Jay Leno exited stage left yesterday after taping his final episode of the Tonight Show. Jay took time to thank those who helped make the show possible Monica Lewinsky, Michael Jackson, and Bill Clinton and to reflect on his 17 year reign as host.
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“When we started this show,” Leno told a cheering crowd in the standing-room-only studio in Burbank, “my hair was black and the president was white. When we started the show, Jon and Kate were both eight.”
A funny best of Jaywalking segment, a teary James Taylor performance and Jay’s successor Conan O’ Brien was his final guest as host of the show. Conan was funny as usual and Jay was nothing but supportive but don’t shed a tear for Jay because he gets a prime spot at 10 pm this fall doing the same type of show. The show ended with a touching appearance by all the kids who were born to the staff in the last 17 years from the Tonight Show, 68 children in total.
I grew up watching Jay Leno but I pretty much abandoned him for the hipper and funnier (in my opinion) Conan O’Brien show. I’m only hoping that Conan is not feeling too much pressure from all the petitions to keep Jay as the host and all the yammering about Jay being funnier because it’s all a matter of age and taste.
Bring back Triumph the Insult Comic Dog and keep the roster of amazing musical guests because Conan, everything will be fine.