Strike Turns Jay Leno And Jimmy Kimmel Into Unlikely Couchfellows
The WGA's displeasure with The Tonight Show host Jay Leno's self-penned monologues only continues to grow—while Conan O'Brien seems to get a pass, exempt under the "Actually Funny" clause—to the point where NBC has felt the need to issue a statement on the matter. Meanwhile, with SAG boycotting decrees making it increasing difficult to get even B-list asses on non-Worldwide Pants couches, the comedian has found an unlikely ally in another late night rival:
For one night, Jay Leno and Jimmy Kimmel will solve the problem of booking guests during the writers' strike by appearing on each other's show. [...]
"There are only a few people in the world that know how tough this job is," Leno said Sunday. "Jimmy is one of them. It will be fun to discuss who's a good guest, who's a difficult guest and everything else that comes with sitting behind these desks."
Joked Kimmel: "If Jay and I can come together and guest on each other's shows, then surely there is hope for peace in the Middle East."
The one-night swap will provide band-aid relief at best for the two embattled programs, though may offer interesting scientific insights into whether or not pairing late night's two weakest interviewers could result in the formation of a massive entertainment vacuum that sucks all manner of desks, mugs, and audience members into the ground. Meanwhile there is still no word whether ABC and NBC's exchange program would extend to their other post-primetime properties, plopping a bewildered Martin Bashir on Conan's couch while Nightline devotes an hour to investigating the latest beard trends in the tall, pink and pasty.
