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The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is the full name of the present incarnation of NBC's The Tonight Show as hosted by Jay Leno, debuting on May 25, 1992. The show takes over from The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, after the retirement of Johnny Carson on May 22, 1992. Under Leno, the show has won four Emmy Awards and another forty-one nominations. The show is taped in Burbank, California, near Los Angeles. The series is considered part of the same line of Tonight Shows dating back to the early 1950s but, like Carson's and Jack Parr's versions in past years, is simultaneously considered its own entity.

On April 26, 1999, the show began broadcasting in 1080i HDTV, becoming the first American nightly talk show to be shot in high definition. The show is shot in 16:9 aspect ratio with a 4:3 center-cut for standard definition television sets.

On September 27, 2004, the 50th anniversary of the show's premiere, NBC announced that Jay Leno will be succeeded by Conan O'Brien in 2009. Leno explained that he did not want to see a repeat of the hard feelings and controversy that occurred when he was given the show over David Letterman following Carson's retirement.[1][2]

The show is often referred to simply as "Jay Leno", due to the continued association of "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson.

The Tonight Show is NBC's long-running late-night talk and variety show, currently hosted by Jay Leno in Burbank, California, USA. The hour-long show premiered September 27, 1954 as a 105-minute broadcast originating from New York City and hosted by Steve Allen. The show features at least two guests each night, usually including a comedian or musical guest. Leno has announced that he will step down as host in 2009, and has named current Late Night host Conan O'Brien as his successor.[1]

Now in its 52nd season (though its roots date back to a local New York program called Broadway Open House in the early 1950s), The Tonight Show is the second longest-running entertainment program in U.S. television history (after the soap opera Guiding Light).

While NBC executive Pat Weaver is credited as the Tonight Show creator (he created its morning companion, Today), Allen had already created much of the structure of Tonight with his local New York late-night show, which premiered in 1953 on what is now WNBC-TV.

Each incarnation of The Tonight Show, as outlined below, is generally considered its own entity, with pop culture references frequently referring to the show by its host name more often than as The Tonight Show. The longest-serving host to date was American comedian Johnny Carson who held sway over a 30-year run as the host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson during which time the series was often also referred to as The Johnny Carson Show or, simply, Carson. The current host, Jay Leno, has been in place since 1992 and similarly his version of the show is often referred to simply as Leno. The series has also featured many guest hosts over the years, particularly during Carson's reign during his vacations and when he no longer hosted the series five nights a week.

The Tonight Show became the first American television show to broadcast with MTS stereo sound in 1984. On April 26, 1999, the show started broadcasting in 1080i HDTV, becoming the first American nightly talk show to be shot in HD. The show is shot in 16:9 aspect ratio with a 4:3 center-cut for standard definition TV viewers.

A kinescope exists of the very first broadcast of The Tonight Show (then called simply, Tonight); Steve Allen welcomed viewers with the warning, "This show is going to last forever", referring to the running time. He has yet to be proven wrong.


Johnny Carson retired on May 22, 1992, and was replaced by current host Jay Leno amid mild controversy. David Letterman not only wanted to move into that earlier timeslot from his late night spot after The Tonight Show, but was considered by Carson and others as the natural successor. In the years following Carson's retirement until his death in 2005, he never appeared as a guest on Leno's Tonight Show. Letterman, having had his heart set on the earlier time slot, eventually left NBC and joined CBS. The Late Show with David Letterman, airing in the same slot, has been going head to head against Leno's Tonight ever since. Conan O'Brien slid into the late night time slot vacated by Letterman, and has himself enjoyed success.

On September 27, 2004, the 50th anniversary of the show's premiere, NBC announced that Jay Leno will be succeeded by O'Brien in 2009. Leno explained that he did not want to see a repeat of the hard feelings and controversy that occurred following Carson's retirement when he was given the show instead of Letterman.

Carson died on January 23, 2005. Leno, now the last living host of The Tonight Show, paid tribute to Carson soon after.

Music for the series is provided by The Tonight Show Band, led since 1995 by Kevin Eubanks, who replaced Leno's original musical director, Branford Marsalis. In 2004, the long-time announcer Edd Hall was replaced by John Melendez, who started out on The Howard Stern Show.

Skitch Henderson was the band leader during the Steve Allen and early Carson years, followed briefly by Milton DeLugg (who later went on to become the musical director of The Gong Show). Gene Rayburn served as Allen's announcer and sidekick and also guest-hosted some episodes. Jose Melis led the band for Jack Paar, and Hugh Downs was his announcer. For most of Johnny Carson's run on the show, the Tonight Show's band, then called "The NBC Orchestra" was led by Doc Severinsen, former trumpet soloist in Henderson's band for Steve Allen.

Severinsen was the substitute announcer when McMahon was absent. When Severinsen himself was absent or filling in for McMahon, Tommy Newsom would lead the band. On the rare occasions that both McMahon and Severinsen were away, Newsom would take the anouncer's chair and the band would be led by assistant musical director Shelly Cohen.

Severinsen's band featured several accomplished sidemen, including trumpeter Snooky Young, pianist Ross Tompkins, and drummer Ed Shaughnessy. The band frequently appeared on camera in the "Stump the Band" segments, where an audience member would challenge the band to play some obscure song title, and the band would comically improvise something appropriate. The routine was played for full comedy value and the band wasn't really expected to know the songs, but on two occasions the band did answer correctly, much to the maestro's surprise. Severinsen was heard to ask incredulously, "You mean we actually...!"

 


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