How'd Leno Fare in His First Week?

By Tricia Romano Posted Sep 21st 2009 10:51AM

After much anticipation and speculation, Jay Leno's new show -- aptly titled 'The Jay Leno Show' -- debuted last week, and it turns out, it's almost exactly like his last show, 'The Tonight Show.' Except for the fact that it's not so hot according to lots of critics, and the end-of-week ratings were less than half of the show's premiere. Allow PopEater take a look back at how Jay did as he ventures into week number two.

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Jay Leno Snapshots

Jay Leno's first week of his new, earlier show is in the books after. Jay spanned the entertainment world with guests like Kanye West to Tom Cruise. Click to See Photos of Everything Leno-Related

AFP/Getty Images

NBCU

Jay Leno Snapshots

BURBANK, CA - SEPTEMBER 14: (NO SALES, NO ARCHIVE; TABLOIDS OUT) Jay Leno tapes the inaugural episode of NBC's "The Jay Leno Show" September 14, 2009 in Burbank, California. (Photo by Justin Lubin/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jay Leno

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US comedian Jay Leno walks on the stage for the debut of "The Jay Leno Show" on September 14, 2009 in Burbank, California. The program will air nightly in NBC's coveted 10:00 pm (0500 GMT) slot, the first time in US television history that a major broadcast network has run a series five nights a week in prime time. Justin Lubin/NBCU via AFP == RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL ONLY / CANNOT BE ALTERED / NO ARCHIVING / NO SALES / NO TABLOIDS / GETTY OUT == (Photo credit should read Justin Lubin/AFP/Getty Images)

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Audience members wait in a holding area outside NBC Studios in Burbank, Calif., Monday, Sept. 14, 2009 to watch the premiere of the Jay Leno Show. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Fans write messages for Jay Leno while waiting in a holding area to watch the premiere of the Jay Leno Show outside NBC Studios in Burbank, Calif., Monday, Sept. 14, 2009. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Peggy Willison, 86, holds a sign as she and her friends enter NBC Studios to watch the premiere of the Jay Leno Show in Burbank, Calif., Monday, Sept. 14, 2009. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

A fan holds a sign while waiting in a holding area to watch the premiere of The Jay Leno Show outside NBC Studios in Burbank, Calif., Monday, Sept. 14, 2009. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

A fan holds a sign while waiting in a holding area to watch the premiere of "The Jay Leno Show," outside NBC Studios in Burbank, Calif., Monday, Sept. 14, 2009. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Audience members and Jay Leno Fan Club members Evelyn Baldock (L) and Elsie Shallenberger (R) arrive for the premiere of "The Jay Leno Showï¿½ at NBC Studios in Burbank, California, on September 14, 2009. Stepping out of 60 years of prime-time TV traditions, NBC hopes to cash in on "The Jay Leno Show,ï¿½ taking advantage of the much lower cost of producing a talk show as compared to the scripted dramas normally found in the prime-time slot. AFP PHOTO/ROBYN BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Audience members and Jay Leno Fan Club members Elsie Shallenberger (2R) and Evelyn Baldock (2L) wait to enter for the premiere of "The Jay Leno Show,ï¿½ at NBC Studios in Burbank, CA on September 14, 2009. Stepping out of 60 years of prime-time TV traditions, NBC hopes to cash in on The Jay Leno Show,ï¿½ taking advantage of the much lower cost of producing a talk show as compared to the scripted dramas normally found in the prime-time slot. AFP PHOTO / ROBYN BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

An audience member holds up his tickets as he waits to enter for the premiere of "The Jay Leno Show,ï¿½ at NBC Studios in Burbank, CA on September 14, 2009. Stepping out of 60 years of prime-time TV traditions, NBC hopes to cash in on The Jay Leno Show,ï¿½ taking advantage of the much lower cost of producing a talk show as compared to the scripted dramas normally found in the prime-time slot. AFP PHOTO / ROBYN BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Monday: Coming off of the big news of the weekend with the Kanye West-Taylor Swift VMA debacle, Leno scored an accidental coup with Kanye as his already-planned musical guest. The awkward interview, in which Jay nearly brought Kanye to tears by asking him what the rapper's dead mother would have thought of his behavior, likely boosted the outrageously high ratings -- a stunning 18.4 million viewers.

Tuesday: By his second night, the new car scent began fading a bit. Leno's guests were Tom Cruise (in a new feature called 10 @ 10, where he interviews people via satellite), and Michael Moore plugging his latest movie. The reviews started to roll in. The Los Angeles Times review's opening line was scathing. "It's not a good sign when the Bud Light commercial is funnier than the comedy show it interrupts." No surprise then, that Jay lost seven million viewers on the second night.

