Why is BIG-CHIN FAT-ASS BACK-STABBER Leno the final guest... - The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (2005) Discussion

[–] WorstCaseOntario 10 years ago

Well I don't think Dave would've been able to make the trip to LA for the last show. I'm not a big fan of Leno, but he and Craig are good friends, and it's been his friends that have been on for his last shows. I wonder what Craig thought about the whole Leno-Conan fiasco a few years ago. Obviously Craig didn't think enough of it for it to ruin his friendship with Leno.

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[–] bgrhu 10 years ago

Do you understand geography and logistics? TLLS tapes in Los Angeles. Dave is in New York, with his own show to do. Leno is in Los Angeles, free as a breeze. Also - more importantly - Craig and Leno are friends. Dave is/was his boss. Who wouldn't rather hang out with a friend than a boss?

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[–] jackgriffin1-1 10 years ago

Why are you shouting? Is it that important to you?

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[–] RIP_IMDb 10 years ago

Lol, you're talking (typing actually) to me...but you're responding to bgrhu.

I don't know what's a sig. line? Can't think of one! Can you tell me what one is?

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[–] bgrhu 10 years ago

I think the OP might have unresolved anger issues. Or is maybe just constipated.

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[–] mmitsos-1 10 years ago

I'm very upset that Leno is the last guest as well. I didn't know that they were friends. He should have had Emma Thompson on. Those two are fantastic together.

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[–] RIP_IMDb 10 years ago

Thank you!

I don't know what's a sig. line? Can't think of one! Can you tell me what one is?

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[–] a_l_i_e_n 10 years ago

Dave's been in communication with Jay for a while, and is rumoured to be working on Jay to do "The Late Show" before his run ends in May. Therefore, the feud is over. Never shoulda started either because the only real back stabbing was done by NBC when they put knives in the backs of both these guys.

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[–] !!!deleted!!! (5862285) 10 years ago

Sorry, but Dave is insane to let his guard down again with Jay. Jay has shown his true colors twice. If it walks like a duck....

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[–] a_l_i_e_n 10 years ago

Sorry, but Dave is insane to let his guard down again with Jay.

Dave's career as late night host is pretty much over, and in Jay's case it Is over. He's gonna talk about cars now on CNN and Dave's going to hang out more with his son. What harm could come of these two guys being friends again?

Jay has shown his true colors twice. If it walks like a duck....

Well, NBC offered "TTS" to Jay if he'd turn down CBS (the job that Dave presently fills), but when the time came they broke their agreement and tried to give "TTS" to Dave instead. The second time, Conan said yes to a deal that effectively showed Jay and his staff the door, and when that time came NBC hedged again and begged Jay to stay. He may walk and quack, but I am still waiting for someone to tell me what that duck actually did to anybody.

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[–] topher208 10 years ago

Johnny Carson wanted Dave to take over for him when he retired, but Jay and his then-management worked the system to go over Johnny's head to NBC to get the job the first time around. Dave's job at CBS didn't happen for a couple of years after Jay took over The Tonight Show.

With Conan, NBC offered Jay a job at 10pm doing almost the exact same show he was doing at 11:30 and didn't think it might hurt Conan and the Tonight Show. Think of what would have happened if Johnny had done a 10 o'clock show in front of Jay when he was starting out. Jay wouldn't have had a chance, and neither did Conan. Instead of bowing out gracefully when NBC wanted to give him 11:30-midnight then Conan's Tonight Show, a move that goes against the tradition of that show which Conan objected to, Jay decided to take the show back.

Yes, NBC is not blameless, but Jay has his share, too. Aside from his track record, he always seemed a nice enough fellow, but his Tonight Show was too bland for me.

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[–] a_l_i_e_n 10 years ago

Johnny Carson wanted Dave to take over for him when he retired, but Jay and his then-management worked the system to go over Johnny's head to NBC to get the job the first time around.

Johnny did prefer Dave, but he had no more say in who would replace him than the original host of "The Tonight Show", Steve Allen, did in choosing his replacement (Jack Parr). And Jay basically got the show because NBC feared losing him to CBS after they made overtures to him about doing a show of his own over there. That's pretty much how Conan got "The Tonight Show", too; NBC was afraid they were going to lose him and his younger audience to another network and guaranteed him Jay's job, and what Jay wanted at the time was not really of much concern to them.

With Conan, NBC offered Jay a job at 10pm doing almost the exact same show he was doing at 11:30 and didn't think it might hurt Conan and the Tonight Show.

For sure it turned out to be a bad idea, but they didn't know that going in or else why would they have done something that actually hurt both their top late night talent?

Instead of bowing out gracefully when NBC wanted to give him 11:30-midnight then Conan's Tonight Show, a move that goes against the tradition of that show which Conan objected to, Jay decided to take the show back.

Bill Carter's excellent book "The War For Late Night" describes what happened when NBC proposed the 30 minute show to Jay: he was incredulous about the whole idea, and wondered if Conan would be okay with it. The NBC execs said they were confident Conan would go along with it. Despite that, Jay asked if they would release him from his contract. NBC refused. It's covered on page 282 of "The War For Late Night".

Yes, NBC is not blameless, but Jay has his share, too.

Sure, Jay made some mistakes during that mess, but do did Conan. For instance, Jay never would have been let go from "The Tonight Show" in the first place if Conan had accepted one of the big offers he was getting to go elsewhere (the one from FOX guaranteed him more than twice what he would be getting from NBC to do "TTS"), and nobody would've have been fired so Conan could live his dream. All the major players in that drawn out drama can take a bow for what happened.

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[–] !!!deleted!!! (5862285) 10 years ago

I know right? I was on Twitter trying to get Conan to go on there instead. He liked the post but nothing ever came of it.

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[–] cardifan 10 years ago

It's Leno's mediocrity that's offensive to me. He repeats stories, (def heard the 'Trista' one before) actually acknowledges not making eye contact with his guests, has an obsession about what people are sayig about him;making his tribute to Craig about himself is typical.

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[–] music_man_fan 10 years ago

If you actually watch the show, Craig has insinuated in his Craigyferg way many times. Dave has rarely ever talked to Craig, and not once in the last five years outside of any work capacity. Jay in the meantime has become a good friend, and somebody who was instrumental in helping Craig with his decisions to stay and ultimately leave the show. Because of their mutual battle with network bosses, and the fact that they both have Scottish mothers, they've become close.

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[–] Westwindnotnorth 10 years ago

The point of having Leno is that he is not Dave.

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[–] jjstauffer-1 10 years ago

I thought the point was that Leno has lots of experience doing final episodes of talk shows. 

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[–] FortiethStreetBlack 10 years ago

Ouch! True, but Ouch!

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[–] katherine5832 10 years ago

While I wouldn't have expected Letterman to be the final guest, I would have enjoyed him much more than Leno. It was great for Craig that he had his buddy on, but for me as a viewer and someone who's not a Leno fan, the show just wasn't as enjoyable as it could have been. I thought that part of the show fell flat. The rest of the show was fantastic though.

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