As I've mentioned here, I've been teaching Comedy Writing in the Master of Professional Writing program down at USC. The fall term just ended so today, I took my students on a field trip — out to NBC Burbank to watch the taping of tonight's Tonight Show with Jay Leno. It was a good show with guests Wanda Sykes, Michael Phelps and Lyle Lovett, and — no surprise since they've been doing this a long time — the crew out there really has their act together. Everything started on time (4 PM), ended on time (5 PM) and went precisely according to plan.
Years ago, when I visited a lot of TV tapings and filmings, I was amazed how often, even on long-running shows, there were delays and false starts and tech mistakes and going back to redo things. Then I'd drop in on The Tonight Show when it was starring that Carson guy and I'd marvel at the absolute clockwork. You could set your watch to the second by the pre-show time the band would start to play, the time Ed would start the warm-up, even the precise moments when Ed would do each of the six or so jokes he told at every single show. Then the right second, the opening would start just when it was supposed to and Johnny would make his entrance and proceed to do an hour show in exactly one hour. Not that long ago, I sat through a Deal or No Deal taping that lasted 5+ hours to arrive at sixty minutes of briefcase-opening.
Leno and his staff do a fine job of making exactly the product they intend to make. I wish all the late night shows were more spontaneous but that doesn't seem to be anyone's goal these days. So I sat there thinking, "Boy, they do this show well…if anything, too well."
I was a little disappointed in the warm-up. As discussed here, audience warm-ups used to be a form of entertainment unto themselves…and usually they involved someone who may or may not have been affiliated with the show coming out and being funny. (Leno, early in his career, did warm-ups for the Cloris Leachman sitcom, Phyllis.) Nowadays, they're more like bad game shows. Some guy comes out, gets audience members up to sing or tell jokes, and hands out t-shirts and other prizes. Jay's announcer John Melendez did the honors this afternoon.
Before Menendez did his spot, Jay came out in a work shirt and jeans to welcome everyone. He spoke a little about his new 10 PM deal but didn't say anything he hasn't said on the news. Then he asked for questions from the audience and as was the case last time I was there and as I'm told is true 98% of the time, everyone asked the same question: "Can I have a photo with you?" The guy with the camera was already standing by for just that purpose…and I guess they're going to have to change something pretty soon because he's using a Polaroid.
My students enjoyed the experience…though one seemed most impressed by the peanut butter cookies in the Green Room. Another of my students committed the capital offense of taking a photo on her iPhone. On the way in, we were only told about ninety-four times not to turn on cell phones or use recording devices and we were even told we could be prosecuted for copyright infringement if we did. Still, near the end, she snuck a snapshot and — whoosh! — a furious NBC page descended on our row and hauled her off for, we figured, tasering and waterboarding at the least. Basically, they scolded her and made her delete the picture. Had it been at the beginning of the taping, I'm guessing they would either have shown her out or confiscated the iPhone.
And that's pretty much it…a nice show. Jay had a good rapport with Wanda Sykes and seemed so happy to have Michael Phelps there and — oh, wait. The episode's just starting on my satellite dish. I'm going to go watch. I just saw the back of my head.