Jay Leno Ends His "Tonight Show" Run

Jay Leno ended 17 years of humorous and good-natured hosting on "The Tonight Show" Friday night. On his last show, he didn't pull any last-minute celebrity "surprises" to end his run, either. He had on his successor, Conan O'Brien, and had as his last musical guest the incomparable James Taylor. Jay Leno's 3,7775th episode of "The Tonight Show" was much like all the ones that preceded it -- funny and entertaining.

Refusing to begin his monologue before everyone sat down, he had to endure an intense and long standing ovation, possibly the longest of his career. But once the audience was seated, it was business as usual.

Jay Leno poked fun at his time on "The Tonight Show." He began by telling the crowd he wanted "to thank all the people that made it possible - Michael Jackson, Monica Lewinsky, Bill Clinton ..." He said that when he'd started, taking over from the late Johnny Carson, his hair had been black and the president had been white. He spoke about cleaning out his desk and finding O. J.'s (Simpson) knife. It had been in there the whole time," he quipped. And he even joked about his next endeavor: He said people were asking "what are you gonna do after your last show? Are you going on vacation?" I will be going to a secluded spot where no one can find me. NBC prime time."

The last show highlighted memorable sketches and pieces culled from "The Tonight Show" archives. But he saved his best for last, showing one of the "Jaywalking" sketches. These segments consist of Jay Leno walking the streets of L. A. and asking questions that most people should know without too much thinking involved but invariably result in some amazingly funny -- and horribly incorrect -- answers. The best of the last? When asked what the "D.C." suffix at the end of "Washington, D. C." stood for, one woman replied, "Da Capital."

James Taylor sang "Sweet Baby Jane." Jay said he had requested Taylor sing his hit because it always reminded him of being homesick when he first moved to Los Angeles from his native Massachusetts.

But Jay Leno did do something on his last show that has possibly never been done before. And he saved it for last. Announcing it as "the greatest thing we've ever done," he paraded out a group of 68 children. He explained that the 68 were the product of parents who had met while working on "The Tonight Show" during his tenure.

Still, Leno won't be gone for long. He'll be back soon to take over the 10 p.m. slot on NBC. And not just on one night, either. Every weeknight.

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Source:

"The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," NBC Television