The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

Watch The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

  • TV-14
  • 1992
  • 21 Seasons
  • 5.2  (10,658)

Through the years, "The Tonight Show," a late-night TV marathon on NBC, has been a kind of barometer of what makes Americans laugh. Leading the laugh-athon as host for many of those years is a portly, smiley, stand-up comedian named Jay Leno. Each night he faces the camera with a bemused, somewhat unbelieving look as he waves his arms and comments on the latest folly to befall the American way of life. For a stand-up comedian whose high school guidance counselor suggested he drop out of school, Leno has come a long way. Born in New Rochelle, New York, in 1950, he grew up in Andover, Massachusetts - where he ran into the guidance counselor. Instead of dropping out, he went on to Emerson College, earning a bachelor's degree in speech therapy and starting a comedy club. In the 1970s, he landed mostly minor roles in several television series, but his big break came in 1987. He began to substitute for comic Johnny Carson, the regular, wildly popular, and loved (or hated) host of "The Tonight Show." When in 1992 Carson announced his retirement after 30 years on the job, Leno shocked most TV audiences by taking over and apparently outclassing David Letterman. Rumors had spread that comic Letterman was next in line for Carson's throne. Now the question was: Who could compete with the success of Carson? For a while, it looked as though the answer was "not Leno." He remained as host untl 2009, when comic Conan O'Brien took over. Leno stayed with NBC as host of "The Jay Leno Show," which featured celebrity interviews. However, by 2010 it seemed clear that neither Leno nor O'Brien were in the right place. Ratings were down for both, so NBC made a move. O'Brien took a payout and left "The Tonight Show." Leno was back as host on March 1, 2010, amid some criticism for what was perceived as his part in O'Brien's dismissal. Since that time, "The Tonight Show" - still the late night's most-watched TV program - and Leno of the prominent jaw are back in business. For thousands of viewers who can't sleep, "Heeeeeere's Johnny" has been replaced by "Welcome back, Jay!"

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
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Seasons
Thu, Feb 6, 2014
233. Thu, Feb 6, 2014
February 6, 2014
Billy Crystal, Garth Brooks
Wed, Feb 5, 2014
232. Wed, Feb 5, 2014
February 5, 2014
Sandra Bullock, Blake Shelton, Vintage Trouble
Tue, Feb 4, 2014
231. Tue, Feb 4, 2014
February 4, 2014
Matthew McConaughey, Charles Barkley, Lyle Lovett
Mon, Feb 3, 2014
230. Mon, Feb 3, 2014
February 3, 2014
Jimmy Fallon, Betty White, Bonnie Raitt
Fri, Jan 31, 2014
229. Fri, Jan 31, 2014
January 31, 2014
Tim Allen, Animal Expert Dave Salmoni, Sara Bareilles
Thurs, Jan 30, 2014
228. Thurs, Jan 30, 2014
January 30, 2014
Miley Cyrus, Howie Mandel, Sarah McLachlan
Wed, Jan 29, 2014
227. Wed, Jan 29, 2014
January 29, 2014
Bill Maher, Whitney Cummings, Jennifer Nettles
Tue, Jan 28, 2014
226. Tue, Jan 28, 2014
January 28, 2014
Wanda Sykes, Thomas Haden Church, Dwight Yoakam
Mon, Jan 27, 2014
225. Mon, Jan 27, 2014
January 27, 2014
Dana Carvey, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, A Great Big World
Fri, Jan 24, 2014
224. Fri, Jan 24, 2014
January 24, 2014
Terry Bradshaw, Heidi Klum, Darius Rucker
Thu, Jan 23, 2014
223. Thu, Jan 23, 2014
January 23, 2014
Matt LeBlanc, Speaker John Boehner, Dorian Holley
