The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

Obviously being in the UK I might not see this show in the same light as it's seen in the US, but I discovered the show in April-ish 2003 when it started broadcasting on the little known UK channel Ftn (also broadcasts on CNBC Europe, although only a couple of episodes a week)...

Soon grew to love the show's topical humour (we've normally heard of the particular subject in the UK) as we don't really have a show that broadcasts on the same level for the whole year. The guests are also obviously well known to us, so pretty much the whole programme makes sense and is always worth a watch!

Only when it comes to the musical performances do I get a little stuck as not all the bands have much (or if any) UK exposure.

Stu

I must say out of all late night shows, he's my least favorite. I guess what I hate the most, and I know many will agree, is when he tells a joke in the monologue and goes on for about 5 minutes about the same damn subject. Also I find his humour to sometimes be too patriotic. Although he does often have excellent guests, it doesn't make it a much better show...

This show is still horrible. Easily is the lamest and unfunny talk show ever to be on the air. Jay Leno is one of the worst stand up comedians I've ever seen. He has no comic timing, he is not well spoken, he doesn't write good material and he repeats punchlines. The one liners that he makes during interviews with guests never make any sense whatsoever and are never funny. Kevin Eubanks is completely annoying and lame and him and Jay have ZERO chemistry. They are both total idiots. The bits they do on the show are also completely idiotic and never funny. I've never laughed at Leno's monologue. Its like watching someone drown every night. Dude, if you can't come up with even 30 seconds of good material, why are you trying to do 10-15 minutes every night?? TIP: Quality, NOT quantity!!! It's an absolute crime that Jay is getting paid millions of dollars, meanwhile there are so many struggling comics that are a hundred times better than Jay could ever hope to be. He's unfunny, he's boring and he's a corporate bend-over. He's a disgrace to comics everywhere. The only reason NBC didn't hire Letterman (not that I'm a huge Letterman fan) is because they knew Dave wouldn't be a puppet and let himself be ruled by a bunch of corporate suits. I predict that the Jimmy Kimmel show will kick Jay's but in the ratings and he'll be off the air soon.

If it's one thing Jay Leno does better than any of the late night comics I've seen it's that he is the best at recovering from a bad joke. His everyman's style is very appealing, relatable and funny. I also love the shows variety, its not uncommon for him to pull the rug out from under feet and make things funny out of weird and unusual situations. I love Jay's correspondence and both Jay and Kevin are good for bouncing off each other. Oh yes, and I also love the Headlines.

People underrate this show too much. I think its hilarious. Jay Leno may not write his jokes but hes damn good at telling them. His comedy is real subtle and in-your-face. Conan 'O Brian is just as funny, but his comedy is much different from Lenos, his is more childish (which is funny just the same) while Leno's is more sophisticated. Please people, don't underrate this show.