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Welcome to Monday Morning Executive!

The idea for this blog came about when the Jay Leno/ Conan O’Brien fiasco was raging.

I saw the answer, where NBC couldn’t. It’s something that happens to me fairly regularly. So I thought I should start putting my genius out there for the world to read.

Background on me, since hopefully this will spread past the initial readers who already know me. I work in TV. I am not an executive at any network or production company. I don’t get a lot of inside information. And if I do, I’m pretty sure there’s a clause in my deal memo keeping me from talking about it. (Of course this doesn’t apply to things I hear through industry friends, which happens on occasion.) So this blog will not be an insider info source. It’s more of a common sense view of how to run the networks/shows/industry right.

This brings me to the rant that brought me to this… What NBC should have done about Leno, so that they wouldn’t lose so many millions of dollars for no reason.

First off, they shouldn’t have given him a lame variety show at 10pm. People don’t want to watch variety at 10pm. If you’re going to do a Variety show, it belongs at 8pm. It should be family entertainment (ala Carol Burnett, or the Muppet Show; kid friendly, adult funny).

Second, whether they did that or not, they shouldn’t have pushed him back to 11:30. They shouldn’t have thought that Conan would go softly into the night. The most intelligent thing Conan said during the entire fiasco was “The Tonight Show at 12:05 isn’t the Tonight Show. It’s the Morning Show.” (Paraphrased)

“Well,” you say, “what did you want them to do? They had to give Conan the Tonight Show in the first place, but they still had Leno on Contract, too. He’s too big a name to let go. He would have ended up at Fox just like Conan is going to be now” Ahh, yes, valid point. But the trick is NBC had another ace in the hole.

NBC had been developing BBC’s hit program “Top Gear” for the American Market. It’s a huge hit in Britain, and it’s piped into the states via BBC America, there’s even an Australian version, which rumor has it isn’t as good as the original. (I highly recommend finding it on BBCA, even if you’re not into cars. It’s brilliantly produced enthralling television.)

The American version was to be hosted by Adam Corolla and two others (it’s a three host show.) NBC decided not to take the show to series after the economic crash nearly killed the US car industry. They figured that most of the advertising would be car makers, and car makers who are on the verge of going bankrupt won’t spend on advertising. (This is retarded. I don’t see “House” being sponsored solely by Viagra commercials.)

Oh, one other thing. “Top Gear” is Jay Leno’s favorite show on television (for good reason).

So you’ve got a star, who has no show, (a star with an airplane hanger or two full of cars.) You also have a show, about cars, in need of funny hosts.

All comedians talk about how much respect they used to have for Leno’s humor. How that’s dead since he’s been phoning it into the Tonight Show for 17 years. What a chance for him to get that street cred. back? While pulling all those millions who follow him blindly to a show you want to succeed!

Oh, but instead they bastardize the show. And ruin one of its staples for a gag on his variety show. (“Top Gear” has a segment called “Star in our reasonably priced car” Leno presented a “Green Car Challenge” to his guests.)

So, in short, my solution to the Leno/Conan fiasco? Conan to Tonight Show. Leno to “Top Gear”, but solely as a host. Leave the producing to people who don’t need to make everything into a joke, even when it’s supposed to be funny. Follow the formula of the BBC version. You’ll have a hit. Put “Top Gear” on in an 8pm time slot any night of the week. Happy Jay, happy Conan, happy affiliates!

More to come, next time something stupid happens at a Network near you.

Until I'm Canceled,

Monday Morning Executive