A funny thing happened at the beginning of the ABC executive session this morning. After ABC Entertainment president Steve McPherson got on stage, said some opening remarks, and opened the floor to questions, someone got up and identified himself as Tom Weinerman of the Sarasota Star-Herald Tribune. That was a bit unusual, as the reporters here never identify themselves before asking questions.
But then, people started recognizing the voice, or turned in the direction of the questioner, and realized what was going on: It was Jimmy Kimmel, and he had some pointed – and funny – questions for McPherson about the possibility of Jay Leno coming to ABC.“Are there any rumors that ABC is courting Leno and how would that work?” was the opener. He also asked “Would Ted Koppel get fired?” When everyone realized who it was, a big laugh came up from the crowd. McPherson gave a pat – scripted? – answer. Kimmel then said “Is it McPherson or McPhorson?”
He went on to ask if talking to Leno at this point would be considered tampering, and if there were legal ramifications to that. Finally, he asked “How do you keep your hair so nice?” and if they hired Leno, is he afraid that Kimmel might “do something crazy to you or your car?”
Even the most cynical critic had to appreciate the effort. After the session, McPherson told a huge scrum of reporters that, after Leno joked about joining ABC on The Tonight Show Monday night, he asked Kimmel to come to TCAs and do this bit to defuse a little of the controversy. As for Leno, all McPherson would say was that “I can’t believe (NBC is) lettng him go at the top of his game.”
As for Kimmel, he was both on vacation and he’s dealing with a bad breakup, so this favor to McPherson shows how loyal his is to ABC. I just wonder how loyal he’ll be when he’s shuffled to 12:30 in favor of Leno…
More on McPherson’s session later today.
http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/07/16/jimmy-kimmel-asks-abc-president-about-leno-tca-report/
Taking a cue from ABC, NBC had Jay Leno pose as a reporter and ask NBC’s two-headed entertainment chief, Ben Silverman and Marc Graboff, about when Leno would be leaving and when Conan would be starting. Only, instead of just wearing a baseball cap like Kimmel did, Leno donned a bald cap and beard to make him seem extra stealthy.
Some of the “funny” lines are after the jump, but here’s the gist of the news: Leno’s last day on the Tonight show will be on May 29, with Conan O’Brien taking over the following Monday, June 1. Conan will do his last Late Night sometime during the first quarter, according to Graboff and Silverman, and Jimmy Fallon will take over the timeslot at an undetermined time during either March or April (that’s after starting online, as Lorne Michaels announced yesterday). No word on what will play in Conan’s 12:30 slot in the interim period.OK, now for the “funny” stuff:
“Will Jay Leno be paid for the rest of the year?” Answer: “Sure, sure.”
“Brett Farve said he was retiring and then changed his mind. What do you think of that?”
Silverman: “Everyone’s entitled to change their mind but it puts management in a possible situation.”
Leno: “Do you think it’s cheesy coming in in disguise? Is it cheesy stooping to that level?”
More Leno: “Do you think he’s more popular as a mechanic than a game show host?” “Is it true you offered Leno the fifth hour of Today? That would be a crappy idea.” “You brought back Knight Rider. Any chance Manimal will be coming back?”
It’s always tougher to be second. Also, it’s tough to make things more complicated than they need to be. But Jay and NBC did both. I guess that means Jay’s still an NBC guy for the moment. But you never know.
More on the executive session later today.
http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/07/21/leno-pulls-a-kimmel-at-nbc-exec-panel-also-late-night-timeframe/