It’s no secret that there’s been some considerable erosion of NBC’s late-night lineup ever since Conan O’Brien took over the reins of the Tonight Show back on June 1. Needless to say, Napoleonic NBC honcho Jeff Zucker and his impeccably eyebrowed sidekick Ben Silverman are running out of fingernails to chew as they white-knuckle their way through the next seven weeks of a Jay Leno–less lineup. So, in an attempt to keep Leno top-of-mind, NBC has just launched a brand-spanking-new website with the tagline “Primetime had it coming†for the Jay Leno Show. On it, users can do mind-numbingly boring things like watch the construction of their new airplane-hangar-size set live via webcam or peruse Leno’s storied collection of classic cars. However, the thing that caught our eye was the “Latest From Jay†section of the site, where the Chin corrals whoever just so happens to be standing around the set — random band members, hapless interns, and even construction workers — and subjects them to 90 seconds of monologue jokes he reads off note cards. We can only assume the Teamsters will aim to add a “No monologue†clause to their contracts next time they go back to the negotiating table.
“The Jay Leno Show†Website Warns, “Primetime Had it Coming†[Sling]