The late-night talk show is a unique kind of television programming. It combines celebrity interviews, musical performances, and comedy about current events. Today, you can find such entertainment variety on shows like The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and Conan. If you go back about 20 years, your choices would include The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Then, of course, the really old folks will recall the days of personalities like Dean Martin, Ed Sullivan, and Johnny Carson.
My favorite of these was The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. I don't remember the first time I ever watched Leno, but I recall being captivated by his ability to poke hilarious fun at politicians and current events and deliver jokes in a quick straightforward setup-punchline manner. Later, when I watched it late at night most days of the week, I would depend on his opening monologues for comic relief to forget about the stresses of the day, especially those related to bothersome news events. Eventually, I decided I would see the comedy up close. Hence, on April 25, 2011, while on vacation in Southern California, I attended a taping of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno as a member of the audience.
Before I proceed, allow me to issue a statement.
The following narrative is intended to provide a first-person account of an event where photography was not allowed in sensitive areas. All photos on this page were taken by me from outside restricted zones, are screenshots of the program that aired on television, or other photos found online. However, if issues still arise from this presentation, please let me know and we can discuss modifications to remedy the problem.
With that, let's talk about the really cool experience I am dying to share.
The Arrival
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno was taped at NBC Studios, located at 3000 West Alameda Avenue in Burbank, California. Getting there was easy. I drove northbound on Interstate 5 and exited on Alameda Avenue itself. After heading west and identifying NBC Studios, I turned left onto Bob Hope Drive, which ran along the east side of the studio lot, and parked next to a curb at Johnny Carson Park. Because it was early, I spent some time sightseeing the area and having a quick lunch at a nearby Wienerschnitzel fast food restaurant.
Afterward, I returned to the east side of the studio. That was where the Tonight Show audience waiting area was located. It was nothing more than a break in the boundary wall with an open space clearly marked with a sign. I got there so early that I ended up waiting about an hour. During that time, I chatted with other guests waiting and briefly spoke with a studio staff lady who came to greet us. She was even kind enough to let us know who the celebrity guests for the episode were.
At last, we began moving. The process involved going through metal detectors and other security steps, then being led to the studio entrance itself. Words cannot describe how exciting this was. I was going to finally watch an episode of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno from way up close!
The first thing I noticed upon entering the studio was how cold it was. Someone once told me before that studios like this require air conditioning in order to prevent the many pieces of lighting equipment from overheating. At least I wasn't shivering. Anyway, I was then told where to sit, and my assigned spot couldn't have been better. It was located right next to one of the television cameras. Wow!
Introductions
By the time everyone got seated, it was somewhere between 3:00 and 4:00 PM. I waited a while since I was among the earlier arrivals. But it was really cool to see with my own eyes the Tonight Show stage, with Leno's desk, guest chairs, and an area for the Tonight Show band. After seeing a stationary set for quite some time, we were finally greeted by someone.
It was a guy named Bryan. At the time, he did a Tonight Show website feature called Backstage with Bryan where Tonight Show guests got to speak a little more, backstage with Bryan. It was cool to have him welcome us to the studio. He also told us that there would be a surprise for us later on. Hmmm, what could it be?
And then, the second introduction came... from Jay Leno himself! He emerged from a doorway at the stage set wearing blue jeans and a similarly colored jean shirt. He took a moment to greet us and briefly explain that the taping of a Tonight Show episode was done in one take. In other words, the cameras rolled continuously, without any breaks to do reshoots. Afterwards, he took questions from guests and even posed for photographs with them, taken by a staff photographer.
Lastly, there was a young man whose job was essentially a studio comic, keeping guests entertained and informed. Before taping, he reminded us that cameras were everywhere so that we could be on TV at any time, so we shouldn't do anything overly foolish. We would see him again later during my time in the studio.
Showtime!
Now it was time for the show. The Tonight Show band began playing music, and an "Applause" light above us blinked, signaling us to begin clapping. A few seconds later, the overhead television monitors that were initially blank showed the Tonight Show opening title. "It's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno! Featuring Rickey Minor and the Tonight Show Band!" I was excited, because this meant the cameras were finally rolling. In the opening title, the two celebrity guests, musical performance, and post-monologue comedic segment were announced, which were barely audible from where I was standing: "Tonight, Jay welcomes Christina Aguilera... Paul Reiser... the music of Alison Krauss and Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas... and Headlines!" And then the intro of the host: "And now, Jay Leno!"