Wednesday: E! Online asked, "Are Melrose Place, Leno Already Over?," citing Leno's drop in viewers. On Leno's third night, Robin Williams came on and talked. For the 10 @ 10 segment, Jay asked Miley Cyrus what time her curfew was. (Note to Hollywood producers: We would like to get paid millions of dollars to come up with questions like these. Ours will be better). Though we liked the Hamish and Andy "Ghosting" segment, that is a score for the booking agent, not Leno's writing team.

Thursday: The New York Times' Media Decoder blog post titled "A Winning Wednesday for NBC" might have jumped the gun in terms of optimism. With a lead-in from "America's Got Talent," Jay gained back three million more viewers. Still, that didn't keep The Philadephia Enquirer from dissing it: "The new Leno show, the first five-night-a-week prime-time broadcast show in TV history, seems little more than a warmed over (and not even as good) version of 'The Tonight Show.'" They might have a point: Outside of Halle Berry's revelation that she was not indeed pregnant, Leno had the scintillating Bruce Hornsby as the musical guest (though, it must be noted that Hornsby's guitarist was Eric freaking Clapton ... so bonus points there).

Friday: By Friday, the little bump Jay enjoyed on Wednesday had dissipated. On Thursday, TV By the Numbers noted that a repeat of 'The Mentalist' had beaten Jay. Not even Friday's bizarre 10 @ 10 interview with Mel Gibson could save the numbers from petering off to just under eight million. (Sample question: "What part of the body would you change: "I already got my tail removed. Maybe I'd get my brain removed.) That's more than a 50 percent ratings decrease from just four days earlier.

This week's guests? Some big-name movie stars like Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Garner, legendary but not-so-buzzworthy musicians like Smokey Robinson and some political figures. Thursday features Rush Limbaugh. Monday night's 10 @ 10 is with Barney Frank. Please, do not ask him what time his curfew is.

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PopScene: Week's Hottest Pics

Miley Cyrus attends the 2009 VH1 Divas at Brooklyn Academy of Music on September 17th in New York City.

Jeff Kravitz, FilmMagic

PopScene: Weeks Hottest Pics

Miley Cyrus attends the 2009 VH1 Divas at Brooklyn Academy of Music on September 17th in New York City.

Jeff Kravitz, FilmMagic

Nicole Richie showing off amazing post baby body less than a week after having her new baby son, Sparrow.

X17online

Judah Friedlander teams up with SpiderMan for some ping pong at SPiN New York on September 17th.

Mark Von Holden, Getty Images

Sir Ian McKellen and pop star Mika attend Mika's album launch party on September 17th in London.

Nick Harvey, WireImage

Spencer Pratt buys up all the issues of Playboy he can find with his wife Heidi Montag on the cover.

X17online

Clive Owen attends the screening of "The Boys Are Back" on September 16th in Los Angeles.

Noel Vasquez, Getty Images

Natalie Portman is given a jacket by ET Canada host Rick Campanelli as she attends the "Love And Other Impossible Pursuits" Premiere in Toronto.

George Pimentel, WireImage

Mya arrives at her hair salon in Beverly Hills on September 16th.

Pacific Coast News

Shia LaBeouf and Carey Mulligan are seen on the set of the upcoming film, "Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps" in New York City.

Fame Pictures

Robbie Williams leaves his hotel armed with a pink light saber in Paris.

X17online

Tags: halle berry, HalleBerry, jay leno, jay leno show, JayLeno, JayLenoShow, jennifer garner, JenniferGarner, kanye west, KanyeWest, miley cyrus, MileyCyrus, robin williams, RobinWilliams, tom cruise, TomCruise, vince vaughn, VinceVaughn

Comments

(25)

Monday 21 September

By epjall

Vote down Vote up Report this

very funny

By jff8945

I watched every night except Friday (9/18). I taped it. First off, I thought Jay looked /sounded worn out (bags under eyes , lack of enthusiasm in his voice, not much energy). The show did not seem to have a lively pace, Seinfeld could have added a lot as could Robin Williams. Also why go outside the demographics with Rappers? It does not make you hip by association. Indeed it turns off older viewers. There were a no. of bits Jay used to do that were hysterical (jaywaking). I hope he makes it.

By carl gulino

The Tonight Show has moved to the 10 PM slot but it's now called the Jay Jeno Show. Conan O'Brien has moved into the old Tonight Show slot but it's still called the Tonight Show. It's probably done this way to hold unto the advertisers and pay scales of the Tonight Show.

Sunday 27 September

By Carla

Dear Mr. Leno: Let me begin by telling you, I like you a lot, your very funny. Now I think your show will be a complete success by following Mer Griffin show of years ago. He had a terriffic show. Your a lot like him, so therefore you can pull it off. Just by telling your stories the way he did, and please forget the tonite show, it won't work at 10:00, you have a great beginning so take it. Forever Fan Colleen Seviroli.

Monday 23 November

By sallie schroeder

your the best-we as a family love your show-
keep up the good work--

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