talkshowpocalypse

Jay Leno’s Secret Weapon: A Racetrack

Yesterday at the Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena, California, Jay Leno revealed exciting new details about the format of his upcoming prime-time show. Among them: His opening-credits sequence will last only ten seconds, giving viewers not much time to change the channel or run screaming from the room before his monologue; musical performances will sometimes feature multiple artists performing simultaneously; and hilarious comedian (and Nightly News anchor) Brian Williams will have his own recurring segment. Best of all, though, is NBC’s bid for automaker advertising — they’re building Leno a racetrack outside of his new studio on which celebrity guests will race against each other in alternate fuel cars (“You can see who is faster, Shaquille O’Neal or Cameron Diaz,” boasted an excited Leno). And it could totally work, provided advertisers don’t expect a refund when the first beloved star perishes in a fiery explosion.

Later, taking questions from journalists, Leno laughed at the outrageous suggestion that he and Conan might hate each other, then implied that he and Conan probably hate each other:

“There was never any tension between Conan and I. Will we fight like cats and dogs to get the guest? Yes … but that doesn’t mean you don’t like each other. It’s a game. You tease and trash talk, that’s the fun part.”


So anyway, with Leno forcing celebrities behind the wheel of dangerous speeding vehicles, and his mortal enemy Conan blasting their wax likenesses out of cannons, as long as Letterman can promise his guests he will not murder them (literally or in effigy), we don’t think CBS has too much to worry about here.

’Jay Leno Show’ format revealed [Live Feed/HR]

Jay Leno’s Secret Weapon: A Racetrack