Wed, Jan 22, 2014
222. Wed, Jan 22, 2014
January 22, 2014
Charlie Sheen, Joy Behar, Neon Trees
Tue, Jan 21, 2014
221. Tue, Jan 21, 2014
January 21, 2014
Adam Sandler, Ali Wentworth, Sheryl Crow
Mon, Jan 20, 2014
220. Mon, Jan 20, 2014
January 20, 2014
President Barack Obama, Patti LaBelle
Fri, Jan 17, 2014
219. Fri, Jan 17, 2014
January 17, 2014
Chelsea Handler, Bob Costas, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
Thu, Jan 16, 2014
218. Thu, Jan 16, 2014
January 16, 2014
Mark Harmon, Figure Skater Gracie Gold, Kristin Chenoweth
Wed, Jan 15, 2014
217. Wed, Jan 15, 2014
January 15, 2014
Vanessa Hudgens, Mark Cuban, Foreigner
Tue, Jan 14, 2014
216. Tue, Jan 14, 2014
January 14, 2014
Matt Damon, Larry the Cable Guy
Mon, Jan 13, 2014
215. Mon, Jan 13, 2014
January 13, 2014
Jennifer Lopez, Aaron Eckhart, Adam Hunter
Fri, Jan 10, 2014
214. Fri, Jan 10, 2014
January 10, 2014
Kevin Bacon, Sherri Shepherd, Mary Lambert
Thu, Jan 9, 2014
213. Thu, Jan 9, 2014
January 9, 2014
Leslie Mann, David Koechner, Vince Gill with special guest Paul Franklin
Wed, Jan 8, 2014
212. Wed, Jan 8, 2014
January 8, 2014
Steve Carell, Maria Shriver, Jake Clemons
Tue, Jan 7, 2014
211. Tue, Jan 7, 2014
January 7, 2014
Mark Wahlberg, Jeff Foxworthy, Salaam Remi featuring Akon
Mon, Jan 6, 2014
210. Mon, Jan 6, 2014
January 6, 2014
Louis C.K., Sen. John McCain, Meghan McCain, Plain White T's
Fri, Dec 20, 2013
209. Fri, Dec 20, 2013
December 20, 2013
Michael Strahan, Leona Lewis
Thu, Dec 19, 2013
208. Thu, Dec 19, 2013
December 19, 2013
Sylvestor Stallone, Judd Apatow, Libera
Wed, Dec 18, 2013
207. Wed, Dec 18, 2013
December 18, 2013
Christina Applegate, Kevin Nealon, the winner of "The Voice"
Tue, Dec 17, 2013
206. Tue, Dec 17, 2013
December 17, 2013
Olivia Wilde, Julie Scardina, Johnny Mathis
Mon, Dec 16, 2013
205. Mon, Dec 16, 2013
December 16, 2013
Meredith Vieira, Jake Bugg
Fri, Dec 13, 2013
204. Fri, Dec 13, 2013
December 13, 2013
Carson Daly, Billy Ray Cyrus
Thu, Dec 12, 2013
203. Thu, Dec 12, 2013
December 12, 2013
Kevin Hart, Brooklyn Decker, Chris Young
Wed, Dec 11, 2013
202. Wed, Dec 11, 2013
December 11, 2013
Tyler Perry, Ken Jeong, the Head and the Heart
Tue, Dec 10, 2013
201. Tue, Dec 10, 2013
December 10, 2013
Kirstie Alley, Ernie Brown Jr., Switchfoot
Mon, Dec 9, 2013
200. Mon, Dec 9, 2013
December 9, 2013
Simon Cowell, Megyn Kelly, MS MR
Thu, Nov 28, 2013
199. Thu, Nov 28, 2013
November 28, 2013
Christina Aguilera, Jay Mohr
Wed, Nov 27, 2013
198. Wed, Nov 27, 2013
November 27, 2013
Garth Brooks, Jim Edds
Tue, Nov 26, 2013
197. Tue, Nov 26, 2013
November 26, 2013
Quentin Tarantino, Jim Stacy, Luke Bryan
Mon, Nov 25, 2013
196. Mon, Nov 25, 2013
November 25, 2013
Bette Midler, Michael Bublé
Fri, Nov 22, 2013
195. Fri, Nov 22, 2013
November 22, 2013
Jim Parsons, John Downer, Cassadee Pope
Thu, Nov 21, 2013
194. Thu, Nov 21, 2013
November 21, 2013
Kristen Bell, David Gregory, Julian Lennon
Wed, Nov 20, 2013
193. Wed, Nov 20, 2013
November 20, 2013
Blake Shelton, Kathie Lee Gifford, Hoda Kotb, Imelda May
Tue, Nov 19, 2013
192. Tue, Nov 19, 2013
November 19, 2013
President George W. Bush, Bil Dwyer, Ben Harper with Charlie Mussel White
Mon, Nov 18, 2013
191. Mon, Nov 18, 2013
November 18, 2013
Whoopi Goldberg, Ty Barnett, Totem from Cirque de Soleil
Fri, Nov 15, 2013
190. Fri, Nov 15, 2013
November 15, 2013
Bill O'Reilly, Guy Fieri, Lee Brice
Thu, Nov 14, 2013
189. Thu, Nov 14, 2013
November 14, 2013
Craig Ferguson, JRand featuring Flo Rida
Wed, Nov 13, 2013
