We can’t help but wonder whether Jay Leno is actually being forced out of NBC’s Tonight Show . For the fourth night in a row, he has mocked the network and finally addressed the rumors that his spot will be filled by Jimmy Fallon .
The current rumor is that the Tonight Show will move to New York before the fall of 2014 and that Jimmy Fallon will replace Leno as host. We’ve all seen before that Leno is not exactly the type to give up his prime time spot without a fight, even when he gives it up without a fight (Team CoCo!).
Last night, Leno mocked NBC for the fourth time in a row this week .
“Are you all excited about March Madness? Are you all into March Madness?” he asked, referencing the NCAA college basketball tournament.
“People are talking about who’s in, who’s out, who’s gonna be eliminated,” he said, before setting the network in his crosshairs. “And that’s just here at NBC. I have never been in the paper this much. It’s fantastic.”
Leno’s exit is still months away, but we can’t help but wonder A) why he’s making a nightly mockery of NBC, and B) how long they’ll tolerate it.
As far as Fallon goes, not everyone is thrilled about the rumors that he’ll headline the Tonight Show next year. Conservative radio host Mark Levin went on a tirade against T onight , NBC, and Fallon recently, primarily due to … a proposed tax credit that would encourage the late night show to make the jump from California to New York. And Levin hates taxes !
“Now, this guy Fallon, he’s supposed to have a younger following. This guy Fallon, to me, is like a guy on Tourette’s. He’s just hyper as hell… I can’t watch it. Hee hee hee hee, he’s sort of a male Nancy Pelosi.”
Yikes! If there’s any good news, Mr. Levin, it’s that Fallon will only hold Tonight for a few months before Leno decides to un-retire and strong-arm his way back onto the program.