Brian Laesch .com

By now, you’ve heard the rumors about Jay Leno reclaiming “The Tonight Show,” moving back to the 11:35 p.m. timeslot, moving to Fox, or whatever other rumors are out there. (I may start a rumor that Jay Leno refuses to comply with his current contract unless NBC brings in James Cameron to shoot the show in 3D.) One thing seems certain: the status of Jay Leno’s new show seems completely uncertain. (THR: ‘Jay Leno Show’ future uncertain. See?)

But does Jay Leno own NBC? It’s all speculation at this point, but with all of the stories out there in the trades, the mainstream media, and the Twitter stream, it seems that the comedian/mechanic has the upper hand in all of this. NBC says they are committed to keeping Conan O’Brien…but they seem more interested in keeping Jay Leno and their affiliates happy, at any cost. I understand the concern over appeasing the affiliates who do not like Jay Leno leading into their local news. But shouldn’t they be just as worried about losing Conan? Sure, Conan’s ratings have come nowhere close to Leno’s on The Tonight Show…but isn’t Conan’s younger audience better for the future of The Tonight Show franchise? Or maybe NBC is ahead of it’s time. Maybe Conan should be the host of the Tonight Show in 10 years, when more of his long-time fans are more frequently settled down at home. Or maybe NBC should just move The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien to NYC and the magic will return.

Whatever happens, it seems as though Jay Leno will get his way, and go riding off into the sunset in some sort of antique car that he will only drive once.

Let’s face it, for whatever the reason, Jay Leno owns NBC. His monologue last night confirms it (via THR):

“What does NBC stand for — never believe your contract?” He also suggested he might switch networks. “If we did get canceled, it will give us time to do some traveling,” he said. “I understand that Fox is beautiful this time of year.”

Brian Laesch forms these opinions on very little “inside knowledge” and mostly the same information available to the general public…but in a cool way.