Jay Leno got all Andy Kaufman at a press conference yesterday, showing up in a bald cap and a pasted-on goatee as a fake reporter. He asked when the host will say his final monologue on the Tonight Show and be replaced by Conan O'Brien. Co-chairman Marc Graboff then announced that Mr. Leno's last night would be on May 29, 2009. Mr. O'Brien will take over starting June 1.

But what will Mr. Leno do afer the Tonight Show? The New York Times as more:  read more »

As we told you earlier in the week, on Tuesday, Brooklyn's most beloved indie band, the Hold Steady, released its new album, Stay Positive. And tonight, the band is the musical guest on the Late Show With David Letterman. Pitchfork reports that the Hold Steady will also star on in a taped segment on tonight's show: "Apparently, Letterman's crew followed the Hold Steady on the road for a few days earlier this year, and captured what it's like to be in 'America's Rock Band'. The segment is about five minutes long, and it will air tonight before Letterman's Top 10 List."  read more »

It's official! On May 12, NBC will finally officially announce that Saturday Night Live's Jimmy Fallon will take over next year for Conan O'Brien, who will dethrone Jay Leno on the Tonight Show gig. "Jimmy's a smart pick," one network executive told Entertainment Weekly. ''He's a young, cute guy that will draw women in.'' Um, we don't think women are all that into a giggly dude who lives in a kind of perpetual post-college adolescence, but maybe that's just us. And what about Jay?  read more »

Following Hillary Clinton's joke about (and over-explaining of) the Bosnia debacle on Jay Leno last night, she talked about how early it is in the campaign season.  read more »

On the night of Jan. 7, NBC’s Jay Leno interviewed Republican candidate for president Ron Paul on the Tonight Show. During the course of the interview, Mr. Leno noted that Mr. Paul had recently been “screwed over” by FOX News execs, who had decided not to invite Mr. Paul to participate in the Republican Forum the night before.  read more »

Mayor Bloomberg welcomed Late Show host David Letterman back to the air after his two-month hiatus by presenting a key to the city to Mr. Letterman's latest fashion choice—the strike beard. Both Mr. Letterman and Conan O’Brien let out their inner mountainman as a sign of solidarity with the writers. While Jay Leno gets shunned by the Writers Guild of America for coming back on air with his own written monologues, Mr. Letterman is back—with his writers—after reaching a deal with the WGA to let them work. Mr. Bloomberg wanted to honor Mr. Letterman's efforts.  read more »

Jay Leno delivered his second monologue last night, one that he wrote himself. He could lose his guild membership or face a fine from the Writers Guild of America if he keeps writing his own late-night punchlines. The WGA lambasted Mr. Leno yesterday for delivering his monologue, saying it violated guild rules during the strike. NBC, which airs the Tonight Show, quickly fired back, arguing that "the WGA agreement permits Jay Leno to write his own monologue for `The Tonight Show,'" according to an NBC statement.  read more »

"You know what I'm doing? I'm doing what I did the day I started," said Jay Leno last night on his first return on air since the Writers Guild of America strike started. "I write jokes and wake my wife up in the middle of the night and say, 'Honey, is this funny?' So if this monologue doesn't work it's my wife's fault...We are not using outside guys. We are following the guild thing... We can write for ourselves..."  read more »

As the media ponders the improv talents of late-night talk show hosts returning on Jan. 3 without writers, the Jay Leno show booked their first guest since the Writers Guild of America started their strike on Nov. 5. Republican candidate Mike Huckabee has signed on to sit opposite Mr. Leno, according to the Hollywood Reporter.  read more »

The late-night talk show hosts are returning. But the stars are not yet ready to come out for them if it means crossing the writers' picket line. Celebrities don't want to be the first to accept a booking on a show and face the wrath of the writers alone.

The New York Times reports:  read more »