Jay Leno retirement has become a trending topic on major news engines this week after Zap2It reported this Saturday, March 2, that sources recently reported that a Jay Leno retirement announcement may be arriving in the near future, and that NBC is set to reveal this May 2013 that this TV season will be the last one for “The Tonight Show” host. What’s more, those insiders add that the funny Jimmy Fallon may replace Leno as the new host in summer of 2014.
The Hollywood Reporter recently received a denial of reports from NBC about the Jay Leno retirement rumors, yet it did hear from an alleged “high-level industry source” that Leno may be leaving his job soon as “The Tonight Show” host for Jimmy Fallon sometime next year. This news remains unconfirmed, but it is not that far-fetched of an idea.
Just as Jimmy Kimmel had a recent shift and found popularity among younger TV viewers, so too might Jimmy Fallon as a “Tonight Show” host bring in a younger crowd that won’t lose its audiences when a new host does come in to replace Jay Leno eventually retiring, added the report.
"The more time Jimmy Kimmel is in that slot, the more the young audience goes that way, the harder it is for Jimmy [Fallon] to keep that audience," noted the insider. Another "network veteran" adds, "Kimmel has done extremely well. Jay wins overall, but on any given night, it's neck-and-neck in 18-49. I understand where they might have fear and also feel that they own the solution [in Fallon.]"
Do you think NBC would be smart to have Jimmy Fallon take over for the alleged upcoming Jay Leno retirement?
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