should think of this as one more way to prepare Leno for an exit, since he’s being pared down to a half hour.
One story had NBC bringing Jerry Seinfeld in for one of the slots, and that would be a huge mistake. Seinfeld is SO last century. People are tired of both him and Leno. Get a clue, NBC.