Leno hammering Letterman in ratings...

Cydkar

Well-Known Member
Apr 12, 2006
26,537
12,027
113
Where is Kilborn? He just disappeared after Old School.
 

CloneIce

Well-Known Member
Apr 11, 2006
36,575
19,419
113
I think you're being a bit unreasonable, who doesn't think that those same sarah palin jokes are funny 2 years later?
:jimlad:

Letterman has been telling the exact same jokes about New York cabbies and weather for 20+ years! And they were never very funny in the first place.
 

statsaholic

Well-Known Member
May 17, 2006
473
288
63
Sloan, Iowa
My opinion of course, but Craig Ferguson is by far the cream of the crop. He is sharp, witty, and very gifted. Dances on several edges of issues very adroitly.

I am surprised no one has mentioned him before in this thread.
 

alarson

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Mar 15, 2006
54,100
62,261
113
Ankeny
Apart from the first couple and last couple of weeks, Conan was pretty much a ratings disaster at 10:35 PM. If he comes back at the 10:35 PM timeslot, he had best come back with something significantly different than what he had previously.

Conan also had Leno's disastrous ratings at the 9pm slot that has a big effect on the lead-in audience for his show. What are the ratings like now at the 9pm slot with some new shows? In addition, leno was cannibalizing the audience for that format, and taking away some of the best guests that conan could have gotten.
 

alaskaguy

Well-Known Member
Apr 11, 2006
10,203
220
63
Agree here. I don't get it. Leno is NOT funny. Same crap, and boring to watch. Who is watching this ****?

Coco needs to be back in the fall with FOX.... (I am hoping.)
You may not consider Leno funny and may prefer Coco.

Do you really think that a network should cater to your taste and ignore all the surveys and data that show that far more people watch Leno than Coco?
 

CloneIce

Well-Known Member
Apr 11, 2006
36,575
19,419
113
Apart from the first couple and last couple of weeks, Conan was pretty much a ratings disaster at 10:35 PM. If he comes back at the 10:35 PM timeslot, he had best come back with something significantly different than what he had previously.

Ratings do not equal good or bad TV though. If they do, then crappy reality shows and formulaic procedurals are apparently better than the many great dramas that have been on Cable in recent years. Apparently Conan's comedy was too intelligent for the Jay Leno crowd. Heck NBC basically said that Leno's brand of comedy is more apt for regular people and Conan's comedy apparently went over the heads of the Leno crowd.

The only time Leno is remotely funny is when he is reading headlines that his viewers send in. Of course Letterman's isn't what it used to be either. I suppose thats why most people (at least that I know) watch Colbert in that timeslot if they watch late night comedy shows.
 

CloneIce

Well-Known Member
Apr 11, 2006
36,575
19,419
113
You may not consider Leno funny and may prefer Coco.

Do you really think that a network should cater to your taste and ignore all the surveys and data that show that far more people watch Leno than Coco?

Nope... there is just no accounting for (Bad) taste.
 

alarson

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Mar 15, 2006
54,100
62,261
113
Ankeny
You may not consider Leno funny and may prefer Coco.

Do you really think that a network should cater to your taste and ignore all the surveys and data that show that far more people watch Leno than Coco?

skewed by the fact that conan was never given a chance to succeed since leno undercut him at the 9pm slot, both in ratings leadin, audience splitting, and in taking away guests.
 

jbhtexas

Well-Known Member
Oct 20, 2006
14,128
4,083
113
Arlington, TX
Agree here. I don't get it. Leno is NOT funny. Same crap, and boring to watch. Who is watching this ****?

Apparently Leno is funny and interesting to quite a few people...at least funny enough to watch over Letterman. You just don't happen to be one of them.

After being beat down for most of the day by work and whatever else, many people (myself included) are just looking for some light humor before they turn in. That's what Leno provides. It's not deeply intellectual humor, it's not biting sarcasm, it's not overly vitriolic, it's not crude, it's not overly political one way or the other and thus will generally not anger you by taking stands on an issues. Do you really want to be angered before you go to bed by some guy bashing something or someone you like? Leno is generally pleasant with the guests and the interviews don't make one cringe if the guest isn't a great interview.

It appears that this is what many who are watching in that timeslot are looking for.
 
Last edited:

RyCy04

Well-Known Member
Sep 26, 2007
2,694
636
113
Omaha, NE
Ratings are not always a result of content. I consider Arrested Development the best television show ever made. It was pulled after 3 years (pretty much 2 1/2) for poor ratings.
 

cyclonenum1

Well-Known Member
Nov 30, 2006
7,191
330
83
skewed by the fact that conan was never given a chance to succeed since leno undercut him at the 9pm slot, both in ratings leadin, audience splitting, and in taking away guests.

Jeesh...this sounds like a GM thread...Conan failed and it was all somebody else's fault.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tornado man

jdoggivjc

Well-Known Member
Sep 27, 2006
59,500
21,014
113
Macomb, MI
If SNL would shorten to just an hour I think it would do wonders for tightening up the show and eliminating a lot of unfunny segments. There are still a couple good moments most weeks I've bothered to watch.