188. Wed, Nov 13, 2013
November 13, 2013
Bill Cosby, Chris Pratt
Tue, Nov 12, 2013
187. Tue, Nov 12, 2013
November 12, 2013
Matt Lauer, Cults
Mon, Nov 11, 2013
186. Mon, Nov 11, 2013
November 11, 2013
Casey Affleck, Kelly Clarkson, Lyle Lovett
Fri, Nov 8, 2013
185. Fri, Nov 8, 2013
November 8, 2013
Mariska Hargitay, Sen. Ted Cruz, Gavin DeGraw
Thu, Nov 7, 2013
184. Thu, Nov 7, 2013
November 7, 2013
Andy Samberg, Bailee Madison, Goo Goo Dolls
Wed, Nov 6, 2013
183. Wed, Nov 6, 2013
November 6, 2013
Ellen DeGeneres, Bill Engvall, Tired Pony
Tue, Nov 5, 2013
182. Tue, Nov 5, 2013
November 5, 2013
Liam Hemsworth, Jayma Mays, The Rides featuring Stephen Stills and Kenny Wayne Sheperd
Mon, Nov 4, 2013
181. Mon, Nov 4, 2013
November 4, 2013
Anthony Hopkins, Sting
Fri, Nov 1, 2013
180. Fri, Nov 1, 2013
November 1, 2013
Melissa McCarthy, Andy Cohen, Empire of the Sun
Thu, Oct 31, 2013
179. Thu, Oct 31, 2013
October 31, 2013
Matthew McConaughey, Eli Roth, the Fray
Wed, Oct 30, 2013
178. Wed, Oct 30, 2013
October 30, 2013
Kim Kardashian, Abigail Breslin, Two Door Cinema Club
Tue, Oct 29, 2013
177. Tue, Oct 29, 2013
October 29, 2013
Savannah Guthrie, Mark Cuban, Kodaline
Mon, Oct 28, 2013
176. Mon, Oct 28, 2013
October 28, 2013
Adam Levine, Ali Wentworth, Steve Nieve with Elvis Costello
Fri, Oct 25, 2013
175. Fri, Oct 25, 2013
October 25, 2013
Wanda Sykes, Richard Engel, Scotty McCreery
Thu, Oct 24, 2013
174. Thu, Oct 24, 2013
October 24, 2013
Emma Roberts, Dave Salmoni, Diane Birch
Wed, Oct 23, 2013
173. Wed, Oct 23, 2013
October 23, 2013
Harrison Ford, Piers Morgan, Daughtry
Tue, Oct 22, 2013
172. Tue, Oct 22, 2013
October 22, 2013
Kristin Chenoweth, Ross Matthews, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
Mon, Oct 21, 2013
171. Mon, Oct 21, 2013
October 21, 2013
Michael Douglas, Larry the Cable Guy, Thomas Rhett
Fri, Oct 11, 2013
170. Fri, Oct 11, 2013
October 11, 2013
Rosie Perez, Tenacious D
Thu, Oct 10, 2013
169. Thu, Oct 10, 2013
October 10, 2013
Lauren Graham, Chris Matthews, Tom Odell
Wed, Oct 9, 2013
168. Wed, Oct 9, 2013
October 9, 2013
Whitney Cummings, Ann Romney, Lissie
Tue, Oct 8, 2013
167. Tue, Oct 8, 2013
October 8, 2013
Billy Crystal, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, Jenni "JWoww" Farley, Toni Braxton & Kevin "Babyface" Edmond
Mon, Oct 7, 2013
166. Mon, Oct 7, 2013
October 7, 2013
Drew Barrymore, D. L. Hughley, The Avett Brothers
Fri, Oct 4, 2013
165. Fri, Oct 4, 2013
October 4, 2013
Terry Bradshaw, Fantasy Football Tattoo League, Nelly.
Thu, Oct 3, 2013
164. Thu, Oct 3, 2013
October 3, 2013
Julianne Moore, Billy Gardell, Temple Pilots with Chester Bennington
Wed, Oct 2, 2013
163. Wed, Oct 2, 2013
October 2, 2013
Kathy Griffin, Newt Gingrich, Demi Lovato
Tue, Oct 1, 2013
162. Tue, Oct 1, 2013
October 1, 2013
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jay Mohr, Mika featuring Ariana Grande
Mon, Sep 30, 2013
161. Mon, Sep 30, 2013
September 30, 2013
Magic Johnson, Marjorie Johnson, Gary Clark Jr.
Fri, Sep 27, 2013
160. Fri, Sep 27, 2013
September 27, 2013
Sandra Bullock, Key & Peele, Gregory Porter
Thu, Sep 26, 2013
159. Thu, Sep 26, 2013
September 26, 2013
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Ron Paul, Little Big Town
Wed, Sep 25, 2013
158. Wed, Sep 25, 2013
September 25, 2013
Dana Carvey, Cee-Lo Green, Goodie Mob
Tue, Sep 24, 2013
157. Tue, Sep 24, 2013
September 24, 2013
Olivia Wilde, Adam Scott, Cher Lloyd
Mon, Sep 23, 2013
156. Mon, Sep 23, 2013
September 23, 2013
Justin Timberlake, Paula Patton, Jason Collins
