Late-night comics pounce on late-night mess at NBC; Kimmel does scathing Leno impression
By APWednesday, January 13, 2010
Late-night comics pounce on Leno-O’Brien mess
NEW YORK — The competitors of Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien are pouncing on the late-night mess at NBC and using it as fodder for jokes — some of them scathing.
On ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on Tuesday night, Kimmel performed his entire show as Leno, complete with a silver wig, a prosthetic chin and a lisp. He said he was “taking over all the shows in late-night” and said ABC stands for “Always Bump Conan.”
Kimmel’s performance was an usually biting dig among late-night colleagues. But he certainly wasn’t alone: David Letterman and Craig Ferguson on CBS also discussed the situation.
NBC is restoring Leno to the slot at 11:35 p.m. Eastern time for a 30-minute version of “The Jay Leno Show.” The move displaces the “Tonight” show past midnight.
O’Brien said in a statement Tuesday that he would not accept the move.