That's when Leno walked onto the stage from the back and approached the center camera. That was also when nearby audience members stood up and walked up to Jay to reach out and get touched by him. A few more seconds of that during continuous applause, then everyone got seated and the band winded down its music.
With that, Leno began the show: "Thank you very much!... Welcome back, everybody!... Nice to have you all here!" Seconds later, he launched into a joke about a current event. He uttered one line as the setup, then quickly followed it with the punchline. That generated laughter, then a little applause. Another joke generated laughter and much louder applause. This was super cool, because I remember doing the same at home, laughing and then clapping, when Leno told a really funny joke about the news. After years of that, I got to do it from a spot not too far away from Leno himself: listen to joke, laugh, applause if appropriate, listen to joke, laugh, applause if appropriate, etc.
Because it's been so long since I went to this taping, I cannot recall all of the jokes Leno told. But I can never forget the excitement of finally seeing all of this up close, the sense of community when we all laughed along together, and the fact that so many people haven't bothered to do something extraordinary like this, even if it's free. I was so immersed in the joy of it all that I forgot about the need to pay extra attention to how I might look on camera in case one was directed at me.
First Commercial Break
Eventually, Leno ended his monologue segment and announced the next segment before the Tonight Show band played its music. On the overhead television monitors, I saw various live shots of the studio, with the Tonight Show logo superimposed, before the screen went to black. Obviously, this was the commercial break.
While the music went on with the television still black, I turned to one audience member sitting next to me and asked how he was liking the show so far. His reaction mirrored mine: it's really fun. I smiled and relaxed in my seat as the music continued. Eventually, the "Applause" light started flashing again, and I along with everyone else made sure to start clapping. Seconds later, the TV monitors showed a live shot of the studio along with the Tonight Show logo. The music and applause settled down for Leno to lead the next segment.
Headlines
Besides the opening monologue, my favorite segment of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is Headlines. Usually featured on Monday night episodes, this comedy feature presents printed materials, like magazine and newspaper ads, that have funny mistakes or other goofy things that a good editor should catch before printing. I love this segment because I cannot believe how there are so many misprints and print goofs out there. It's great that viewers have sent in a ton of funny prints for the Headlines segment over the years.
When I selected the day to watch a Tonight Show taping, I made sure to pick a Monday because that was when the Headlines segment came on. And sure enough, I was going to watch a Headlines segment live from within the studio!
It was incredible to be sitting in my seat watching a brand new Headlines segment. Just like at home, I laughed along with the audience at every Headline that Leno held up at his desk. Now, keep in mind that we mainly had to look up at the TV monitors because the close-up shots of the Headlines were the only way for us to clearly see the funny thing printed. Still, I had a great time.
Because it's been years since I was there, I cannot recall from memory every single thing Leno showed in this Headlines segment. I could only remember my two favorite Headlines from this episode because they made me laugh the hardest. At first, I was going to talk about just those two Headlines. However, it turns out that someone uploaded most of this particular Headlines segment to YouTube, so that, as I'm writing this, I could actually relive the Headlines I saw taped live nine years ago!
So instead of providing a very brief sample of the Headlines from memory, here is a list of most of the Headlines from this episode (the video doesn't seem to show the whole segment):
1. An announcement for an Easter event featuring an Easter egg drop from a helicopter (yeah, really)
2. A newspaper photo of a protest sign saying "Don't take away my birth control," held by an OLD LADY!
3. Newspaper headline "Fuel: The best way to reduce fuel consumption is not to drive"
4. Newspaper headline "Back-seat battle over safety," with photo showing vehicle with kid in driver's seat
5. Advertisement of a home for sale, listing numerous features, including "a free pizza with purchase"
6. Caption for photo of baseball pitcher: "Bob Feller prepares to let one rip" (See the photo below to understand why it's funny.)
7. Classified ad for prom dress on sale, "worn for less than one hour"
8. An ad for a car dealership that includes the tagline "Only minutes from high prices!"
9. A restaurant ad telling readers to have an "appetizer before breakfast"
10. Headline for a brief article: "Free ice cream at sewer ceremony"
11. Announcement of "Blessing the Animals" event, with "BBQ to follow the blessing of animals"
12. An ad for meats being sold, including "live sausage"
13. A newspaper story about police being called to a house for suspicion of a meth lab, with the owner then admitting the meth lab is in the garage (This is the one that made me laugh the hardest.)
