Jay Leno returned to his old stomping grounds Tuesday night when he filled in for Jimmy Fallon briefly on the Tonight Show . Fallon started off the monologue for the night, but a sudden, yet fake, hamstring pull led to the need for someone else to tag in and take over the segment. Fans were thrilled when Leno stepped up and shared a few jokes of his own.
The Jimmy Fallon gag injury paved the way for Jay Leno’s second appearance back on the Tonight Show since he left the show in February, 2014. Jay departed the show after hosting for about two decades. He did make one previous guest appearance on the show since Fallon took over, stopping by on November 8, 2014, as well.
What prompted the latest Tonight Show appearance by Jay? Leno has a new show, titled Jay Leno’s Garage, set to debut Wednesday night on CNBC, and it looks like Jay is doing the media rounds to generate some buzz.
As Variety details, Jay Leno’s Tonight Show return was unannounced , so the visit was a big surprise for those in the audience. Though word spread ahead of the show airing Tuesday night on NBC, Leno fans were excited to tune in and check it out in full.
Jay tackled a wide range of topics in his partial monologue. Political jokes were rampant, but Leno got some Kardashian digs in, as well. Bernie Sanders, President Barack Obama, Martin O’Malley, and Marco Rubio got mentions, as did Jeb Bush. Naturally, Leno had to throw in a big of banter about GOP frontrunner Donald Trump as well.
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Fallon came back out to join Leno for the last 30 seconds or so of the monologue, and the audience clearly loved having the two on stage together, even if it was just for a brief moment. Fallon has been doing quite well in his revitalized version of the Tonight Show , but of course, Leno will always be remembered for his time hosting the show.
What’s the scoop on Leno’s new show? Fans know that Jay has always been passionate about cars, and it looks like Jay Leno’s Garage gives him an opportunity to head back to television with a focus on his passion. The Los Angeles Times details that the show will air weekly on CNBC, and it is an extension of the comedian’s YouTube show with the same title.
Jay Leno’s Garage is filmed in the comedian’s California garage, where viewers can get some glimpses into his extensive collection of cars and motorcycles. The YouTube series consists of hundreds of videos, and more than 1.4 million people subscribe to the channel. Jay shares reviews on cars and cycles and fans seemingly hang on his every word.
Will Leno’s YouTube success translate to ratings success with the CNBC show? Considering that his YouTube videos have generated nearly 175 million views since the channel was started, it is easy to see why NBC had an interest in bringing the former Tonight Show host back to television with the new version of the show.
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Leno also appeared on the Today Show Wednesday morning with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb, seemingly having a blast there, as well. A stop by Morning Joe on MSNBC was squeezed in Wednesday morning, too, and fans can surely catch him doing plenty of other media throughout the day on the various NBC outlets leading up to the premiere of Jay Leno’s Garage Wednesday night.
The Tonight Show fans are definitely buzzing about Jay Leno’s appearance with Jimmy Fallon, and it sounds as if many are excited to tune in to Jay Leno’s Garage to see how his new effort goes. The comedian still does many stand-up shows, as well, and fans are glad that his retirement from the talk show hasn’t meant he’s felt the need to slow down at all.
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