Editing Jay Leno (section)

===Succession by Conan O'Brien; ''The Jay Leno Show''===
{{Main|The Jay Leno Show}}
Because Leno's show continued to lead all late-night programming in the [[Nielsen ratings]], the pending expiration of his contract led to speculation about whether he would become a late-night host for another network when his commitment to NBC expired.<ref>{{cite news|first=Frazier |last=Moore |title=NBC's Jay Leno-Conan O'Brien swap prompts rumors |url=https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/2.828/nbc-s-jay-leno-conan-o-brien-swap-prompts-rumors-1.881678 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216165209/http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/fanfare/nbc-s-jay-leno-conan-o-brien-swap-prompts-rumors-1.881678 |archive-date=December 16, 2013 |agency=Associated Press |work=Newsday |date=May 14, 2008 |access-date=February 19, 2022 }}</ref> He left ''The Tonight Show'' on Friday, May 29, 2009,<ref>{{cite news|first=Bill|last=Carter|title=Date Is Set for Leno's 'Tonight' Finale|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/arts/television/22late.html|work=The New York Times|date=July 22, 2008|access-date=February 19, 2022|archive-date=February 20, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220220011342/https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/arts/television/22late.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/30/arts/television/30leno.html|title=Jay Leno Takes Final Bow on 'Tonight Show'|date=May 30, 2009|work=The New York Times|access-date=May 30, 2009|first=Bill|last=Carter|archive-date=February 1, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201175915/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/30/arts/television/30leno.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and Conan O'Brien took over on June 1, 2009.

On December 8, 2008, it was reported that Leno would remain on NBC and move to a new hour-long show at 10 p.m. Eastern Time (9 p.m. Central Time) five nights a week.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/09/business/media/09leno.html | title=Where Is Leno Going? To Prime Time, on NBC | work=The New York Times | first=Bill | last=Carter | date=December 9, 2008 | access-date=May 6, 2010 | archive-date=December 9, 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081209062515/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/09/business/media/09leno.html | url-status=live }}</ref> It would follow a similar format to ''The Tonight Show'', be recorded in the same studio, and retain many of Leno's most popular segments, while O'Brien continued to host ''The'' ''Tonight Show''.<ref name=CNNLeno>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/TV/07/21/tv.nbc.tonight.ap/index.html|title=Leno's last 'Tonight' announced|access-date=July 21, 2008|agency=Associated Press|date=July 21, 2008|work=CNN|quote=Leno's last show was Friday, May 29, and O'Brien started the following Monday, June 1, NBC executives told a Television Critics Association meeting Monday. |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080724101827/http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/TV/07/21/tv.nbc.tonight.ap/index.html |archive-date = July 24, 2008}}</ref>

Leno's new show, ''The Jay Leno Show'', debuted on September 14, 2009. It was announced at the [[Television Critics Association]] summer press tour that it would feature one or two celebrities, occasional musical guests, and keep the popular "Headlines" segments, which would be near the end of the show. First guests included [[Jerry Seinfeld]], [[Oprah Winfrey]] (via satellite), and a short sit-down with [[Kanye West]] discussing his controversy at the [[2009 MTV Video Music Awards]], which had occurred the night before.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvshark.com/read/?art=arc3888|title=Pop Minute - Jay Leno Reveals What To Expect From His New Primetime Show|work=tvshark.com|access-date=August 8, 2009|archive-date=August 8, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090808051532/http://www.tvshark.com/read/?art=arc3888|url-status=live}}</ref>