14. An announcement for a self-esteem group, telling people to "please use the back door"
15. Advertisement for a dance event, for people to dance the night away... from 6:30 to 8:30 PM
16. An ad with the letter "s" missing, resulting in the line "Bring the Hores" (This is my second favorite of the Headlines in this episode.)
17. Peacock Bird Bath... "Comes with glow in the dark balls!"
18. Headline with misspelled last word: "Barberton graduates are better preparded"
19. Ad for "Rectal or Oral - Giant Thermometer"
All in all, I was satisfied with having seen a Headlines segment live. I reflected on this during the commercial break that followed.
The Two Celebrity Guests
Now it's time for the two celebrity guests of this episode.
First, pop singer Christina Aguilera came on as a guest. She emerged from the backstage area, wearing a black dress and letting her wavy blonde hair hang down. I stood and applauded with everyone else in the audience as I admired how fabulous she looked. Then everyone sat down and the interview commenced.
Let me first mention the striking thing about watching a live interview: it was somewhat hard to hear. I was sitting a bit far away from them, for one thing, and there was practically little sound amplified. They had microphones, yes, but their primary function was to record the audio for the home audience, not amplify it for the studio audience. And there may been plenty of low humming of the studio air conditioning system. Even watching the monitors overhead didn't make much of a difference. Basically, there was notable quietness for the duration of the interview.
Still, I was able to hear bits of the interview taking place. They were related to amusement parks, Christina Aguilera drag queen impersonators, and hosting The Voice, which was a new show at the time. There was a commercial break in the middle of the interview, so that Christina Aguilera had two segments dedicated to her. Overall, seeing the celebrity and host in person was an exciting once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me. I can definitely add Christina Aguilera and Jay Leno to my personal list of celebrities that I have seen in relatively close proximity.
After another commercial break, the second guest was Paul Reiser. Like with the previous segment, we all sat quietly as Reiser and Leno had their conversation. There were moments of laughter as Reiser and Leno laughed together. The main stuff that was talked about was related to high TV ratings versus low TV ratings, as well as Reiser's new book about raising a family. Overall, I liked watching these two men talk like any good friends would. It didn't even matter that I never watched Reiser's well-known sitcom Mad About You. Like I said, the experience of seeing celebrities with my own eyes is one to remember for life.
Then it was time for one more commercial break before the final segment.
The Musical Performance, Then Conclusion and Promo
The segment began with Leno doing a quick intro of the musical guests: Alison Krauss and Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas. Once he announced the musical performers, all of us in the audience stood up and turn our attention to the left side of the stage. That's where a large section of a wall was raised vertically to reveal the musicians. Then the lights were dimmed, and the music began.
The song that was played was a soft and slow tune. It was nice. I can also say that this was the only segment of the show where the audience was standing. As I glanced around, I noticed Leno also standing, about 10 feet away from the band where he was out of the camera's shot. As the performance continued, I let the whole setting sink in. It was just unbelievable that I was watching a live taping of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. I don't think anyone I knew at the time ever had this same unique experience.
Once the song ended, we all applauded. Then the lights went back on as Leno stepped in front of the camera to be near the band. Right away, he spoke a few quick words to end the segment, as well as the whole episode. Although the episode itself wrapped filming, one more thing still had to be filmed: the 10-second TV promo announcing this episode. While Jay was still standing with Alison Krauss and the band, he spoke into the camera, announcing the guests for tonight's episode. Believe it or not, that took three takes. I remember the audience laughing after Leno didn't do take two perfectly, but applauding after the third take.
Normally, this would be where the audience leaves the studio. But that didn't happen yet. Remember earlier that we we're told there would be a surprise for us? Well, that was why we weren't leaving yet.
The Surprise
Bryan came back out to reveal what the surprise was: there was going to be one more segment taped. It's a celebrity interview that would air in the next day's episode, being filmed one day early because of scheduling reasons. So instead of taping the segment the day it will air, for a different audience, it was going to be taped one day earlier, for us who had just seen Christina Aguilera, Paul Reiser, Alison Krauss, Union Station, and Jerry Douglas. And Bryan revealed that celebrity guest...
LINDSAY LOHAN!
So THAT'S why we weren't leaving yet. Needless to say, I had no complaints at all. Soon, the studio comic came out. He explained to us that, for the bonus taping that will soon occur, we had to pretend that it's the next day, April 26, 2011, when the Lindsay Lohan segment will air. Otherwise, we could keep being the lively audience we were. Then the comic killed some time with some humor. At one point, he even got an audience member to be part of his little show.
