Jay Leno, Late Night Talk Show | featured news

“The Tonight Show” will begin a new era in February when Jimmy Fallon succeeds Jay Leno as host of the most storied and successful program in late-night television. NBC plans to announce on Wednesday its plan to install Mr. Fallon as the show’s sixth host at the conclusion of the network’s coverage of the 2014 Winter Olympics from Sochi, Russia. NBC also is to confirm reports that it plans to shake up the axes of the television industry by moving the show from its longtime home in Los Angeles to its birthplace, New York.

NBC, once the king of primetime, morning infotainment, and late-night television, is now an also ran in primetime, and is struggling behind ABC’s “Good Morning America” in the morning.

There's speculation that NBC may be looking to replace Jay Leno with the younger-skewing Jimmy Fallon; Could it be time to turn the lights out on Jay?

Reporters who cover politics and media had their undies in a bunch Wednesday over a study conducted by the Center for Media and Public Affairs announcing, “late night TV talk show comedians have told more jokes about Mitt Romney than about all Democrats combined since the party nominating conventions.”

President Obama got back at Donald Trump by mocking him -- and himself -- over citizenship claims. "This all dates back to when we were growing up together in Kenya," Obama joked to The Tonight Show's Jay Leno on Wednesday. "We had constant run-ins on the soccer field." Obama added to laughter. "He wasn't very good and resented it. ... When we finally moved to America, I thought it would be over."

"The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," NBC's flagship late night program, has laid off 20 staffers, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Deadline reports that Leno himself took a "tremendous" pay cut as well. Details of the departments that will be affected by the downsizing are currently unknown, nor is it known why the layoffs took place.

When President Barack Obama made his second visit to Jay Leno’s NBC late night talker “Tonight Show,” he clearly knew who was his audience — the first rule of any good late night talk show appearance. Leno: “Have you been watching the GOP debates?” “I’m going to wait until everybody is voted off the island before — ” Obama began.

Republican presidential contender Michele Bachmann, whose gaffes have made her a favorite punching bag for Jay Leno and other late-night comedians, paid Leno a visit Friday. In her first appearance on "The Tonight Show," Bachmann tried to show her lighter side — even making a joke about Christian anti-gay therapy, but Leno challenged her on gay rights, the HPV vaccine, her opposition to raising the federal debt ceiling and other conservative positions.

Letterman has a big week; Stewart has a bigger month; and Leno still has the biggest season.

While probably a longshot, there's a possibility that the TV Academy this summer could end up nominating NBC's "The Tonight Show" twice in the outstanding variety, music or comedy series category.