Media Scribbler

(NBC Photo: Chris Haston)

NBC’s panel at the Television Critics Association press tour opened up with a “surprise” that really wasn’t that surprising — in a “stunt that fell a bit flat”, Jay Leno impersonated Jimmy Kimmel impersonating a journalist last week at ABC’s panel. Confused enough? Leno, wearing a bald cap, was “rendered…unrecognizable” to the Los Angeles Times’ “Show Tracker” (and yeah, he pretty much is), and didn’t offer questions as jokes. Even NBC Entertainment co-president Marc Graboff didn’t recognize him in the green room before the event.

But Leno did show that he’s willing to be a good sport and suck up any hostility he might feel towards his employers as his run on “The Tonight Show” draws to a close.

“He wanted to make it clear that he was a part of the process,” Graboff said.

Speaking of which, NBC execs announced the dates of Leno’s last “Tonight Show” and Conan O’Brien’s debut behind the desk. Leno, whose NBC contract runs out in December of 2009, will make his farewells on May 29 of next year. O’Brien will be assuming the slot on June 1.

Jimmy Fallon, who is slated to take O’Brien’s place at “Late Night”, will be debuting in a Web-only format “for five to six months” before going on-air, according to SNL and “Late Night” exec-producer Lorne Michaels. Which could be an attempt to prevent some of the stumbling O’Brien encountered after he took Dave Letterman’s place, or it could be another instance of networks’ integration of the Web with programming. Or could it be because of a “tepidly reviewed performance” at the Just For Laughs festival in Canada? Those who know ain’t telling.

As for what Leno will be doing after he leaves “The Tonight Show”, NBC Universal Entertainment co-president Jonathan Silverman said that nothing has been decided yet, and admitted the process would’ve been faster if that spot were still open on late-night.

“The point that we want you guys to take away from Jay being here is that we have a great relationship with Jay Leno,” Silverman said. “Whether this is not the best decision today in the press’ minds is one thing. But we just want to be clear: Jay Leno is a partner of ours. We’ve had an unbelievable business with Jay and are continuing to work with Jay and we’re looking for a way that he could remain part of the family.”

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