Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Leno takes late-night entertainment into prime time.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
What's the Story?
Airing at 10 p.m. nightly instead of the usual 11:30 p.m. or later, THE JAY LENO SHOW brings traditional late-night talk/comedy television to prime time. In each episode, the former Tonight Show host offers up an array of jokes, spoofs, and comedy sketches while hosting celebrity guests from all walks of life. Musical performances and comedy routines round out the entertainment. Also along for the ride is the Tonight Show's former house band leader, Kevin Eubanks.
Is It Any Good?
While the show's content is on the milder (and classier) side of things for series of its kind, there's otherwise very little that sets it apart from Leno's former hosting gig besides its earlier timeslot. Leno's monologue and some of the show's standard gags are remarkably similar to those featured during his tenure on the Tonight Show. And Eubanks' presence, while enjoyable, adds to the sense of familiarity.
Overall, the show isn't very edgy -- but some of the sketches are funny. Still, it doesn't really offer much in the way of new entertainment. It just lets viewers watch late-night entertainment a few hours earlier.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what makes talk/comedy/variety shows stand out from each other. Do their differences come from the host's style, or are there other elements that can set a show apart from the crowd?
How are guests chosen for shows like this one? What audience do you think the producers are trying to reach?
How do talk shows impact other forms of media?
TV Details
- Premiere date : September 14, 2009
- Cast : Jay Leno , Kevin Eubanks
- Network : NBC
- Genre : Comedy
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 21, 2022
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