Until 1992, when Jay Leno’s late-night talk show, ‘The Tonight Show with Jay Leno’ proved to be a big hit, we were seldom aware about the successor of Johnny Carson. Jay Leno is now world famous as the television host, stand-up comedian, and writer. The ‘Tonight show with Jay Leno’ shown in NBC has gained a worldly attraction and so many channels in the same format later imitated it.
Until then, he was an actor who did the few films including ‘American Hot Wax (1978). He had done the commercial of tortilla chips of Doritros. He was also appearing in some late night television shows like ‘Late Night with David Letterman’ in 1982. He also served as the permanent guest host for Johnny Carson, on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson’ (1962). The sweet person who was outstanding with his ‘observational’ comedy conquered the seat of Carson in 1992, by over powering the skills of David Letterman. His show overwhelmed Letterman’s for the Emmy (1995) and this victory shined his publicity.
Jay Leno was successful in creating a unique late night style, well presented with the aspects of excellent humor, talk and entertainment. This made the show, considered always as a variety show as it always features nightly monologues and the celebrity guests. It also contained the ongoing six comedy segments like ‘Headlines’, ‘Ask Jay Anything’, ‘Stuff We Found on eBay’, ‘Battle of Jay walking All-Stars’, ‘Jay Walking’ etc. All these segments always increases and maintains the show’s popularity. Through them, he presented a humorous view about the today’s pop culture.
‘The Tonight Show’ was able to achieve Emmy Awards of the years 1995, ’96, ’97, and ’99. The TV Guide readers also selected it as the ‘Favorite Late Night Show’ in the years 1999 and 2000.
Leno’s exclusive interview conducted with the Senator John Glenn; the astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery; the pay-per-view wrestling match between Leno and Hulk Hogan; “The Tonight Show Unplugged” in response to California’s power crisis; a sum of $360,200 raised for The Twin Towers Fund in 2001; all these programs highlighted the show’s achievements. The program sustained its victory, while it became the first television series, which transmitted nightly in HDTV. “The Tonight Show” celebrated the 50th Anniversary in 2004, paying honors to all of its former hosts- Steve Allen, Jack Paar and Johnny Carson.
Jay Leno, also considered as a “seasoned” Monopoly player always liked to play with the real money and “race car” is his most favorite time pass. A few of his fellow comedians include Roseanne, Brad Garrett, Dennis Miller, Drew Carey and Scot ‘Carrot Top’ Thompson.
Now he has started a tradition for the Thanksgiving Day shows. He is the first late night show host who has started working with a show on Thanksgiving Day.
It was another new credit to his features when the new President of the United States, Barack Obama made his first TV talk show appearance in Leno’s Tonight Show, telecasted on 19 March 2009.
