TV News and Reviews

Now that’s how a President does a late night talk show. Tonight President Barack Obama visited The Tonight Show and met with host Jay Leno for an informative, intelligent, enlightening, and entertaining interview. After all the news reports, rumors, editorials, and water cooler talk, Obama gave Leno and the audience a succinct and easily understandable summary of current concerns, including the AIG bailout and subsequent bonus scandal. For every issue, Obama gave an explanation of what caused it, what the result was, and what was going to be done to fix it.

It’s so refreshing to sit here and watch the President on TV, and be interested in what he has to say, and be impressed by his answers. The current President also proved he’s got a great sense of humor and great comedic timing. He proved that you can be clever, good-natured, and give and take a joke–all while still maintaining respect for the Office.

One of the points that President Obama made about the AIG bonuses is something that really hit home for me. He spoke of the long time trend in the financial district of a sense of entitlement–of individuals feeling they are all-important and actually deserving of these million or multi-million dollar bonuses. I think this extends far outside the financial district, into many areas of business in the entire country. There’s no sense of accountability, or responsibility for others or to the community as a whole. Rather than trying to do what’s best for the customer, everyone’s out to just make a buck, no matter what the ethics or consequences.

In the interview, Jay Leno asked Obama what it was like to ride on Air Force One, and they spoke of all the grandeur of the Office. While it was all done with a tinge of humor, you could tell that Obama was a little in awe of the privileges of being President. Rather than taking it for granted and not even noticing, or being cynical about it, he was respectful and appreciative.

When President Obama spoke of the economy crisis and other issues, he said ultimately it was his responsibility to make sure things got fixed. He didn’t put us in this situation, but it was his responsibility to fix it.

Obama said that one of the main things that needs to change in the country, in order to help prevent future recessions like this one, is the return to accountability and responsibility. It was also clear that being appreciative of what one has, rather than having a brash sense of entitlement, was also necessary. What makes his words meaningful is that he’s leading by example.

When it really counts, Jay Leno steps up to the plate and gives good solid interviews. This was one of those cases. He asked a good balance of serious and light questions, was respectful but also kept the President on his toes. The two had a good rapport and it made for an enjoyable TV event. I think if Obama went on The Tonight Show once a year, it would be a nice way to connect in an informal setting with the American people.

Watch The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on NBC, weeknights at 11:35/10:35c. Here’s a clip of some highlights from tonight’s show:

(If you can’t see the video, go here.)

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PHOTOS: President Barack Obama and Jay Leno, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, March 19, 2009 screencaps, c2009 Big Dog Productions, NBC Studios.
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Tonight marked the first episode of Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. Jimmy Fallon’s first guests were Robert DeNiro, Justin Timberlake, and Van Morrison. For a first episode, there wasn’t a lot of bang, even with the big names. The monologue was okay, the audience game was kind of lame (though I’ve never been big into talk show games anyway), and the sketches seemed like they’d been made up the night before. It was the equivalent of the Wayne’s World Cable Access show–you could easily picture Jimmy Fallon as a hyped-up teenager, snickering and fidgeting as he attempted to get longer-than-one-word answers from Robert DeNiro.

DeNiro was a good sport, and they played up the whole famous-for-not-talking-during-interviews bit, but the feigned awkwardness turned into actual awkwardness when Fallon attempted to ask real questions about the Tribeca Film Festival. I did get a laugh out of the train graphics in the DeNiro/Fallon sketch, but it seems like over all they could have come up with something a little more clever for a first show.

(IE users may need to *go here* for the video.)

Justin Timberlake proved to be the highlight of the show, doing impressions of John Mayer and Michael McDonald, and reprising his BeeGees role with Fallon as they sang along with the house band, The Roots. Here’s a clip of some of Justin’s hilarious roles on Saturday Night Live:

(IE users may need to *go here * for the video.)

As expected, Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake had good improv rapport, and the show got a bit smoother during his segment. When Fallon’s in his comfort zone–which is basic zaniness and riffing with other comedians–he’s a lot of fun. While some of the interviews could continue to be awkward, there’s a chance that Fallon’s unorthodox style could bloom into something exciting. Getting other actors and comdedians to go off on tangents and burst into song and do sketches holds a lot of promise for entertaining unpredictability–and is a good way to keep the audience on their toes and awake when you’re on in the late night time slot.

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon is pretty raw right now…but hopefully it will turn into raw-in-a-fun-way in future episodes.

Watch Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on NBC, weeknights at 12:30am Eastern/11:30pm Central.

March starts bringing us new TV again–with brand new shows and returning old favorites. This Monday, March 2, we get one of each:

Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, NBC, 12:30am Eastern/11:30pm Central: The long-awaited changing of the guard from Conan to Jimmy is here. Reported first guests were Robert DeNiro and Van Morrison, but now they’ve also thrown Justin Timberlake into the mix. Considering Timberlake’s ridiculously funny sketches and videos on Saturday Night Live, we may be in for some craziness. And I certainly can’t predict how the DeNiro exchange will go. This is definitely one to watch.

Rules of Engagement, CBS, 9:30pm Eastern/8:30pm Central: One of those rare birds on television–not only is it a traditional sitcom, but it’s funny. Following a group of friends in varying stages of life–single, engaged, and long-time marrieds–Rules of Engagement gives us three different perspectives and lots of great banter. Audrey (Megyn Price) and Jeff (Patrick Warburton) have great rapport, with comfortable, drawling zingers directed at one another–but in the end it’s still all about the love. And both couples have fun tormenting the eternally single and sleazy Russell (David Spade), who dishes it right back. The show is clever and fun and good for steady laughs.

Enjoy the shows!
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Buy Rules of Engagement Seasons 1 & 2 on DVD from Buy.com