Jay Leno is signing off from The Tonight Show Thursday — for good this time, he swears — and he said he’s had “all kinds of offers” for his next TV job. He says he has nothing planned yet, but as I note at NBCNews.com:
But a notorious workaholic like Leno — who squeezed in 100 stand-up gigs last year in addition to his regular ‘”Tonight Show” hosting duties — won’t simply be putting his feet up in retirement.
I suggest seven different networks that might be a good fit for him — and why.
It’s time for TCA winter press tour. I’m in Pasadena, Calif. for the next two weeks, where I’ll be covering press tour for Quartz and banking stories for other outlets as well. First up is my very first TCA story for Quartz, on CNN Worldwide President Jeff Zucker’s plan to right the ship at his flagging news network. One item very high on his agenda: Shoring up primetime.
Admitting that CNN makes a smaller profit in primetime than MSNBC and Fox News, Zucker said, “Do we want to do better between 8 and 11? Yes!” One possible target for a primetime shakeup: Piers Morgan Live. Zucker said he could ultimately see Piers “maybe in a different role, I don’t know. I don’t want to presuppose anything.” But whatever happens, he insisted, “Piers will continue to be part of CNN.”
Whatever he does, things at CNN are probably going to get worse before they get better.