At last, the taping was ready to start. I knew this because Jay Leno reemerged, wearing a different suit from the one he wore earlier. Right away, I knew that when the rest of the next day's episode was actually taped the next day, he'd be wearing the same suit.
Bonus Celebrity Interview
As before, the Tonight Show band played its music and we applauded in response to the Applause light. Then the overhead monitor came on to indicate the camera was rolling. After that, Leno introduced the celebrity guest, and we stood and applauded as the guest emerged.
Now, before this moment, I recalled some instances of Lindsay Lohan's behavior that many would not approve. But once the camera started rolling, I put those thoughts aside. And once Lohan stepped out from backstage, I totally put aside my grievances about her. She came out in a black one-piece outfit that I actually thought she looked beautiful in. Suddenly, I was wondering if she was on her way to fully cleaning up her public image.
The interview launched into a film project that she recently completed, and the conversation continued with the film business and then about Lohan's efforts to learn from her mistakes, particularly with first-hand experience of being in the justice system. What I liked was how the interview presented her in a positive light. In fact, I found myself hopeful that she would move up and be successful.
I also recall a moment during the interview when Leno commented that he just had Paul Reiser on yesterday. I smiled because that was technically a lie. Leno had Reiser on within the hour before. But hey, if Lohan had a scheduling conflict that prevented her from taping the interview segment the next day, I wasn't complaining at all. (Then again, I don't remember if this moment was aired.)
So anyway, once the segment was done, it was time to wrap up. Lohan left. And eventually, Leno thanked everyone in the audience before disappearing backstage. After that, the exit doors opened, on the side opposite from the one we entered, making me squint a little because the afternoon sun was still bright.
Leaving the Studio
Just as I was close to stepping off the studio grounds, there was a small table where gifts were sold. I decided that, since this was a very unique experience in my life, I should get a souvenir. I ended up buying two: a coffee mug with the NBC logo and a coffee mug with the logo for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
Once I got back to my car, I called two people on my cell phone. First, I called my mother. She asked how the show was, and I said it was so much fun. Then I called a friend to tell her about it, and I also suggested that she watch The Tonight Show that evening because that was the episode I saw taped. After that, I drove away from Johnny Carson Park and left Burbank to return to my hotel.
Later That Night...
Needless to say, I didn't go to bed early that night. I had the television in my hotel room tuned in to channel 4, broadcasting the local news from KNBC, the local NBC television station in Los Angeles. Eventually, the clock said 11:35 PM, and the local news was wrapping up, mentioning The Tonight Show coming up next and the guests for the episode. Then The Tonight Show started, exactly as I saw and heard on the overhead studio monitors.
I watched the whole episode to appreciate the same experience from earlier but from the perspective of a TV viewer. It was so much fun doing that. I kept smiling as I recalled how I got to see this before this initial airing. The only additional observation I had was that one or two jokes from the monologue segment were cut. Understandable, if time was limited.
Then I watched The Tonight Show the following night, just to watch the Lindsay Lohan segment. The camera showed the audience just as Lohan and Leno were getting seated, but there was no way for the home viewer to know that the audience for that segment was not the same as with the other segments of the episode. It's neat how they could pull off such an illusion of continuity.
Leading Up to the End
Looking back, I feel fortunate to have seen Jay Leno live, because his era eventually came to an end. Leno would do his work in late-night TV for almost three more years, as NBC had decided that Leno would host his final show on February 6, 2014. Leading up to that day, I remember Leno making monologue jokes that referenced his last day. If a joke fell flat, he amusingly would use the excuse that he only had so-and-so amount of time left, so it didn't matter. I also recall Leno making jokes related to NBC's low ratings for its shows that were not major hits. Those jokes were still funny, though.
In the last week of Leno's Tonight Show run, I made sure to watch the final Headlines segment the Monday of that week. This was where he showcased his favorite goofy Headlines over the years. I especially remember one of an ad that depicts firefighters spraying water onto a house on fire and the kids in the burning house are at the front window of the house looking out as if they're unaware of the disaster going on. Leno's huge laugh was priceless.