Fri, Sep 20, 2013
155. Fri, Sep 20, 2013
September 20, 2013
Jimmy Fallon, Lior Suchard, Billy Currington
Thu, Sep 19, 2013
154. Thu, Sep 19, 2013
September 19, 2013
Tim Allen, Dwayne Wade, Fitz & the Tantrums
Wed, Sep 18, 2013
153. Wed, Sep 18, 2013
September 18, 2013
Christina Aguilera, Joy Behar, Valerie June
Tue, Sep 17, 2013
152. Tue, Sep 17, 2013
September 17, 2013
Neil Patrick Harris, Demi Lovato, Five for Fighting
Mon, Sep 16, 2013
151. Mon, Sep 16, 2013
September 16, 2013
Chris Hemsworth, Kristen Schaal, Sheryl Crow
Fri, Sep 13, 2013
150. Fri, Sep 13, 2013
September 13, 2013
Zooey Deschanel, Terry Crews, Buena Vista Social Club
Thu, Sep 12, 2013
149. Thu, Sep 12, 2013
September 12, 2013
Hugh Jackman, Aisha Tyler, OneRepublic
Wed, Sep 11, 2013
148. Wed, Sep 11, 2013
September 11, 2013
Charlie Sheen, Jim Rome, Trombone Shorty
Tue, Sep 10, 2013
147. Tue, Sep 10, 2013
September 10, 2013
Rose Byrne, Donnie Deutsch, Jennifer Nettles
Mon, Sep 9, 2013
146. Mon, Sep 9, 2013
September 9, 2013
Martin Short, Meghan McCain, Backstreet Boys
Fri, Sep 6, 2013
145. Fri, Sep 6, 2013
September 6, 2013
Simon Cowell, Adam Carolla, American Authors
Thu, Sep 5, 2013
144. Thu, Sep 5, 2013
September 5, 2013
Vince Vaughn, Olivia Munn, Vintage Trouble
Wed, Sep 4, 2013
143. Wed, Sep 4, 2013
September 4, 2013
Christine Applegate, Rob Corddry, White Lies
Tue, Sep 3, 2013
142. Tue, Sep 3, 2013
September 3, 2013
Bill Maher, Victoria Duval, ZZ Ward
Fri, Aug 30, 2013
141. Fri, Aug 30, 2013
August 30, 2013
Sen. John McCain, Diablo Cody, Booker T. Jones with Mayer Hawthorne
Thu, Aug 29, 2013
140. Thu, Aug 29, 2013
August 29, 2013
Julie Scardina, Rod Stewart
Wed, Aug 28, 2013
139. Wed, Aug 28, 2013
August 28, 2013
Matt LeBlanc, Sky Blu
Tue, Aug 27, 2013
138. Tue, Aug 27, 2013
August 27, 2013
Josh Duhamel, J.B. Smoove, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Mon, Aug 26, 2013
137. Mon, Aug 26, 2013
August 26, 2013
Jeff Daniels, Sherri Shepherd, Quinn Sullivan
Fri, Aug 9, 2013
136. Fri, Aug 9, 2013
August 9, 2013
Jason Sudeikis, Jim Stacy, K.T. Tunstall
Thu, Aug 8, 2013
135. Thu, Aug 8, 2013
August 8, 2013
Robin Williams, Mark Cuban, Gavin DeGraw
Wed, Aug 7, 2013
134. Wed, Aug 7, 2013
August 7, 2013
Matt Damon, Anna Faris, Parachute
Tue, Aug 6, 2013
133. Tue, Aug 6, 2013
August 6, 2013
President Barack Obama, Patti LaBelle
Mon, Aug 5, 2013
132. Mon, Aug 5, 2013
August 5, 2013
Bryan Cranston, Karolina Kurkova, Amos Lee
Fri, Aug 2, 2013
131. Fri, Aug 2, 2013
August 2, 2013
Meredith Vieira, Jim Norton, Charlie Worsham
Thu, Aug 1, 2013
130. Thu, Aug 1, 2013
August 1, 2013
Casey Affleck, Allison Janney, Sammy Hagar
Wed, Jul 31, 2013
129. Wed, Jul 31, 2013
July 31, 2013
Kate Hudson, Bob Costas, Kopecky Family Band
Tue, Jul 30, 2013
128. Tue, Jul 30, 2013
July 30, 2013
Kristin Chenoweth, Josh Gad
Mon, Jul 29, 2013
127. Mon, Jul 29, 2013
July 29, 2013
Kristen Bell, Jake Johnson, Phillip Phillips
Fri, Jul 26, 2013
126. Fri, Jul 26, 2013
July 26, 2013
Katy Perry, Cris Collinsworth, Kacey Musgraves
Thu, Jul 25, 2013
125. Thu, Jul 25, 2013
July 25, 2013
Cate Blanchett, Michael B. Jordan, Court Yard Hounds
Wed, Jul 24, 2013
124. Wed, Jul 24, 2013
July 24, 2013
Ashton Kutcher, Jayma Mays, Hiatus Kaiyote
Tue, Jul 23, 2013
123. Tue, Jul 23, 2013
July 23, 2013
Aaron Paul, Selena Gomez
Mon, Jul 22, 2013
122. Mon, Jul 22, 2013
July 22, 2013
Gillian Anderson, Jim Rash & Nat Faxon, Kenny Chesney
Fri, Jul 19, 2013
121. Fri, Jul 19, 2013
July 19, 2013
Howie Mandel, Marisa Miller, Sara Bareilles
