Jay Leno reportedly vows to stop Jimmy Fallon from taking over The Tonight Show. By any means necessary.
Jay Leno took down David Letterman in 1992 when Johnny Carson retired. He defeated Conan O’Brien three years ago and now… he has his sights set on Jimmy Fallong.
NBC confirmed Wednesday it’s creating a new studio for Fallon in New York, so that he can succeed Jay Leno in 2014, when Leno’s contract is up.
Leno learned of the move and just laughed it off. “I’m not going down without a major battle. I’m sixty-two, but I can still take down a thirty-eight year old,” Leno reportedly said.
NBC is worried. They’re failed effort to replace Leno with Conan O’Brien, which ended in 2010 with Leno regaining “Tonight” and NBC losing O’Brien — who got a $45 million exit deal – is looming over their heads.
Leno’s current “Tonight” contract expires in September of 2014. And he reportedly plans on staying until the last minute.
“By the time September, 2014 rolls around, the thought of Jimmy Fallon replacing me will be a distant memory. NBC spent millions creating a new studio in LA for Conan O’Brien and now they’re wasting money on a studio for Fallon,” Leno reportedly said.
“I am the King of The Tonight Show and I will be until the day I die!!” Leno reportedly screamed to reporters. He then laughed loud and long.
ThAlthough late-night hosts are known for making fun of their network bosses on-air, the timing of Leno’s latest jabs at NBC seemed to make the network particularly uncomfortable. They reportedly asked him to stop; he hasn’t.
Leno is very serious about the War on Fallon and told his audience last night, that he intends to win the war – easily.
“Late Night” producer Lorne Michaels (“Saturday Night Live”) said a transition to Fallon had “an inevitability to it,” adding that he was the closest to Carson that I’ve seen of this generation.” Michaels told WWN that he was confident that Fallon and his team will defeat Leno.
“Leno is going down,” a source on Fallon’s show said. “He’s going down hard.”
