JOHNNY CARSON - LENO GOES OUT WITH A BANG

LENO GOES OUT WITH A BANG

Jay Leno's farewell telecast Friday night delivered the Tonight show's highest Friday-night ratings since Leno took over the show from Johnny Carson in 1992, according to Nielsen Research. It was also the best numbers for the show since a tribute to Carson aired on Tonight in 2005. The telecast averaged an 8.8 rating and a 20 share, doubling Leno's average for the quarter. Reporting on the ratings, the New York Times commented "The numbers may not approach the more than 40 million viewers who watched Johnny Carson's last night on Tonight but that was in 1992, and unlike Mr. Carson, Mr. Leno is not retiring." The show also lifted Friday's Late Show With Jimmy Fallon , which posted a 3.8 rating and a 12 share. At one point during his monologue Leno proudly remarked that when he took over the show 17 years ago, it was the top-rated late-night show on television and that it remains No. 1 as he turns it over to Conan O'Brien (who takes over tonight). "Which means I get my security deposit back," Leno joked. Referring to his upcoming variety show, which will air nightly at 10 00 p.m. on low-rated NBC beginning in September, Leno remarked, "I'm going to a secluded location where no one can find me NBC's primetime." He also said that he realizes that his new show represents a gamble. "I'm betting NBC will be around in three months," he quipped.

01/06/2009