Thu, Jul 18, 2013
120. Thu, Jul 18, 2013
July 18, 2013
Anthony Hopkins, Amy Schumer, Robert Randolph and the Family Band
Wed, Jul 17, 2013
119. Wed, Jul 17, 2013
July 17, 2013
Jane Lynch, Charlie Hunnam, Serena Ryder
Tue, Jul 16, 2013
118. Tue, Jul 16, 2013
July 16, 2013
Zachary Levi, Danica Patrick, Talib Kweli featuring Nelly & Abby Dobson
Mon, Jul 15, 2013
117. Mon, Jul 15, 2013
July 15, 2013
Savannah Guthrie, Anthony Jeselnik, Johnnyswim
Fri, Jul 12, 2013
116. Fri, Jul 12, 2013
July 12, 2013
Bill Hader, Eliot Spitzer, Passenger
Thu, Jul 11, 2013
115. Thu, Jul 11, 2013
July 11, 2013
Helen Mirren, Ben Schwartz, the Olms
Wed, Jul 10, 2013
114. Wed, Jul 10, 2013
July 10, 2013
John Malkovich, Olivia Munn, Blackberry Smoke
Tue, Jul 9, 2013
113. Tue, Jul 9, 2013
July 9, 2013
Dane Cook, Nev Schulman, Matt Nathanson
Mon, Jul 8, 2013
112. Mon, Jul 8, 2013
July 8, 2013
Charlie Day, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Lionel Richie
Fri, Jun 28, 2013
111. Fri, Jun 28, 2013
June 28, 2013
Wanda Sykes, Kris Jenner, India.Arie
Thu, Jun 27, 2013
110. Thu, Jun 27, 2013
June 27, 2013
David Spade, Joey King, Grace Potter
Wed, Jun 26, 2013
109. Wed, Jun 26, 2013
June 26, 2013
Whitney Cummings, Alex Minsky, John Fogerty
Tue, Jun 25, 2013
108. Tue, Jun 25, 2013
June 25, 2013
Sandra Bullock, Bob Saget, Il Volo
Mon, Jun 24, 2013
107. Mon, Jun 24, 2013
June 24, 2013
Steve Carell, Ken Ilgunas, Barenaked Ladies
Fri, Jun 21, 2013
106. Fri, Jun 21, 2013
June 21, 2013
Terry Bradshaw, Steve Byrne, Joseph Arthur
Thu, Jun 20, 2013
105. Thu, Jun 20, 2013
June 20, 2013
Kristin Davis, Harvey Fierstein, The Mowgli's
Wed, Jun 19, 2013
104. Wed, Jun 19, 2013
June 19, 2013
David Gregory, J Chris Newberg, Danielle Bradbery
Tue, Jun 18, 2013
103. Tue, Jun 18, 2013
June 18, 2013
Kathy Griffin, Billy Gardell, Grouplove
Mon, Jun 17, 2013
102. Mon, Jun 17, 2013
June 17, 2013
Billy Crystal, Pitbull
Fri, Jun 14, 2013
101. Fri, Jun 14, 2013
June 14, 2013
Armie Hammer, Dave Salmoni, Boxer Rebellion
Thu, Jun 13, 2013
100. Thu, Jun 13, 2013
June 13, 2013
Carson Daly, Betty White, Timeflies
Wed, Jun 12, 2013
99. Wed, Jun 12, 2013
June 12, 2013
Kevin Hart, Jeremy Scahill, Trace Adkins & Colbie Caillat
Tue, Jun 11, 2013
98. Tue, Jun 11, 2013
June 11, 2013
Jamie Foxx, Jimmy Connors, Matthew Morrison
Mon, Jun 10, 2013
97. Mon, Jun 10, 2013
June 10, 2013
Kevin Bacon, Mel B, Bad Company
Fri, Jun 7, 2013
96. Fri, Jun 7, 2013
June 7, 2013
Russell Crowe, Mike Raupp, Judith Hill
Thu, Jun 6, 2013
95. Thu, Jun 6, 2013
June 6, 2013
Henry Cavill, Jessica Buchanan & Erik Landemalm, She & Him
Wed, Jun 5, 2013
94. Wed, Jun 5, 2013
June 5, 2013
Danny McBride, Khloe Kardashian Odom, the Wanted
Tue, Jun 4, 2013
93. Tue, Jun 4, 2013
June 4, 2013
Owen Wilson, Wayde King & Brett Raymer, LeAnn Rimes
Mon, Jun 3, 2013
92. Mon, Jun 3, 2013
June 3, 2013
Vince Vaughn, Kenny Smith, Scotty McCreery
Fri, May 24, 2013
91. Fri, May 24, 2013
May 24, 2013
Howie Mandel, Sal Basille & Francis Garcia, Sigur Ros
Thu, May 23, 2013
90. Thu, May 23, 2013
May 23, 2013
Tyler Perry, Isla Fisher, Shout Out Louds
Wed, May 22, 2013
89. Wed, May 22, 2013
May 22, 2013
Vin Diesel, Jeff Foxworthy, the Lone Bellow
Tue, May 21, 2013
88. Tue, May 21, 2013
May 21, 2013
Eric Stonestreet, Jeremy Wade, Thompson Square
Mon, May 20, 2013
87. Mon, May 20, 2013
May 20, 2013
Bradley Cooper, Heidi Klum, The Dream & Kelly Rowland
Fri, May 17, 2013
86. Fri, May 17, 2013
May 17, 2013
Mitt Romney, the winner of "American Idol"
Thu, May 16, 2013
85. Thu, May 16, 2013
