Jay Leno Returns

It was over a decade ago that comedian Jay Leno helped put FTVLive on the map.

FTVLive broke the worldwide exclusive that NBC (then under Jeff Zucker) was moving Leno back to The Tonight Show after a failed try in prime-time.

It was a huge story and FTVLive owned it.

Newspapers from the NY Times, to the local paper here in Jacksonville, mentioned FTVLive.

It’s hard to think that has been over 10 years ago.

Leno went back to The Tonight Show, but it was long after that, NBC pushed him out and he later landed on CNBC doing a show about cars.

But, Leno is now ready to head back to daily TV as he will host an updated version of the classic game show “You Bet Your Life.”

The LA Times writes that Leno’s return to daily TY comes during a major revival for game shows in recent years. Broadcast TV has been turning to the genre with greater frequency as a cost-effective, low-risk alternative to the expensive scripted programs that viewers now are more likely to seek out on streaming services.

Stephen Brown, executive vice president for programming and development at Fox Television Stations, said the breezy entertainment that game shows provide makes them an escapist sanctuary in the current TV landscape.

As for Leno and his new (old) game show?

We’ll see how that works out.