The last part of the final Headlines segment was the best part. Over the years, one type of Headline often featured was the public wedding announcement with the last names of the bride and groom that sound funny when put together. Here, Leno not only presented the funniest wedding couple names ever featured as Headlines, but he also invited those couples to walk into the studio as he read their surnames. The names for the last couple were Leno's favorite wedding Headline, so that couple who walked into the studio got the best honor that night.
After that, Leno concluded by saying that there were no more Headlines, so don't send any more. It was so hard to say goodbye to this, but like many things in life, it was time to move on.
Series Finale
Four nights later, I made sure to watch Leno's final episode. There are really only two things about it I want to comment on: the opening segment and the final segment. The opening segment was just like any other, except for one thing: the long standing ovation that the audience gave Leno right before he launched into his monologue. The final segment was no doubt very emotional. Sitting at his desk, Leno shared his last words to the audience in the studio and at home, thanking everyone for a great 22 years.
In fact, here's the speech he gave:
Boy, this is the hard part. I want to thank you, the audience. (pause) You folks have been just... incredibly loyal. (pause) This is tricky. (Small laugh) Ah... we wouldn't be on the air without you people.
Secondly, this has been... the greatest 22 years of my life. (Audience applause)
I am... the luckiest guy in the world. I got to meet presidents, astronauts, movie stars. It's just been incredible. I got to work with lighting people who made me look better than I really am. (Audience laughter) I got to work with audio people who made me sound better than I really do. And I got to work with producers, writers... (Tears up during pause) And just all kinds of talented people who make me look a lot smarter than I really am.
I'll tell you something. (Pause) First year of this show, I lost my mom. (Pause) Second year, I lost my dad. (Pause) Then my brother died. (Pause) And uh... after that, I was pretty much out of family. And the folks here became my family. Consequently, when they went through rough times, I tried to be there for them. (Pause) The last time we left this show, you might remember, we had the 64 children that were born among all our staffers that married, that was a great moment. (Pause) And when people say to me, "Hey, why don't you go to ABC? Why don't you go to Fox? Why don't you go...?" (Pause) I didn't know anybody over there. (Pause) These are the only people I've ever known.
I'm also proud to say this is a union show. And I've never worked... (Audience applause) I have never worked with a more professional group of people in my life. They get paid good money, and they do a good job. When the guys and women on this show would show me the new car they bought or the house up the street here in Burbank that one of the guys got, I felt I played a bigger role in their success as they played in mine, and that was just a great feeling.
And I'm really excited for Jimmy Fallon. You know what's fun? To kinda be the old guy, and sit back here and see where the next generation takes this great institution, and it really is. It's been a great institution for 60 years. I am so glad I got to be a part of it. But it really is time to go, hand it off to the next guy. It really is.
And in closing, I want to quote Johnny Carson, who was the greatest guy to ever do this job. And he said, "I bid you all a heartfelt goodnight."
After that, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno presented its final musical performance by Garth Brooks. Once that ended, Leno quickly thanked everyone and urged everyone to watch Jimmy Fallon, the next host of the Tonight Show. All in all, a wonderful send-off from a legendary late-night talk show host.
Where Are They Now?
These days, you may still hear about Leno as he spends time with his hobby of restoring classic cars. He hasn't left entertainment entirely, though. You can catch him as a supporting character on the TV sitcom Last Man Standing. So if you love Leno, you'll be happy to know he hasn't entirely gone into hiding.
Honestly, I have not watched a single episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, which is taped in New York like the show used to. A friend of mine, who also loved Leno, did try watching Jimmy Fallon and didn't find him funny. My friend said that Fallon's humor tends to be more geared towards the younger crowd, such that humor is based less on wit and therefore less like Leno's humor.
So given that The Tonight Show is no longer taped in Burbank, what's happening with NBC Studios there? Well, one major thing has changed since. The Los Angeles affiliate of NBC moved in 2014 to their new home in a building in Universal City, a few miles away and a short distance from Universal Studios Hollywood. The studio in Burbank is still a studio, but because NBC no longer has a presence there, that studio is simply called The Burbank Studios. You can still find some TV programming produced there, like the daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives and the entertainment news program Extra.
Final Thoughts
What a trip down memory lane this has been! I thought I would end my commentary after talking about watching the taped episode on TV. But I guess I had plenty more to say after that.
Anyway, this was a great thing for me to look back upon. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it. If you've never been to a live TV show taping, whether it's a late-night talk show or any other kind of show, I hope you can get a chance to attend a taping at least once. Take my word for it. It's an experience you'll never forget. I certainly can never forget mine.