May 16, 2013
Adam Sandler, Phil Jackson, Family of the Year
Wed, May 15, 2013
84. Wed, May 15, 2013
May 15, 2013
Usher, Nick Offerman, Pyramids
Tue, May 14, 2013
83. Tue, May 14, 2013
May 14, 2013
Wanda Sykes, Martha Stewart, Drop City Yacht Club
Mon, May 13, 2013
82. Mon, May 13, 2013
May 13, 2013
Miranda Lambert, Ross Matthews, Pistol Annies
Fri, May 10, 2013
81. Fri, May 10, 2013
May 10, 2013
Aaron Eckhart, Sherri Shepherd, 98 Degrees
Thu, May 9, 2013
80. Thu, May 9, 2013
May 9, 2013
Shakira, Marc Maron, Tom Jones
Wed, May 8, 2013
79. Wed, May 8, 2013
May 8, 2013
Craig Ferguson, 100-year-old actress Connie Sawyer, Emeli Sande
Tue, May 7, 2013
78. Tue, May 7, 2013
May 7, 2013
Zach Braff, Connie Sawyer, Patty Griffin
Mon, May 6, 2013
77. Mon, May 6, 2013
May 6, 2013
Magic Johnson, Savannah Guthrie, Fall Out Boy
Fri, May 3, 2013
76. Fri, May 3, 2013
May 3, 2013
Chris Evans, Kevin Smith, Various Cruelties
Thu, May 2, 2013
75. Thu, May 2, 2013
May 2, 2013
Matt Lauer, AWOLNATION
Wed, May 1, 2013
74. Wed, May 1, 2013
May 1, 2013
Kathy Griffin, Eli Roth, Cheap Trick
Tue, Apr 30, 2013
73. Tue, Apr 30, 2013
April 30, 2013
Cher & Georgia Holt, Dov Davidoff, Florida Georgia Line
Mon, Apr 29, 2013
72. Mon, Apr 29, 2013
April 29, 2013
Ben Kingsley, Larry the Cable Guy, the Band Perry
Fri, Apr 26, 2013
71. Fri, Apr 26, 2013
April 26, 2013
Robert Downey Jr., Chadwick Boseman, Avril Lavigne
Thu, Apr 25, 2013
70. Thu, Apr 25, 2013
April 25, 2013
Gwyneth Paltrow, JB Smoove, Billy Ray Cyrus
Wed, Apr 24, 2013
69. Wed, Apr 24, 2013
April 24, 2013
Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Tue, Apr 23, 2013
68. Tue, Apr 23, 2013
April 23, 2013
Carol Burnett, Stephen Amell, Plain White T's
Mon, Apr 22, 2013
67. Mon, Apr 22, 2013
April 22, 2013
Diane Keaton, Trevor Moore, Jake Bugg
Fri, Apr 12, 2013
66. Fri, Apr 12, 2013
April 12, 2013
Adam Levine, Cyndi Lauper, the Airborne Toxic Event
Thu, Apr 11, 2013
65. Thu, Apr 11, 2013
April 11, 2013
LL Cool J, Andy Cohen, Tegan and Sara
Wed, Apr 10, 2013
64. Wed, Apr 10, 2013
April 10, 2013
Charlie Sheen, Andy Enfield, Brad Paisley
Tue, Apr 9, 2013
63. Tue, Apr 9, 2013
April 9, 2013
Rebel Wilson, Jackson Galaxy, Hanson
Mon, Apr 8, 2013
62. Mon, Apr 8, 2013
April 8, 2013
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Anthony Jeselnik, Vintage Trouble
Fri, Apr 5, 2013
61. Fri, Apr 5, 2013
April 5, 2013
Julie Scardina, Demetri Martin,Gin Wigmore.
Thu, Apr 4, 2013
60. Thu, Apr 4, 2013
April 4, 2013
Eva Longaria, Terry Crews, Cavalia's Odysseo
Wed, Apr 3, 2013
59. Wed, Apr 3, 2013
April 3, 2013
Rosario Dawson, Max Greenfield, Gloriana
Tue, Apr 2, 2013
58. Tue, Apr 2, 2013
April 2, 2013
Blake Shelton, Jim Rome
Mon, Apr 1, 2013
57. Mon, Apr 1, 2013
April 1, 2013
Matthew Perry, Kristen Schaal, Goo Goo Dollls
Thu, Mar 28, 2013
56. Thu, Mar 28, 2013
March 28, 2013
Kim Kardashian, Willie Geist, Imagine Dragons
Wed, Mar 27, 2013
55. Wed, Mar 27, 2013
March 27, 2013
Kristin Chenoweth, Magician Justin Willman, Josh Groban
Tue, Mar 26, 2013
54. Tue, Mar 26, 2013
March 26, 2013
Keith Urban, Paula Deen, Django Django
Mon, Mar 25, 2013
53. Mon, Mar 25, 2013
March 25, 2013
Gerard Butler, Keegan-Michael Key & Jordan Peele, Crystal Bowersox
Fri, Mar 22, 2013
52. Fri, Mar 22, 2013
March 22, 2013
Don Cheadle, Louie Anderson, Wiz Khalifa featuring Akon
Thu, Mar 21, 2013
51. Thu, Mar 21, 2013
March 21, 2013
Dwayne Johnson, Chris Paul, Atlas Genius
Wed, Mar 20, 2013
50. Wed, Mar 20, 2013
March 20, 2013
Vanessa Hudgens, Chris O'Dowd, Gary Clark Jr.
