David Letterman (AP)
Jay Leno (AP)
MODERN TOUCH: David Letterman and Jay Leno should take notes from Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon. (
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Not to sound like the fool at NBC who said, “We need to shake up late night” before dumping Jay Leno — but maybe it is time to shake up late night.
The two men holding the golden spots at CBS and NBC since Jesus was in swaddling Pampers — David Letterman and Jay Leno — are now being beaten (how is this possible?) by “Nightline.”
It’s not because everyone is desperate for more intense, depressing news — there’s an endless 24/7 steady stream of that on cable.
When people lying in bed would rather watch tornadoes, tsunamis, rapists and killers than watch Leno and Letterman’s monologues, you know there’s a problem.
Viewers are instead eager to tune in after Leno and Letterman to catch Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon.
It seems like half of everything that Kimmel and Fallon do immediately goes viral — in numbers that are only dreamed about on TV.
It used to be that people at work would say, “Hey — did you see Dave last night?” Now, you’re more likely to send a YouTube clip of the previous night’s Kimmel or Fallon.
And it’s not like either Jimmy invented the wheel, for God’s sake.
In fact, both shows more or less follow the format that Johnny Carson invented around the time the first wheel was rolled off the assembly line — monologue, skit, pretty, young (or incredibly dopey) starlet, comic, quirky band leader, politician, Kathy Griffin, good night, folks.
It’s just that the Jimmys’ monologues are edgier, their interviews less stagey, and their skits are hilarious keepers.
The skits and mini-movies take incredible time, talent and, yes, energy.
And since they feature huge stars, they must also take an incredible amount of good will. It’s called “hungry.”
Kimmel’s “World’s Handsomest Men” sketch and Fallon’s “Downton Sixeby” are fall-off-your-chair-at-work funny.
Kimmel has Gary Oldman read the recap of “Jersey Shore” in his best Shakespeareian voice, “While dahncing at the club, Snooki pees on herself.”
Fallon reads his thank-you notes and viewers’ hashtag Tweets.
Leno? He’s still reading print “Headlines,” most of which seem to come from the Pennysaver, or some equally antiquated thing, while Letterman is still pushing “Top 10 Lists.”
They need to retool and remember how to be late-night dangerous again.
They need to be so daring and funny and controversial, in fact, that people will want to pirate their shows — instead of taping them on their 25-year-old VHS recorders.
Jay and Dave aren’t competing with each other anymore — they are competing with the guys people are tweeting about around the water cooler.
Get modern, or get out of the way.