Celeb Car Racing, Deskless Interviews Among Jay Leno's Plans for Primetime Supremacy

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Jay Leno appeared Wednesday at the TCA Press Tour, revealing new details about his primetime talk show coming this fall on NBC. And don't worry if you can't quite get excited for regular guest "correspondents" like Brian Williams and D.L. Hughley; there's always eco-conscious celebrity drag racing behind the studio to save the day. Or not. More tidbits after the jump.

Of course, I could have America totally wrong; Leno's touted "Green Car Challenge" pitting guests with no practice in a back-lot race in which they could "burn rubber or wipe out" in electric vehicles might be just the right antidote to his 10 p.m. rivals at CSI (especially when a lighthearted P.A. sabotages the brakes in Katherine Heigl's car). And I confess I do enjoy "Headlines," which he's reviving here. So as for the rest, I'm glad to take a wait-and-see approach:

· Leno will have no more than two guests on stage at a time, neither of whom will be seated or interviewed at a desk. "An effort is being made to make the new show's look immediately different from the late-night shows," reports the NYT.

· NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams will join D.L. Hughley, Rachel Harris, Mikey Day and the Dan Band as Leno's off-site "correspondents," contributing bits from the field.

· The show-opening monologue remains; "Headlines" and "Jay Walking" will return as well, moving to the last 15 minutes to help "keep viewers around for the full duration" of the broadcast.

· Leno will be thinner; he jogs four miles a day and has lost 12 pounds so far. Jokes about the subject and Kevin Eubanks belly laughs will presumably ensue.

· Leno Offers Details of His New Show [NYT]



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