Tue, Mar 19, 2013
49. Tue, Mar 19, 2013
March 19, 2013
Jenna Fischer, Dennis Rodman, Black Prairie
Mon, Mar 18, 2013
48. Mon, Mar 18, 2013
March 18, 2013
Morgan Freeman, Rulon Gardner & Henry Cejuda, James Hunter
Fri, Mar 15, 2013
47. Fri, Mar 15, 2013
March 15, 2013
Craig Ferguson, Vera Farmiga, Harper Simon
Thu, Mar 14, 2013
46. Thu, Mar 14, 2013
March 14, 2013
James Franco, Jay Mohr, Owl City and Yuna
Wed, Mar 13, 2013
45. Wed, Mar 13, 2013
March 13, 2013
Jerry Seinfeld, Mark Cuban, Jose James
Tue, Mar 12, 2013
44. Tue, Mar 12, 2013
March 12, 2013
Olivia Wilde, Nick Offerman, Buddy Guy and The Experience Hendrix All-Star Band
Mon, Mar 11, 2013
43. Mon, Mar 11, 2013
March 11, 2013
Halle Berry, Rachel Maddow, Ashley Moore
Fri, Mar 1, 2013
42. Fri, Mar 1, 2013
March 1, 2013
Bill O'Reilly, Abigail Breslin, the Mavericks
Thu, Feb 28, 2013
41. Thu, Feb 28, 2013
February 28, 2013
Steve Carell, Shooter Jennings
Wed, Feb 27, 2013
40. Wed, Feb 27, 2013
February 27, 2013
David Duchovny, J.B. Smoove, Father John Misty
Tue, Feb 26, 2013
39. Tue, Feb 26, 2013
February 26, 2013
Colin Farrell, Joey King, Boz Scaggs
Mon, Feb 25, 2013
38. Mon, Feb 25, 2013
February 25, 2013
Russell Crowe, Eli Roth, Robert Randolph with The Slide Brothers
Fri, Feb 22, 2013
37. Fri, Feb 22, 2013
February 22, 2013
Meredith Vieira, Richard Roeper, thenewno2
Thu, Feb 21, 2013
36. Thu, Feb 21, 2013
February 21, 2013
Arsenio Hall, Karolin Kurkova, Tristan Prettyman
Wed, Feb 20, 2013
35. Wed, Feb 20, 2013
February 20, 2013
Chelsea Handler, Edythe Kirchmaier, SkyBlu
Tue, Feb 19, 2013
34. Tue, Feb 19, 2013
February 19, 2013
Robin Wright, Josh Gad, Bonnie Raitt
Mon, Feb 18, 2013
33. Mon, Feb 18, 2013
February 18, 2013
Kevin Bacon, Dennis Rodman, Kevin Eubanks
Fri, Feb 15, 2013
32. Fri, Feb 15, 2013
February 15, 2013
Kathy Griffin, David Feherty, FM Radio
Thu, Feb 14, 2013
31. Thu, Feb 14, 2013
February 14, 2013
Animal Expert Jarod Miller, Timothy Olyphant, Colbie Caillat and Gavin DeGraw
Wed, Feb 13, 2013
30. Wed, Feb 13, 2013
February 13, 2013
Anne Hathaway, Lester Holt, Eli Young Band
Tue, Feb 12, 2013
29. Tue, Feb 12, 2013
February 12, 2013
Charles Barkley, Bob Fisher, Jewel
Mon, Feb 11, 2013
28. Mon, Feb 11, 2013
February 11, 2013
James Spader, Leon Suchard, Far East Movement.