Or they could bring in new writers and replace the half of the cast that just isn't funny...

Actually, you do bring up a very good point. An hour long SNL that focused around the opening political skit (which is almost always funny), the opening monologue, Weekend Update, the musical guest (and they really need to do a better job of booking those - sadly, from what I can remember I'm ashamed to admit the only musical guest I can even remember from this season is Lady Gaga, which tells you just how bad it's been), and a few regular recurring skits, and it would be a much better show. But more than anything else it badly needs a new cast, because it's just been pathetic since Will Ferell and company moved on...
 

RayShimley

Well-Known Member
Sep 9, 2008
6,281
314
83
40
White Bear Lake, MN
Or they could bring in new writers and replace the half of the cast that just isn't funny...

Actually, you do bring up a very good point. An hour long SNL that focused around the opening political skit (which is almost always funny), the opening monologue, Weekend Update, the musical guest (and they really need to do a better job of booking those - sadly, from what I can remember I'm ashamed to admit the only musical guest I can even remember from this season is Lady Gaga, which tells you just how bad it's been), and a few regular recurring skits, and it would be a much better show. But more than anything else it badly needs a new cast, because it's just been pathetic since Will Ferell and company moved on...


I also agree with this. Cut it to the "current events" cold open. Host monologue (this will always be good or bad depending on the host's talents). Skit. Fake advertisement. Skit. SNL Digital Short. Weekend Update. Skit. Musical Guest. Short ending skit (Like the Rahm Emmanuel one a couple months ago).

They should keep Samberg for his brilliant Digital Short work, I could really care less about any of the other cast members.
 

wartknight

Well-Known Member
Mar 24, 2006
6,736
175
63
This season of SNL hasn't been that great, but last year's SNL was one of the best, most complete seasons that they've had in years. Absolutely Hilarious. Great guests that mixed well with the cast and I think that made a huge difference.
Right now, besides weekend update, about the only thing I always find funny is the guys doing sports on ESPN classic that know nothing about them.
I did some basketball play-by-play and wanted to end every advertising oneliner with "SUMMER"S EVE"........."Deuche."
 

linkshero

Active Member
May 22, 2008
918
64
28
Ames
Ratings are not always a result of content. I consider Arrested Development the best television show ever made. It was pulled after 3 years (pretty much 2 1/2) for poor ratings.

So that is why Alf didn't make it, but Greatest American Hero did?

and why Caddyshack II never won a single Oscar? No wait, that was just really, really bad.

I would have believed all of this if the thread title was just, "Leno hammering Letterman". Outside of that, those two can't be getting much action anymore.......
 

cyclonenum1

Well-Known Member
Nov 30, 2006
7,191
330
83
Apparently Leno is funny and interesting to quite a few people...at least funny enough to watch over Letterman. You just don't happen to be one of them.

After being beat down for most of the day by work and whatever else, many people (myself included) are just looking for some light humor before they turn in. That's what Leno provides. It's not deeply intellectual humor, it's not biting sarcasm, it's not overly vitriolic, it's not crude, it's not overly political one way or the other and thus will generally not anger you by taking stands on an issues. Do you really want to be angered before you go to bed by some guy bashing something or someone you like? Leno is generally pleasant with the guests and the interviews don't make one cringe if the guest isn't a great interview.

It appears that this is what many who are watching in that timeslot are looking for.

Great post...I agree totally.
 

mcblogerson

Well-Known Member
Jan 19, 2009
2,236
852
113
Ohio
Where is Kilborn? He just disappeared after Old School.

He was in some movie with the Napolean Dynamite guy a couple years ago, outside of that I'm not sure.
Thinking back in his career I'd say he was my favorite host of the Daily Show, best anchor on Sportscenter, and funniest late night talk show. He should come back to the talk show biz so I can see interesting interviews and actual comedy again.
 

Angie

Tugboats and arson.
Staff member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Mar 27, 2006
28,197
12,907
113
IA
I think you're being a bit unreasonable, who doesn't think that those same sarah palin jokes are funny 2 years later?


:jimlad:

Probably the same people who still like the "hope and change" jokes 2 years later. :wink:

In all seriousness, let's just make sure to keep this thread away from politics. Thanks.
 

Bipolarcy

Well-Known Member
Oct 27, 2008
2,982
1,783
113
At least according to the Hollywood Insider Mike Evans radio blurb I heard this morning on the drive to work. Since Leno went back to 10:35 PM, there have been 23 shows, and Leno has won 21 of 23. Also, Leno is supposedly winning in all demographic areas. I didn't catch the numbers exactly, but I thought Evans said that last week, Leno was in the lower 4's, and Letterman was in the lower 3's.

I tried to find some ratings links, but pretty much all entertainment sights are blocked here at work. The blog on Evans sight (On The Road With Mike Evans) lags the radio blurb by one day, so his commentary should be available tomorrow.

Leno sux