Although I’m not a big Jay Leno fan, I think NBC’s decision to give him a nightly prime time show as a way of keeping him in the fold is a stroke of genius. Leno had originally agreed to give up the “Tonight Show” to Conan O’Brien when the transition was announced several years ago, but as the date approached and his ratings remained strong, he got cold feet. NBC, however, would reportedly have to pay Conan a huge penalty if it didn’t give him the job. (That’s the same type of arrangement Leno’s late manager Helen Kushnick secretly negotiated for him back when Johnny Carson was approaching retirement, essentially guaranteeing Leno the “Tonight Show” job before Carson or David Letterman realized what had happened.)

Rumors had been flying that Jay might jump to Fox, ABC or even syndication once his contract was up. This prompted NBC to want to do something to keep him out of play. The prime-time tactic had actually been discussed as a consolation prize for Letterman back in the early 90s, when he was upset about Leno getting the “Tonight Show” job which he (and Johnny) assumed was rightfully his. But scripted prime time dramas hadn’t fallen as far in 1992 as they have today. They’re expensive, and risky; some succeed, some don’t. Leno is a known quantity who will, I suspect, do well even in a new time slot. And a talk show is much, much cheaper to produce than a scripted drama, even assuming that Leno will be well-paid for his efforts.