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Jay Leno farewells Tonight Show

Video: “It really is time to go and hand it off to the next guy," says an emotional Jay Leno, after 22 years of The Tonight Show.

2014-02-08_2130Jay Leno fought back tears as he said goodbye to The Tonight Show after 22 years on NBC.

Lemo, who took over after Johnny Carson, will next be succeeded by Jimmy Fallon.

During his final show, Billy Crystal led a musical farewell with guests Oprah Winfrey, Carol Burnett, Khloe Kardasian, Sheryl Crow, Jim Parsons, Chris Paul and Jack Black.

Leno fought back tears as he thanked his audience and crew. “The first year of the show, I lost my mom. The second year, I lost my dad,” he said. “Then my brother died and after that I was pretty much out of family… and the folks here became my family.”

“It really is time to go and hand it off to the next guy,” he said, before evoking the farewell words of his predecessor. “I bid you all a heartfelt goodbye.”

The show also drew bumper ratings with 14.6 million viewers, his biggest audience in more than 15 years.

Steve Carell, Miley Cyrus, Martha Stewart and Matt Damon were among the celebrities who contributed taped goodbyes. Country singer Garth Brooks was the musical guest for the send-off.

The Comedy Channel screens The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, relocated to New York, from February 18.

Source: LA Times

9 Responses

  1. Conan was doing well with The Tonight Show, Leno was doing a lead-in show to Conan that tanked in the ratings. The only reason they wanted to move Leno back was because of his show tanking and his big contract. Originally Conan was to keep The Tonight Show name but on at a later time. However Conan declined because it would (in his words) become The Tomorrow Show, plus not keep to the traditional time of the show and push Fallon back even later than he was.

    Conan stood firm, Leno’s contract got in the way and the execs feared that Leno would go elsewhere if they paid him out. So paying Conan out became the option and Leno got his old time-slot back and the Tonight Show name.

    This go around, Fallon will have a more secure time, no Leno show as lead-in, while also the show has been moved back to New York from LA. Leno is an LA person and why it was moved there when he took it, if…

  2. What a legend Jay Leno is, Jimmy Fallon has a lot to live up to, but given time Fallon I think will succeed.

    Great to have the Comedy Channel bringing back The Tonight Show.

  3. Jay won’t be back. His giant contract for his 10pm show saved him last time. This time Jay doesn’t have a contract and Jimmy won’t have a tonight show leading into his tonight show.

  4. these shows late show with david letterman and jay leno conan o brian (hope I pronounced his name right) their jokes are very weak by Australian standards

  5. Does everyone forget what happened last time, Fallon’s ratings will be worse and Jay will be waiting to ‘help out’ again. Everyone thought that Conan would have done well too.

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