The Hollywood Reporter says NBC is set to announce Jimmy Fallon will replace Jay Leno on the "Tonight" show next summer.
The reasons? Fallon can draw the younger crowd that advertisers want. The network hears Jimmy Kimmel's footsteps, and Leno makes a ton of money. He's too expensive to keep around.
Hey, all Leno did is keep "Tonight" in first place for the better part of 20 years, and he made a boatload of cash for the network. I'm not a fan, but he deserves better treatment.
Granted, I'm not in the target demographic, but I never warmed to Fallon. Even after several years on the job, he still seems uncomfortable to me. I do think he's capable of producing a product mainstream American can live with at 11:35 pm, unlike Conan O'Brien.
The New York City tabloids are reporting NBC is considering throwing Matt Lauer overboard as "Today" ratings continue to slide. "Today" is now in third place, in younger viewers, in New York-- and "Good Morning America" has been on a huge roll nationally.
While I don't like Lauer's smarmy act, I don't think he's the problem, even though his fingerprints are all over the Ann Curry firing. ABC is better at doing pop culture, and George Stephanopolous gives "Good Morning America" the hard news grounding it needs.
NBC has to go back to its morning roots, especially in the first half hour, and put some news back in "Today." Copying ABC isn't working.