Fri, Feb 8, 2013
27. Fri, Feb 8, 2013
February 8, 2013
Seth MacFarlane, Jenna Elfman, Norah Jones
Thu, Feb 7, 2013
26. Thu, Feb 7, 2013
February 7, 2013
Amy Adams, Adam Carolla, Hunter Hayes
Wed, Feb 6, 2013
25. Wed, Feb 6, 2013
February 6, 2013
Tim McGraw, Bar Rafaeli
Tue, Feb 5, 2013
24. Tue, Feb 5, 2013
February 5, 2013
Josh Duhamel, Kathryn Bigelow, Lianne La Havas
Mon, Feb 4, 2013
23. Mon, Feb 4, 2013
February 4, 2013
Hugh Jackman, Jessica Chastain, Michael Bolton
Fri, Feb 1, 2013
22. Fri, Feb 1, 2013
February 1, 2013
Wanda Sykes, Tyler Hamilton, Branford Marsalis Quartet
Thu, Jan 31, 2013
21. Thu, Jan 31, 2013
January 31, 2013
Piers Morgan, Quvenzhane Wallis, Benh Zeitlin, Lisa Loeb
Wed, Jan 30, 2013
20. Wed, Jan 30, 2013
January 30, 2013
Charlie Sheen, David O. Russell, Holly Williams
Tue, Jan 29, 2013
19. Tue, Jan 29, 2013
January 29, 2013
Whitney Cummings, Jackie Weaver, Aaron Neville
Mon, Jan 28, 2013
18. Mon, Jan 28, 2013
January 28, 2013
Catherine Zeta-Jones, Donny Deutsch, Lady Antebellum
Fri, Jan 25, 2013
17. Fri, Jan 25, 2013
January 25, 2013
Robert DeNiro, Sherri Shepherd, the Grascals
Thu, Jan 24, 2013
16. Thu, Jan 24, 2013
January 24, 2013
Dustin Hoffman, Jillian Michaels, Kenny Loggins with Blue Sky Riders
Wed, Jan 23, 2013
15. Wed, Jan 23, 2013
January 23, 2013
Heidi Klum, Seann Willam Scott, Gary Allan
Tue, Jan 22, 2013
14. Tue, Jan 22, 2013
January 22, 2013
Dana Carvey, Emmy Rossum, Ben Harper with Charlie Musselwhite
Fri, Jan 18, 2013
13. Fri, Jan 18, 2013
January 18, 2013
Chris Tucker, Bob Costas, Big Boi
Thu, Jan 17, 2013
12. Thu, Jan 17, 2013
January 17, 2013
Naomi Watts, Richard Engel, Train
Wed, Jan 16, 2013
11. Wed, Jan 16, 2013
January 16, 2013
Mark Wahlberg, Ali Wentworth, JJamz
Tue, Jan 15, 2013
10. Tue, Jan 15, 2013
January 15, 2013
Jessica Simpson, D.L. Hughley, Vintage Trouble
Mon, Jan 14, 2013
9. Mon, Jan 14, 2013
January 14, 2013
Nicki Minaj, Billy Connolly, the Saturdays
Fri, Jan 11, 2013
8. Fri, Jan 11, 2013
January 11, 2013
Ben Affleck, Kristen Bell, Rodriguez
Thu, Jan 10, 2013
7. Thu, Jan 10, 2013
January 10, 2013
Ryan Seacrest, Keith Urban, Randy Jackson, Anthony Jeselnik, For King and Country
Wed, Jan 9, 2013
6. Wed, Jan 9, 2013
January 9, 2013
Amazing Animals with Dave Salmoni, Carson Daly, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
Tue, Jan 8, 2013
5. Tue, Jan 8, 2013
January 8, 2013
Emma Stone, Josh Gad, the Whigs
Mon, Jan 7, 2013
4. Mon, Jan 7, 2013
January 7, 2013
Bill Maher, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, Jenni "JWoww" Farley, Miguel
Fri, Jan 4, 2013
3. Fri, Jan 4, 2013
January 4, 2013
Courteney Cox, Joy Behar, Youngblood Hawke
Thu, Jan 3, 2013
2. Thu, Jan 3, 2013
January 3, 2013
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chumlee & Rick Harrison, Ziggy Marley
Wed, Jan 2, 2013
1. Wed, Jan 2, 2013
January 2, 2013
Kevin Hart, Betty White, Dwight Yoakam
Description

Through the years, "The Tonight Show," a late-night TV marathon on NBC, has been a kind of barometer of what makes Americans laugh. Leading the laugh-athon as host for many of those years is a portly, smiley, stand-up comedian named Jay Leno. Each night he faces the camera with a bemused, somewhat unbelieving look as he waves his arms and comments on the latest folly to befall the American way of life.

For a stand-up comedian whose high school guidance counselor suggested he drop out of school, Leno has come a long way. Born in New Rochelle, New York, in 1950, he grew up in Andover, Massachusetts - where he ran into the guidance counselor. Instead of dropping out, he went on to Emerson College, earning a bachelor's degree in speech therapy and starting a comedy club. In the 1970s, he landed mostly minor roles in several television series, but his big break came in 1987. He began to substitute for comic Johnny Carson, the regular, wildly popular, and loved (or hated) host of "The Tonight Show." When in 1992 Carson announced his retirement after 30 years on the job, Leno shocked most TV audiences by taking over and apparently outclassing David Letterman. Rumors had spread that comic Letterman was next in line for Carson's throne.

Now the question was: Who could compete with the success of Carson? For a while, it looked as though the answer was "not Leno." He remained as host untl 2009, when comic Conan O'Brien took over. Leno stayed with NBC as host of "The Jay Leno Show," which featured celebrity interviews. However, by 2010 it seemed clear that neither Leno nor O'Brien were in the right place. Ratings were down for both, so NBC made a move. O'Brien took a payout and left "The Tonight Show." Leno was back as host on March 1, 2010, amid some criticism for what was perceived as his part in O'Brien's dismissal.

Since that time, "The Tonight Show" - still the late night's most-watched TV program - and Leno of the prominent jaw are back in business. For thousands of viewers who can't sleep, "Heeeeeere's Johnny" has been replaced by "Welcome back, Jay!"

  • Premiere Date
    May 25, 1992
  • IMDB Rating
    5.2  (10,658)
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