Jay Leno is known for his prolific career in late-night television. However, as viewers have seen a recent shift in the world of late-night, Leno recently weighed in on the situation. In particular, he shared what he felt ultimately was bringing about the end of the medium.
Jay Leno Hosted The Tonight Show Before Moving On To His Namesake Show
Leno, who started his career as a stand-up comedian, rose to fame in 1992 after he was chosen to host NBC’s The Tonight Show, taking over for Johnny Carson. He left the show in 2009, with Conan O’Brien taking over, with Leno going on to host The Jay Leno Show.
In 2015, Leno became the host of the automobile-focused Jay Leno’s Garage. Starting in 2023, the televised version of the series was cancelled, leading to a move to YouTube.
Recently, viewers have seen a shift in the world of late-night television. For many, this was highlighted by the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, which ended this past May.
During a recent conversation with Deadline, Leno noted that late-night media had a new king. However, this wasn’t someone who was currently on television.
Leno Felt That, When It Came To Outlets, Simple Availability Helps Make The Difference
As Leno shared, “I mean, podcasts really are the new talk shows. Joe Rogan is the new Johnny Carson. Yeah, Joe talks to everybody about everything.”
Leno felt that there were a few reasons for this shift. Online venues often faced less censorship. As he shared, “There’s no FCC to step in and say what you say and can’t say, so you really do get an unfiltered idea of what everybody thinks. So yeah, I mean, to me, that’s what’s also changed late-night.”
Leno also noted that YouTube was more popular with newer generations. As he continued, “I talk to young people — they don’t know CBS, NBC or ABC, Channel Four; they know Channel 682 or whatever. They just go to YouTube.”
However, Leno is no stranger to the outlet, moving his focus to YouTube with his Garage show. Earlier this month, he made headlines after showcasing a drive with former U.S. President Joe Biden.
Ultimately, Leno felt that there was one special reason the internet had become more popular than television: people can watch it at their own convenience. He even compared watching a show at its scheduled time to keeping an appointment.
As Leno noted, “You can watch TV whenever you want now, you can watch whatever show whatever you want, you know, so that’s what’s really ruined it. There’s no immediacy… Now you can look it up anytime, and whenever you watch it, if you miss it, that’s OK, you know? So yeah, that’s what’s really changed.”
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John Witiw has been a writer since at least 2015. He’s covered a variety of topics, especially when it comes to film and television.
