The internet talk for quite some time has been that Jay Leno will be moving out of “The Tonight Show” slot, while Jimmy Fallon will be moving in. The reports that Leno will be replaced by Fallon reportedly do contain truth. However, according to a TMZ report dated Thursday, March 21, Leno will not be released until September, 2014 when his contract is up.
Multiple media outlets had been suggesting that NBC may not wait until Leno’s contract to make the changes, but those outlets have been incorrect according to TMZ.
Inside sources tell TMZ, “When Jay renegotiated his contract during the Conan O’Brien mess, he demanded and got several penalty clauses that would make NBC take an enormous financial hit if they pull the plug early.”
Though we don’t know just have massive that financial hit would be, it is evidently too much to risk.
On Thursday, March 21, Leno made fun of his own situation on “The Tonight Show.”
“Are you all excited about March Madness?” Leno asked the audience. “Are you all into March Madness? People are talking about who’s in, who’s out, who’s gonna be eliminated. And that’s just here at NBC. I’ve never been in the paper this much. It’s fantastic.”
Leno hasn’t been afraid to mess with NBC on multiple occasions recently. On Monday he called the network executives “snakes.”
Though Leno’s time with the “Tonight Show” is drawing nearer to an end, he still remains #1 in the late night rankings. It is believed that Fallon will attract a younger audience.
Changes look to be forthcoming…..but not today.
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