Jay Leno Says Goodbye Tonight

For years privately and publicly I’ve picked on Jay Leno. So for me to write poetically and give him reverence wouldn’t normally be me, but let’s face it the guy has held the late night spot for what, 22 years? Minus the short lived gap, Conan O’Brien filled.

When I watched Leno when Letterman was running a repeat or on Mondays when Leno did Headlines, he has been pretty funny. Not as quirky as his counterpart on CBS but all the same he’s made me laugh pretty consistently.

Jay Leno does deserve a positive note from me before he exits stage left for the last time.
Who remembers “Evil Jay?” That was a segment he did back in the early to mid 90s where he’d distort his face a bit and just say inane things. The recycled bit didn’t last very long but it was part of his early repertoire on the ‘Tonight Show’.

He used to have Howie Mandel do some “on the street” for him back in the day. Sort of like what “Cousin Sal” does on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live'. Of course, there's "Jay Walking" the segment where Leno would ask unsuspecting random people on the street pretty basic questions regarding current events and they would respond with the wrong answers.

Jay says good night for the last time tonight. Not only is Jay leaving the 'Tonight Show', but the 'Tonight Show' is leaving Burbank, California and heading to the Big Apple. This is another huge occasion in the show's timeline.

If I can stay up, I’ll tune in to see this moment in television history.